[CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:09] >> WELCOME PACK PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. >> HEAVENLY FATHER, WE COME BEFORE YOU TODAY WITH HEAVENLY HEARTS AS WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER AND SERVE OUR GREAT COUNTY. WE RECOGNIZE THE BLESSING THAT IT IS TO LIVE IN A NATION WHERE WE CAN SPEAK -- SPEAK FREELY AND OPENLY AND WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COMMUNITY. LORD, I ASK THAT YOU LIFT UP OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, THOSE WHO RUN TOWARDS DANGER TO PROTECT AND SERVE OTHERS, GRANT THEM STRENGTH, COURAGE AND PROTECTION IN EVERY MOMENT. FATHER, WE PRAY FOR THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR MILITARY, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, FACING CONFLICT IN IRAN. WE ARE FOREVER GRATEFUL IS YOUR MERCY AS WE GET TO SAVE THOSE WHO ARE BEHIND ENEMY LINES. PLEASE CONTINUE TO SURROUND OUR TROOPS WITH YOUR PEACE, SHIELD THEM FROM HARM AND BRING THEM HOME SAFELY. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR OUR DEDICATED COUNTY STAFF FOR THEIR HARD WORK, COMMITMENT AND SERVICE TOWARDS OUR CITIZENS EACH AND EVERY DAY, CONTINUE TO BLESS THEIR EFFORTS AND GUIDE THEIR WORK. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUCCESS OF OUR COUNTY FAIR, THE FELLOWSHIP, THE JOY AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT THE JOY BRINGS TO US EVERY SINGLE YEAR. AS WE BEGIN OUR MEETING WE ASK FOR WISDOM, ABILITY AND CLARITY TO HELP US LEAD WITH INTEGRITY, AND LISTEN WITH OPEN HEARTS AS WE SERVE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT IMPROVE OUR COUNTY. MAY EVERYTHING WE DO HERE TODAY REPRESENT RESPECT AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND YOUR NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. >> AMEN. >> SO OUR PLEDGE TODAY IS LED BY AN AVIATION ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN SECOND CLASS, TOMMY SMITH. SPENCE SERVE FOR FIVE YEARS IN THE NAVY, SERVING IN THE SECURITY FORCES APPLICATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND PERSIAN GULF. HE'S A DECORATED VETERAN, AWARDS INCLUDING THE PAIN METAL, GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM METAL, NAVY BATTLE RIBBON, IN NAVY AND MARINE CORPS METALS AMONG OTHERS. HE JOINED THE NAVY AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001 TO SERVE AND DEFEND HIS COUNTRY AND DURING HIS SERVICE HE LEARNED THAT TRUE SERVICE IS SELFLESS. NOW A MIDDLEBURG RESIDENT, HE VOLUNTEERS HIS TIME SUPPORTING MILITARY FAMILIES, VETERANS AND YOUTH. THE ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING TAPS, THE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT, CARRY THE LOAD, CANINES FOR WARRIORS, THE TOOL OF VALHALLA PROJECT AND MORE. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, TO OUR COUNTRY AND YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENTS TO OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE AND YOU CAN SAY A FEW WORDS IF YOU WOULD LIKE. 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. THEY TOLD ME I COULD SPEAK AND WHATEVER I WANTED AND I WANT TO GIVE A QUICK PRAYER FOR YOU GUYS. THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL PRAYER, WE NEED MORE OF THAT IN THIS COUNTRY. BUT IF YOU WOULD, JUST BOW YOUR HEADS AS I PRAY FOR ALL OF YOU THAT BROUGHT ME HERE. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY AND WE KNOW THAT EVERY DAY IS A BLESSING AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AND GLORIFY YOU, LORD. AND AS WE ASSEMBLE HERE, I ASK THAT YOU JUST WATCH OVER THE BOARD AND GUIDE THEIR HEARTS, GUIDE THEIR MINDS AND GUIDE THEIR DECISIONS AS THEY DELIBERATE ON PROBLEMS AND JUST HELP THEM IN UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. AND IN DOING SO THEY CAN GLORIFY YOU AND SERVE YOU, LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU HOLD THEM IN YOUR HANDS AND GUIDE THEM, GIVE THEM INTEGRITY AND GIVE THEM STRENGTH AND WE ASKED THEY WATCH OVER THIS NATION, THESE GREAT UNITED STATES AND WE AS THEY WATCH OVER ALL OF THE PEOPLE SERVING IN IT. HERE AT HOME AND ABROAD AND JUST BLESS THEIR FAMILIES THAT ARE MAKING THE SACRIFICE THEY ARE MAKING TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. AND WE PRAY FOR ALL OF THIS. IS ALWAYS IN ALL THINGS, YOUR WILL BE DONE AND IN MIGHTY NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. [APPLAUSE] >> I DON'T REMEMBER THAT EVER HAPPENING, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WAS TOUCHING, WE APPRECIATE THAT. CALLED TO ORDER, THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING FOR APRIL 14, 2026. ALL MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS ARE [PET ADOPTIONS] IN ATTENDANCE AND WE WILL GO ON TO ADOPTIONS. [00:05:07] OUR FIRST CAT TODAY IS GUSTAV, C SHORTHAIR, SIX YEARS OLD AND WEIGHS 15 POUNDS. MEET GUSTAV. THE 6-YEAR-OLD KING OF SASS WHO STRUTS AROUND LIKE HE OWNS THE BUILDING. BECAUSE IN HIS MIND HE ABSOLUTELY DOES. HE IS A BOLD BOY WITH BIG OPINIONS AND A DRAMATIC STARE AND A DON'T MESS WITH ME BY THAT LAST UNTIL HE DECIDES HE NEEDS CUDDLES AND THEN SUDDENLY HE IS MELTING INTO YOUR LAP LIKE A FURRY POT WILL OF SECRETS. BRING HIM HOME AND YOU WILL GET A HILARIOUS MIX OF CONFIDENCE, CHARM AND UNDERCOVER SNUGGLE ADDICTION. JUST DON'T TELL HIM I TOLD YOU. NEXT WE HAVE TED -- TADPOLE. A FEMALE, MIX BREED, WEIGHS 54 POUNDS. MEET TADPOLE, THE FIVE ROAD GIRL WHO TREATS LIFE LIKE A NONSTOP ADVENTURE AND REFUSES TO SIT STILL UNLESS SNACKS ARE INVOLVED. SHE IS ALWAYS ON THE MOVE, ALWAYS SMILING AND ALWAYS READY TO RALLY HER FURRY FRIENDS FOR A YARD PARTY. BONUS POINTS IF THERE IS A POOL BECAUSE TADPOLE BELIEVES SPLASHING IS A PERSONALITY TRAIT. THIS HAPPY-GO-LUCKY GIRL BRINGS SUNSHINE WHEREVER SHE GOES AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A COMPANION WHO LIVES EVERY DAY LIKE IT IS THE BEST DAY EVER, TADPOLE IS YOUR GIRL. NEXT WE HAVE TORY, INTO MYSTIC SHORTHAIR. 1-YEAR-OLD AND WEIGHS 6 POUNDS. MEET TORY. IF YOU BRING THIS GAL HOME, YOU'RE BASICALLY SIGNING UP FOR A MOOD MASTER WHO THINK SPURRING IS A FULL-TIME JOB, A PERSONAL SUPERVISOR FOR ALL TASKS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LAUNDRY, EMAILS AND OPENING THE FRIDGE. A DAILY DOSE OF SWEETNESS FROM A CAT WHO GENUINELY BELIEVES YOU ARE THE BEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED. SHE WILL FILL YOUR LIFE WITH WARMTH, LAUGHTER AND THE KIND OF GENTLE COMPANIONSHIP THAT MAKES EVEN ORDINARY DAYS FEEL SOFTER. NEXT WE HAVE CHIPPED, A NEUTERED MALE. USE HEARTWORM NEGATIVE, A MIXED BREED, BY-MONTH-OLD AND WEIGHS 22 POUNDS. MEET CHAP. THE 5-MONTH-OLD PUPPY WHO IS STILL FIGURING OUT LIFE. ONE ADORABLE ARMY CRAWL AT A TIME. HE IS A SHY LITTLE GUY WITH A SOFT HEART, SLOWLY BUILDING HIS CONFIDENCE BUT ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO DRAMATIC FLOOR WIGGLING IS A VALID FORM OF TRANSPORTATION. ONCE HE TRUSTS YOU AND YOU SHARE A SNACK OR TWO, CHIP BECOMES THE SWEETEST BUDDY WHO WILL STICK BY YOUR SIDE. LIKE YOU WERE HIS FAVORITE PERSON ON THE PLANET. ADOPT CHIP AND YOU WILL GAIN A GENTLE, GOOFY FRIEND WHO REMINDS YOU DAILY THAT BRAVERY COMES IN SMALL, WIGGLING STEPS. IF YOU ARE READY TO MEET YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND THERE ARE ADOPTABLE ANIMALS WAITING TO ADD SNACKS ARE FUN AND LOVE DEAR LIFE. FROM WAKING TALES TO PURRING KIDDIES, WE GOT THE PERFECT COMPANION JUST FOR YOU. WANT TO SEE WHO IS AVAILABLE YOU CAN HEAD OVER TO OUR WEBSITE AND MEET OUR ADORABLE CREW, LOOKING FOR THEIR FOREVER HOMES. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS YOU CAN DROP US A LINE ONLINE AND LET'S CHAT. DON'T WAIT, YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND IS JUST A CLICK AWAY. AND YOU WILL SEE A LITTLE BABY KITTEN THERE, BOTTLE BABIES ARE IN NEED OF FOSTER HOMES. PLEASE CALL THE SHELTER FOR MORE INFORMATION, WE ARE ALWAYS IN NEED OF FOSTER HOMES WHERE THEY CAN GROW, RELIEVES SOCIALIZATION AND EVEN MEDICAL FOSTERS AND GET THE CARE THEY NEED UNTIL THEY% ARE READY FOR ADOPTION. COULD YOU PROVIDE A LOVING TEMPORARY HOME FOR ONE OF OUR FOSTER ANIMALS? IF SO, PLEASE CONTACT US. AND FINALLY, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HELPING OUR FURRY FRIENDS BUT YOU CANNOT BRING ONE HOME, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR AMAZON WISH LIST. WE ARE ALWAYS IN NEED OF ITEMS FOR THE SHELTER ANIMALS, JUST HAD TO AMAZON. [PROCLAMATIONS/RESOLUTIONS] THAT COMPLETES OUR PET ADOPTIONS. >> COMMISSIONERS ME UP FRONT FOR A PROCLAMATION. >> WATER CONSERVATION MONTH IS RECKONED AS EACH APRIL DURING FLORIDA'S DRY SEASON WHICH RUNS FROM MARCH THROUGH JUNE. WE HAVE OUR WATER CONSERVATION PARTNERS WITH US HERE TODAY FROM THE ST. JOHN'S RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THE COUNTY AUTHORITY AND THE WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT TO HELP US WITH THE RECOGNITION. >>> IF EVERYONE COULD PLEASE COME FORWARD. AFTER WE READ THE PROCLAMATION, WE WELCOME SOME BRIEF REMARKS. >> ALL RIGHT. [00:10:01] THE PROCLAMATION READS, AS FLORIDA CONTAINS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST VITAL FRESHWATER OFFER RIVERS, THE FLORIDIAN AQUIFER WHICH SUPPLIES DRINKING WATER TO MILLIONS AND SUPPORTS THE STAGE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIAL AND ECOLOGICAL NEEDS. AND WERE AS CLAY COUNTY AND THE REST OF FLORIDA RELY HEAVENLY -- HEAVILY -- I'M SAYING IT WRONG, FLUORIDATED AQUIFER FOR WATER AND SUSTAINING THIS VITAL RESOURCE REQUIRES RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP AND CAREFUL MANAGEMENT. AND WHEREAS EXCESSIVE AND WASTEFUL WATER CAN LEAD TO DETRIMENTAL CONSEQUENCES SUCH AS LOWERED WATER LEVELS, SALTWATER INTRUSION AND REDUCED AVAILABILITY OF WATER FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. AND WHEREAS IRRIGATION TYPICALLY ACCOUNTS FOR THE LARGEST SHARE OF WATER USE DURING THIS 28TH YEAR OF WATER CONSERVATION MONTH. THE FOCUS IS ON INSTALLING AND MAINTAINING RAIN SHUTOFF DEVICES ON YOUR EDITION SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, PREVENT UNNECESSARY WATERING, REDUCE WASTE AND MAKE BETTER USE OF RAINFALL. AND WHEREAS CLAY COUNTY JOINS THE STATE OF FLORIDA, THE ST. JOHN'S RIVER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THE CLAY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND THE CLAY COUNTY UTILITY AUTHORITY AND RECOGNIZING APRIL AS WATER CONSERVATION MONTH TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS ABOUT SAVING WATER DURING THIS TYPICALLY DRIVE, HIGH DEMAND PERIODS. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, CLAY COUNTY FLOOR THAT DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL, 2026TH AS WATER CONSERVATION MONTH IN CLAY COUNTY. BUSINESSES TO HELP PROTECT THE AQUIFER IN HER SHARED WATER RESOURCES BY PRACTICING WATER SAVING MEASURES SUCH AS ENSURING THAT OUTDOOR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS OPERATE EFFICIENTLY BY USING PROPERLY FUNCTIONING RAIN SHUTOFF DEVICES. DULY ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, CLAY COUNTY FLORIDA, THIS WORKING DAY OF APRIL, 2026. DO I HAVE A MOTION? AND A SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR? IT IS OFFICIALLY IN THE RECORD, CONGRATULATIONS, THANK YOU. >> WE WILL START OVER HERE. YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE TO SAY? YOU ARE LIMITED TO 3 MINUTES. >> I'M LIMITED BY DAYLIGHT, IS THAT WHAT I HEARD? I WANT TO THANK YOU, FELLOW COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR WONDERFUL SUPPORT. THIS IS THE 28TH YEAR WE HAVE DONE THIS WHICH MEANS THE STATE TAKES WATER CONSERVATION SERIOUSLY. WE ARE GROWING AND WE ARE SURROUNDED BY WATER AND YET WE ARE EXPERIENCING A DROUGHT. DROUGHTS THAT HAPPEN, HISTORICALLY, THIS ONE IS A GENERATIONAL TYPE OF DROUGHT. WITH THAT, ONE OF THE THEMES OF THIS IS THE RAIN SHUTOFF DEVICE. AND INTERESTINGLY, PEOPLE PROBABLY DON'T KNOW THAT SINCE MAY OF 91, A RAIN SHUTOFF DEVICE IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO BE INSTALLED WITH AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION SYSTEMS. AND AS YOU KNOW, CLAY COUNTY AS MOST COUNTIES ARE GROWING AND LOTS OF HOMES ARE BEING INSTALLED SO I'M GOING WITH THE OVER UNDER THAT ONLY ABOUT 30% ARE WORKING BECAUSE THE EITHER NOT BEING INSTALLED CORRECTLY OR AFTER JUST A COUPLE YEARS THERE NOT BEING MAINTAINED SO NOW THEY ARE NOT WORKING. SO UNARMY OF DEVICES THAT WOULD PREVENT PEOPLE FROM WATERING AND YOU'RE DRIVING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD GOING OLD LOOK, THEY ARE WATERING IT IS RAINING WORKING. SOMETHING THAT IS SIMPLY INSTALLED BY A CONTRACTOR, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THESE DEVICES WORK. IS A FORCE MULTIPLIER AND THAT IS AN INTERESTING THEME. WITH THAT WE ALSO HAVE -- IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED BACK IT HAS BEEN KIND OF NICE BUT IT HAS BEEN NICE FOR A LONG TIME. WE HAVEN'T HAD HURRICANES, KNOCK ON WOOD, WE ARE ALL HAPPY BUT HURRICANES TO PROVIDE ONE THING, THAT IS A HUGE RECHARGE TO THE AQUIFERS. AND THEY ARE RIGHT NOW STARTING TO LOOK LIKE OUR PONDS IN THE GOLF COURSE. IS A GOLFER IT MAY BE A GOOD THING BECAUSE WATER IS LOW BUT AS PEOPLE WHO NEED WATER, THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING. AND OUR BOARD HAD A MEETING TODAY AND IT IS STILL PRETTY DRASTIC. EAST FLORIDA IS SUFFERING TREMENDOUSLY. SO IN THIS PHASE TWO MODIFIED SEVERE WATER SHORTAGE, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS. OBVIOUSLY IRRIGATION IS ESSENTIAL. NOW IRRIGATION IS LIMITED TO ONE DAY. NORMALLY WHEN THE TIME CHANGES YOU GET THAT SECOND DAY. WE ARE HOLDING EVERYBODY AT JUST ONE DAY. SO WHEN YOU SEE SOMEBODY WATERING AND THEY SHOULDN'T, OBVIOUSLY -- I'M A BIG CODE ENFORCEMENT KIND OF PERSON AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT THAT ALL ON THE COUNTY CODE, YOU CAN ADD TO OUR WEBSITE AND WE HAVE THIS LITTLE HANDY -- PUT THEIR ADDRESS IN AND THEY WILL GET A NICE LITTLE LETTER REMINDING THEM THAT WE'VE GOT EYES ON YOU AND WE ARE WATCHING YOU. LET'S DO THINGS RIGHT. AND YOU MAY NOT SEE IT TODAY, AS YOU DRIVE AROUND, PEOPLE ARE PUTTING DOWN NEW SAUD, HOLD OFF ON ANYTHING MAJOR. PUTTING DOWN SALT OR MAJOR LANDSCAPING BECAUSE THAT USES A LOT OF WATER. HOLD OFF ON THAT. WE HAVE A LOT OF HOA'S IN THIS [00:15:01] COUNTY, MYSELF INCLUDED. AND I GOT A LOVE LETTER FROM THEM IN A QUICKLY EDUCATED THEM. THEY HAVE PREEMPTED FROM ACQUIRING PEOPLE TO PRESSURE WASH THEIR HOMES AND DRIVEWAYS FOR ESTHETIC PURPOSES. SO THEY ARE PREEMPTED. AND I MAY PREEMPT THEM AND OTHER THINGS AS WE PLAY THE GAME. BUT THAT IS ANOTHER THING. SO WHEN YOU WAKE WAKE UP YOU HAVE THAT MORNING COFFEE AND YOU WET, IT MUST HAVE GOTTEN SOME RAIN, KNOW, IS PROBABLY THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM PROFIT NOT WORKING PROPERLY. AND YOU MAY HAVE A LEAK. AND IRRIGATION, 50% OF OUR IRRIGATION IS WHERE OUR WATER IS GOING OUTSIDE THE HOUSE OF CZECHIA IRRIGATION SYSTEMS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WHAT LITTLE WE WANT YOU TO USE, MAKE SURE YOU USE IT EFFECTIVELY. IF YOU HEAR THAT -- >> I GOT TO GO TURN MY RAIN GAGE ON. >> OR UNDERSTAND THE BOX. THINGS ARE HAPPENING THAT MIGHT BE NICE FOR US BUT ARE STRESSING US. WE ARE GROWING AND WE REALLY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT INEXPENSIVE WATER THAT IS SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET BELOW RIGHT NOW. SO PLEASE HELP US OUT AND DO THE RIGHT THING. BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU CONSERVE WATER, YOU SAVE MONEY. SO A PIZZA WITH A BEER OR SODA OR WHEN THE KIDS GO TO THE FAIR, YOU SAVE THAT MONEY AND YOU CAN HAVE SOME FUN. YOU CAN DO THE RIGHT THING. THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH. [APPLAUSE] >> ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE ENTIRE TEAM, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, THE INVITATION TO COME AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCLAMATION. IS THE SERVICE PROVIDER IN CLAY COUNTY, WATER CONSERVATION IS HUGE TO US. AND WE ARE ALSO A LEADER IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA WHEN IT COMES TO WATER CONSERVATION. OVER A THIRD, PROBABLY CLOSE TO 40% OF OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE RECLAIMED WATER SERVICES. WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF CUSTOMER OUTREACH. WE HAVE EVEN LEVERAGED TECHNOLOGY TO WHERE -- TO PREVENT LEAKS, LEAK DETECTION SO OUR SYSTEM IS NOW AUTOMATED TO WEAR YOUR METER SENDS A SIGNAL AND IF IT IS RUNNING FOR THREE DAYS CONTINUOUSLY, YOU WERE GOING TO GET AN AUTOMATIC ALERT IF YOU HAVE SIGNED UP IN OUR SYSTEM. MAKING YOU AWARE OF THE CONTINUOUS USAGE. SO WE ARE TRYING TO LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY TO EMPOWER OUR CUSTOMERS, TO MONITOR AND CONSERVE WATER. ON TOP OF THAT, WHEN THERE ARE LEAKS OR WANTING TO KNOW ABOUT HOW TO SET UP IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, IF YOU ARE A CUSTOMER OF OURS, WE OFFER FREE WATER CONSERVATION ASSESSMENTS TO OUR CUSTOMERS. SO YOU JUST HAVE TO CALL UP AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT AND WE WILL SEND A SERVICE TECH TO HELP YOU LOOK AT THE IRRIGATION SYSTEM AND WATER USE SO WE CAN OPTIMIZE THAT. SO WE ARE A LEADER IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA WHEN IT COMES TO WATER CONSERVATION FROM THE MANAGEMENT TEAM, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO REMAINING A LEADER IN WATER CONSERVATION WITH THE WORK WE ARE DOING FROM PROJECT QUENCH AND OTHER TYPES OF WATER TREATMENT. WE ARE GOING TO REMAIN AT THAT LEADING EDGE AND NOT THE BLEEDING EDGE. WE WILL KEEP CLAY COUNTY IN GOOD SHAPE. [APPLAUSE] >> FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEY'VE BEEN SERVING IN THE WATER BOARDS FOR 22 YEARS NOW. THIS WILL PROBABLY BE HIS LAST TERM BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE TERM LIMITS. BUT HE HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE. AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE AND GLAD THAT HE CAME TO THE FAIR. WE HAD A NICE BOOTH THAT WE, BASICALLY HANDING OUT ALL KINDS OF TRINKETS, I THINK THEY CALLED IT. BUT WE HAD A GOOD TIME. ALSO THIS PAST WEEKEND WITH THIS PAST TUESDAY OR -- WHAT WAS IT, TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY? YESTERDAY, I WAS WITH AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER OUT OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY AND WE WENT INTO DOCTORS LAKE. AND SHE TESTED SOMETHING IN THE WATER AND DOCTORS LAKE AND EVEN DOWN TO SPRING -- THE SPRING CREEK BACK IN THERE. AND SHE THOUGHT THE WATER GOOD . FOR SWIMMING. SHE DIDN'T SAY SO MUCH FOR DRINKING. BUT IF YOU WANTED TO WATER SKI AND IT, SHE THOUGHT IT WAS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. AND I WILL TURN THIS OVER FOR 22 YEARS OF SERVICE. >> THE WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN USED TO CAP THE WELLS. THE ARTESIAN WELLS, ADDITIONAL HAVE THAT PROGRAM? C MIGHT WANT TO TALK TO THAT. >> WE HAVE HAD A PROGRAM THAT WE PAY TO CAP ARTESIAN WELLS AND THESE ARE ALL WELL SYSTEMS FROM THE EARLY YEARS IN THE CENTURY WHEN WATER WAS DEVELOPING MOSTLY [00:20:03] IN THE MIDDLE BUT WE DO HAVE SOME AND BE PAID TO CAP IT. THOSE ARE BASICALLY OR FREE-FLOWING WELLS THAT USED TO BE USED BUT THEY ARE STILL USED. THIS LAST MONTH WE CAPPED 19, BASICALLY SITTING 2 MILLION GALLONS A DAY SINCE NOVEMBER OF 20, WE HAVE CAPPED CLOSE TO 300 SAVING 200 MILLION GALLONS A DAY OF WATER. SO IF YOU KNOW AN ABANDONED OR NOT USED WELL, GIVE US A CALL, WE GO EVALUATED FREE OF CHARGE. WE WILL CAP IT AND THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE THING. SO THINK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. [APPLAUSE] [PRESENTATIONS] >> WE WILL MOVE RIGHT INTO PRESENTATIONS. OUR FIRST WILL BE OUR CLAY EDC UPDATE. WITH CRAWFORD. >> THAT WAS QUICK, I WAS WAITING ON THE OTHER STUFF, SORRY. THAT AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE AND TO PRESENT TONIGHT. JUST A BRIEF UPDATE, ALSO I WILL BE FOLLOWED BY MR. WALLACE AND WHAT HE IS SEEING ON THE REGIONAL LEVEL JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A BROADER PERSPECTIVE THAN JUST CLAY. INITIALLY I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE TWO LARGEST PROJECTS THAT WE ARE ALL REALLY FAMILIAR WITH. WHICH ARE NIAGARA WATER BOTTLING AND THEN ROOFING MATERIALS. JUST AS AN UPDATE, NIAGARA IS PUTTING IN THEIR SEVENTH PRODUCTION LINE NOW THAT IS NOW STARTING TO BE OPERATIONAL. THEY CONTINUE TO ADD EMPLOYEES TO SUPPORT THEIR OPERATIONAL SYSTEM. BUT JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE. IN THEIR CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO DATE THAT WE WERE GIVEN FROM THEM IS ABOUT $325 MILLION IN CLAY COUNTY. SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WRITE CHECKS FOR THINGS, THAT IS A PRETTY GOOD CHECK. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED WITH THEM PARTNERING WITH US IN THIS LOCATION. THE NEXT ONE I WANTED TO GIVE TO YOU IS JUST A LITTLE UPDATE ON I KO. MAYBE. SO THAT IS WHAT IT STARTED OUT AS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. AND THIS IS THE SITE AS YOU SEE ON 301 CORNER OF 218 AND THE BOTTOM CORNER IS THE OLD WEST FRASER MIDDLE THAT WAS THERE, THAT HAS NOW BEEN BASICALLY REMOVED. THERE IS STILL SOME CONCRETE, ASPHALT OUT THERE. BUT I KO IS IMMEDIATELY NORTH OF THAT SITE. WHEN THEY STARTED TALKING TO US, THEY WILL BRING A THREE-PHASE DEVELOPMENT WITH AN INITIAL FIRST PHASE FOLLOWED WITHIN A YEAR OR SO BY THEIR SECOND AND THIRD PHASES. BUT THE FIRST PHASE IS ASPHALT SINGLES THAT WE ARE ALL USED TO. AS A REMINDER, THIS SITE WORKED OUT REALLY WELL FOR THEM. THEY NEEDED ACCESS TO THE INTERSTATES. THIS IS ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES SOUTH OF THE EYE TEN ALONG THE 301 WHICH BASICALLY GIVES THEM DIVIDED ACCESS HIGHWAY TO THE INTERSTATE IN THE EYE TEN ON EAST AND WEST BACK OVER TO 95 AND I-75. IT ALSO HAS RAIL SERVICE THAT YOU CAN SEE ADJACENT. ALSO, IT HAS A HIGH-PRESSURE GAS LINE THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM. THEIR COMMITMENT INITIALLY WAS ABOUT 250 MILLION, 275 MILLION INTO THE COUNTY. [00:25:01] THEY ARE NOW THROUGH THEIR PHASE ONE, YOU SHOULD BE GETTING INFORMATION ON YOUR RIBBON-CUTTING FOR THEM LATER IN APRIL, MAY BE JUNE. BUT THEY ARE MOVING TOWARDS BEING OPERATIONAL FOR THIS PHASE AND THAT IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY. THAT IS $250 MILLION OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN CLAY COUNTY. JUST AS A REFERENCE POINT, WE RAN SOME ROUGH NUMBERS, I THINK I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, WHEN IT WAS ZONED LAND, WE JUST KIND OF TOOK THAT PARCEL AND DIVIDED IT ABOUT 100 ACRES AND THOSE ROUND NUMBERS ARE QUICKER AND EASIER FOR ME. THEY PAID ABOUT $460 ANNUALLY IN TAXES. THEY WILL PAY CLOSE TO $25 MILLION OVER A 15 YEAR PERIOD IN CLAY COUNTY. AND THAT IS AFTER THE REBATE FROM YOU GUYS. IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT INVESTING IN INDUSTRY AND JOBS AND OPPORTUNITY, WHAT A FOUNDATION IT CREATES FOR CLAY COUNTY WHICH FOR A LOT OF YEARS WE DID NOT HAVE THAT NOW WE HAVE THESE OPPORTUNITIES. SO AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND DEVELOP, YOU SHOULD HAVE A FOUNDATION FROM THE INDUSTRY THAT TAKES SOME OF THE LOAD OFF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND SPREADS THAT LOAD AND A HIGHER TAX BASE ACROSS LARGE INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS. 250 MILLION, RIGHT AROUND 75 EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW THEY EXPECT TO START PHASE TWO AND PHASE THREE PROBABLY IN ANOTHER YEAR. THEY WANT TO ABSORB THIS, THEY WANT TO GET ALL OF THESE EMPLOYEES TRAINED AND THEN THEY WILL BRING ON THEIR ADDITIONAL OPERATIONS FOR THIS FACILITY. BUT IT IS JUST AS WE HAVE WATCHED THIS GO UP, WE HAVE BEEN AMAZED AND AT TIMES IT FELT LIKE IT TOOK FOREVER BUT AT OTHER TIMES IT WAS LIKE, WOW. WE'RE FINALLY THERE. JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU GUYS AWARE OF THAT. ALSO WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE. WE HAVE BEEN PATIENTLY WAITING AND PATIENTLY WAITING AND PATIENTLY WAITING. PETERS CREEK INDUSTRIAL, WE HAD THOUGHT THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE ANNOUNCED BACK IN QUARTER FOUR OF LAST YEAR AND WE ARE NOW BEING TOLD EYES ARE DARTING, TEASER CROSS, IT SHOULD BE TERMED THREE OF THIS YEAR BUT THEY ARE ALREADY MARKETING THE SITE TO NATIONAL INDUSTRY THAT ARE LOOKING FOR LOCATIONS IN THE SOUTHEAST. SO WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THAT COMING ALONG. THE INDUSTRIAL WHICH IS JUST SOUTH OF THE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, 15 A, IT HAS BEEN CLEARLY DEGRADED. IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN OUT THERE JUST RIDE BY ONE AFTERNOON WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE, IT IS AMAZING TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT AND SEE THE DIFFERENCE THEY HAVE MITIGATED AROUND THE WETLANDS ON IT AND THEY ARE ALSO CREATING A MASTER PLAN STORAGE FOR WATER RETENTION. WE THINK THAT WILL BE ABOUT ANOTHER SIX MONTHS BEFORE IT IS FULLY ANNOUNCED BUT WE ARE ACTIVELY MARKETING THAT PROJECT. THEY DO HAVE A LETTER OF INTENT FOR THE GROUP THAT WOULD TAKE THE FRONT -- SORRY, DON'T HAVE PRETTY PICTURES, WOULD TAKE THE FRONT 30 ACRES. THAT GROUP IS LOOKING AT FLEX WAREHOUSING SPACE. THEY WOULD BUILD THREE BUILDINGS THAT ARE ROUGHLY 100,000 SQUARE FEET A PIECE AND THEN THEY WOULD SUBLEASE SPACE WITHIN THOSE SITES. THEY WOULD SQUARED DOWN TO ABOUT 20 OR 22,000 SQUARE FEET, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT'S COMING ON THE HORIZON. SPENCER INDUSTRIAL IS STILL BEING CITED, THAT IS OBVIOUSLY WHERE I KO IS. FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR LARGE, HEAVY INDUSTRIAL SITES. CHALLENGER, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO MARKET THAT FOR COMPANIES LOOKING TO BE ALONG THE EXPRESSWAY. AND THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION WAS KEYSTONE HEIGHTS AIRPORT, WE ARE ACTIVELY MARKETING A 100-ACRE SITE THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY ON OUT THERE. THE FAA REQUIRES SOME EXTENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT TESTING BEFORE YOU CAN DEVELOP A SITE WITHIN THE FAA OVERSIGHT PARAMETERS. AGAIN, IS A REFERENCE POINT, WE TOOK ABOUT TWO YEARS AND ABOUT $250,000 TO DO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE AIRPORT. MARKET THAT 100 ACRES IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE AIRPORT, JUST TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT. THE OTHER BIG THING IS THAT WE ARE REALLY EXCITED THAT TOMORROW IS THE TENTH ANNUAL FIRST COAST EXPRESSWAY. AND SOMEONE SAY HALLELUJAH? SO THE EXPRESSWAY IS NOW OPEN, PREDOMINANTLY THROUGH CLAY COUNTY, YES, IT STOPS AT 17 BUT THROW A BIG ROCK AND WE'RE ALMOST THERE ALL THE WAY THROUGH CLAY COUNTY. SO WE WILL -- TOMORROW IS GOING [00:30:04] TO BE KIND OF A CAKES AND CHEERS AND COFFEE AND THAT SORT OF THING. IT WILL BE BALLOONS, IT WILL BE EXCITEMENT. THERE'S A LOT OF ENERGY AND EFFORT AS YOU GUYS ARE WELL AWARE, THAT WENT INTO MAKING SURE THAT THIS HAPPENED. WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME LIST OF A TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE THAT THE COUNTY WAS KIND OF AN AD HOC COMMITTEE FROM ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO. AND SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THAT COMMITTEE REALLY HELPED PUSH WHEN THE EXPRESSWAY NEEDED SOME FUNDING FROM THE STATE, IT NEEDED SOME LOCAL SUPPORT, IT NEEDED SOME DECISIONS TO BE MADE. SO IT GOT ABOUT 15 OR 20 PEOPLE FROM THAT AD HOC COMMITTEE AND PEOPLE THAT WERE ENGAGED IN IT BACK WHEN IT WAS A CONVERSATION. AND WE WANT TO HONOR THEM AND RECOGNIZE THEIR VISION AND THEIR LEADERSHIP AND THAT AS WELL AS YOU GUYS. BUT FOR YOUR CONTINUED LEADERSHIP IN THAT AREA. I DO HAVE A TRICK QUESTION. WHAT DECADE -- I WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU. WHAT DECADE DO YOU THINK FIRST COAST EXPRESSWAY WAS INITIALLY -- A WHAT IF CALF WHY, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF... TRIVIA QUESTION. IS IN THE MINUTES FOR THE CORPORATION FROM 1978. BUT IT JUST HAPPENS. YOU JUST MOVE DIRT AND YOU PUT A ROAD IN AND ALL OF THAT KIND OF STUFF. BUT THAT WILL BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. IT WAS IN MINUTES FROM THE 70S. THERE'S A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE THAT SAID IT WAS A CONVERSATION BACK IN THE 50S. THAT IS THE 1950S, BY THE WAY. FOR SOME OF Y'ALL, I KNOW YOU ARE A LITTLE BIT YOUNGER. PART OF THE CONVERSATION TOMORROW WILL BE VISION AND LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO MAKING SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN. AS YOU ARE ALL WELL AWARE, THESE THINGS DON'T JUST HAPPEN. AND LOOK, IT HAS TAKEN A GENERATION, ALMOST TWO GENERATIONS FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. BUT WOW, WHAT A DIFFERENCE THIS MAKES IN THE COMMUNITY. SO TOMORROW IS GOING TO BE A CELEBRATION THAT IS HAPPENING. IT IS ALSO GOING TO BE A THANK YOU TO THE LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT THAT HELPED GET GOING. THANK YOU, ANY QUESTIONS? AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU TOMORROW, THANK YOU. >> I KNOW THEY MAKE ROOFING AND SHINGLES, EXPANSION IS MORE OF THE SAME. >> IT IS NEW PRODUCTS. THE EXISTING FACILITY WILL MAKE SHINGLES. ASPHALT SINGLES -- SHINGLES LIKE WE DO IN OUR HOUSES PREDOMINANTLY. THE NEXT PHASE WILL BE THE ROLLED UNDER AN AIRWAY SAY IT'S POLYETHYLENE BUT THAT IS PROBABLY NOT THE TECHNICAL TERM. BUT IT IS THE PART THAT GOES UNDER THE SHINGLES THAT ACT AS A WATER BARRIER ON THAT. >> TARP PAPER? >> NOT ANYMORE IT'S NOT. BUT IT USED TO. AND THEN THE THIRD PHASE, AND I MAY HAVE PHASED TO, PHASE THREE, BACK AND FORTH. THE THIRD PHASE IS TYPICALLY A COMMERCIAL ROOFING PRODUCT. THINK OF A SHEET OF PLYWOOD, FOUR BY EIGHT AND IT IS THE COMPRESSED INSULATION. YOU TYPICALLY SEE IT ON METAL ROOFS WERE YOU HAVE YOUR CROSSBEAMS AND YOU HAVE THAT INSULATION BOARD GO DOWN. AND THEN YOU HAVE THE LAMINATE AND THAT YOU HAVE THE ROOFING ON A TYPICALLY METAL COMMERCIAL BUILDING TYPE. SO THOSE ARE THE DIFFERENT PRODUCTS. THEY HAVE TALKED ABOUT A FOURTH PRODUCT. THEY HAVEN'T REALLY TOLD ME WHAT THAT MAY BE. BUT I WOULD THINK SOMETHING STILL IN THAT ROOFING LINE. >> AND I CAN ATTEST TO THE CLAMBERING AND CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE ENTRANCE TO THE BACK GATE AND 75, 76. IT IS COMING ANY DAY NOW. [LAUGHTER] HERE IT IS. BECAUSE WE ALWAYS HAD TO GO IN TO CECIL. >> A LOT OF PEOPLE -- YOU JUST DON'T REALIZE HOW LONG SOME THINGS TAKE. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE FIRST COAST EXPRESSWAY. IT'S LIKE THE BIGGER THEY ARE, THE BIGGER VISION. I REMEMBER HAVING A CONVERSATION ON F-35'S AT AN AIR BASE IN 2013. AND THEY GOT ANNOUNCED SIX MONTHS AGO, GOING INTO THIS PARTICULAR BASE. AND EVERYBODY IS LIKE THAT'S GREAT. AND I WAS LIKE, IT JUST HAPPENED. BUT WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION. TEN PLUS YEARS AGO. >> ONE LESS THING, WE CUT THE RIBBON ON F-35 A BUT OF THE FLORIDA AIR NATIONAL GUARD. AND CONGER'S MEN RUTHERFORD TALKED ABOUT THE FAA AND DOING THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS, [00:35:03] HE SAID THAT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BRING IT THERE STARTED IN 2007. SO TOOK 20 YEARS FOR THE BIG MACHINE TO PRODUCE AND GET AUTHORIZED. >> I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE ENGINEERING GROUP THAT THE AIRPORT USES IS PRIMARILY A AIRPORT ENGINEERING GROUP NATIONALLY. AND THEY WERE ABLE TO -- I WILL MISS THE TERMINOLOGY -- IT WAS A MUCH SMALLER SCOPE THAN I'M SURE WHAT CECIL HAD TO GO THROUGH. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALL IT, BUT IT WAS PROBABLY ONE 20TH OF THE AMOUNT OF PAGES THAT A FULL EA WOULD HAVE TAKEN. SO THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MADAM CHAIR? >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >> CRAWFORD, YOU BROUGHT UP THAT NIAGARA IS EXPANDING TO A SEVENTH PRODUCTION LINE. DO WE KNOW IF THAT WAS ALSO ON IT? >> I'M SURE IT WILL USE WATER BUT I DON'T THINK IT IS JUST WATER. I THINK THEY HAVE ADDED SOME OF THEIR OTHER PRODUCTS IN THERE. I CAN FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE MAKING BUT I DON'T THINK IT IS ADDITIONAL BOTTLES OF WATER, I THINK IT IS A DIFFERENT PRODUCT. EXCUSE ME A MOMENT. [LAUGHTER] I WILL FIND THAT OUT. I'M 99% SURE IT IS NOT ADDITIONAL BOTTLES OF WATER, IT IS A DIFFERENT PRODUCT LINE. I WILL FIND THAT OUT FOR YOU. I'M SURE THE USE WATER BUT IS NOT WATER. >> OKAY. I THINK YOU KNOW WHY I AM ASKING THAT QUESTION. SO MY FOLLOW-UP WAS, DO WE HAVE A TALLY ON THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THEY CURRENTLY EMPLOYED? >> THE LAST WHEN I HEARD WAS 176. >> HAVE THEY PUBLISHED THE AVERAGE WAGE? >> I DO NOT HAVE THAT ON ME, BUT, YES,, THAT IS PART OF THE REPORTING THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE COUNTY AND TO THE STATE. SO I GAVE YOU THAT NUMBER, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT OFF MY HEAD. >> AND THE LAST ONE YOU MENTION, THE CHALLENGER, IN TRYING TO ATTRACT COMPANIES THAT ARE TRYING TO BE ALONG THE EXPRESSWAY, DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR? BECAUSE TO YOUR LATTER POINT BACK WE ALREADY HAVE THE EXPRESSWAY. SO WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR? >> TYPICALLY THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE SAME THING EVERYONE ELSE'S, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SITES THAT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE NOT MEDICATIONS TO THE SITES THAT HAVE TO BE MADE, THERE ARE NOT WETLANDS ISSUES THAT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED. THE SOIL STUDIES, THE GEOTECH COMING BACK POSITIVE TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE FACILITY THEY'RE PUTTING ON IT. BUT THAT SITE HAS ACCESS TO THE EXPRESSWAY, IT HAS -- IT HAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE THERE AS FAR AS THE WATER AND SEWER. IT HAS THE CAPACITY AS FAR AS ELECTRICITY FROM CLAY AND ELECTRIC. SO TO ANSWER THAT 100%, I CANNOT TELL YOU WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE HOLD-UP ON THAT. BUT WE KEEP PUTTING IT INTO PLAY. >> THANK YOU. >> THIS QUESTION MAY BE FOR ANDRE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WILL COME APPEARED -- >> I'M SURE HE IS. >> BUT WE ATTENDED -- A COUPLE OF US ATTENDED A CELEBRATION AND I WAS JUST BLOWN OUT OF THE SADDLE CONCERNING THE PRODUCT LINES AND THE BREATH OF PRODUCTS THEY PRODUCE THEIR AND WHERE THEY DISTRIBUTE THOSE PRODUCTS TO. SOME OF THE PRODUCTS ALL THE WAY TO CALIFORNIA. SO I WAS AMAZED THAT. I NEVER KNEW THAT PLANT WASN'T EVEN THERE. IT WAS KIND OF HIDDEN IN JACKSON. AND IT EMPLOYS A LOT OF PEOPLE, PRODUCES A LOT OF GOOD THINGS. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU SIR. >> GOOD AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS REGION. AS WAS IN -- INDICATED, IT IS A PROCESS THAT TAKES A NUMBER OF YEARS FOR SOME TO MOVE FORWARD, SOMETIMES IT TAKES ONLY THREE MONTHS. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CLAY COUNTY OVER THE LAST 15 RESPECTIVE MONTHS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE 54 PRODUCTS WITH THE TEAM HERE. AND OF THOSE 54 RESPECTIVE PROJECTS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO [00:40:03] GET RESPONSES FOR 20 OF THOSE SITES. SO THAT MEANS THAT 34 OF THEM DIDN'T MEET THE CRITERIA FOR THOSE RESPECTIVE RF EYES. IN REGARDS TO UTILITIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BEING READY FOR THOSE RESPECTIVE PRODUCTS. WHAT YOU WERE SEEING IS A MOST ROUGHLY FOUR PROJECTS A MONTH COMING IN. SO THAT IS GREAT ACTIVITY FOR THE REGION. AND FOR CLAY COUNTY ITSELF. IF ALL THOSE 54 PROJECTS WERE TO COME TO FRUITION, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ROUGHLY 21,000 FOR THE REGION. IT'LL BEEN A $.1 BILLION. SO THE THINGS YOU'RE DOING IN IN TERMS OF PUTTING IN MONEY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE HELPS US BE THAT MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE. SO I WANT TO COMMEND YOU AND CONTINUE TO RECOMMEND THAT YOU INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE. BECAUSE IF THE SITE IS READY, THAT ALLOWS IT TO BE THAT MUCH MORE -- BE IN A POSITION TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT PROJECT TO TAKE A STRONGER LOOK AT YOUR RESPECTIVE COUNTY. UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVING CLAY COUNTY, LEAVE CLAY COUNTY TO GO TO WORK AND YOU WILL REVERSE THE COMMUTE AND HAVE THEM WORK WITHIN CLAY COUNTY. YOU HERE TO HELP YOU DO THAT, THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE KEEP REFERRING PROJECTS I'M GLAD HERE ALL THE OTHER RESPECTIVE SITES THAT ARE BEGINNING TO COME ONLINE. I'VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MY TEAM, WITH CLAY COUNTY AND WAS A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU HAVE LAND, WHAT MATTERS IS HE GOT UTILITIES. IF YOU HAVE UTILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE, THEN YOU CAN COMPETE. AND IF NOT, YOU ARE NOT COMPETITIVE, DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER. ANY QUESTIONS I CAN TAKE? YES, SIR? >> THANK YOU FOR COMING, AND SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. NOT NECESSARILY JUST HEARING CLAY COUNTY BUT REGIONALLY IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF ECONOMIC TALKS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TALKS ABOUT AI. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ARE WE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THOSE JOBS BE REPLACED? WITH A LOCALLY OR WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK ON THAT? >> I THINK WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING SITES AND INDUSTRY. OF THOSE 54 PROJECTS I JUST TALKED TO ABOUT, 43 OF THEM WERE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING. SO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS MUCH MORE ROBOTICS, MUCH MORE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THOSE RESPECTIVE JOBS. SO THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT AN INDIVIDUAL WILL BE DISPLACED, WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT FROM THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT, THE JOBS WITH COLLEGE WITH YOUR CAKE AND 12 DISTRICT, WE HAVE TWO UPSCALE THE INDIVIDUAL TO BE ABLE TO USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, USE THAT INFORMATION TO HELP THEM DO THEIR RESPECTIVE JOB. SO THAT IS WHERE THE OPPORTUNITY IS GOING TO LIE IN THAT STANDPOINT. I'M NOT SEEING WHERE THIS JOB GOT DISPLACED, I'M SEEING A COMPANY SAY WE NEED PEOPLE TO BE MUCH MORE TECHNICALLY ADVANCED IN ORDER TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE JOBS THAT ARE COMING. >> THANK YOU. >> AUTO AVIATION, YOU KNOW WHAT THE TIMELINE IS? >> THEY WILL BE HERE TALKING WITH US NEXT MONTH IN MAY LOOKING TO GET ON THE GROUND HERE IN THIS UPCOMING SUMMER AND MORE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTER OF 2026 INTO 2027. THE GOOD THING ABOUT THEM IS THEY ALREADY HAVE A $5.5 BILLION CONTRACT WITH JETS FOR ACQUISITION OF THEIR AIRCRAFT. >> WORKFORCE ESTIMATES? >> OVER A 20 YEAR TIME FRAME, IT WILL BE ALMOST 1250 JOBS. AND ON THE FRONT-END, ROUGHLY ABOUT HUNDRED $34 MILLION. AND I MADE A PRESENTATION PROBABLY LAST WEEK BEFORE THE AVIATION AUTHORITY. IF IT WERE NOT FOR BOEING VACATING THE CURRENT HANGAR, THAT THEY WERE MOVING INTO, WE WOULD NOT HAVE ONE THAT RESPECTIVE PROJECT. BUT IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WORKING WITH THE AVIATION AUTHORITY AND BEING ABLE TO CONVINCE BOEING IN 2019 THAT THEY NEEDED TO EXPAND -- THAT THEY NEEDED TO DO THE HANGAR, WHO WOULDN'T BE IN THE POSITION WE WERE IN 2025 TO BE ABLE TO LAND AUTO IN THIS REGION. SO AGAIN, 2019 ALLOWED US TO GET TO 2025 TO LAND AUTO AND ALSO EXPAND IN THE REGION. [00:45:02] >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH ANDRE, TAKE CARE. AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE TPO LIGHTING STUDY. WITH RICHARD. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, RICHARD SMITH, COUNTY ENGINEER. I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE OUR DEVELOPMENT TEAM, DESIGN TEAM. HE IS GOING TO PRESENT THIS LIGHTING STUDY. AND A RUSSELL ROAD CAPACITY STUDY. THESE STUDIES WERE REQUESTED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND PERFORMED AT THE EXPENSE OF AN DIRECTION OF THE NORTH FLORIDA TRANSPORTATION PLANNING. WE ALSO HAVE MERCY HERE FROM THE TPO. >> THANK YOU. VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE AND PRESENT TO YOU TODAY. AND JUST TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF THESE TWO TASKS REPORTER PROJECTS THAT WERE GIVEN BY THE TPO. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE TECH SO LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET IT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION HERE, THERE WE GO. SO THIS FIRST PROJECT THAT WE WERE CHARGED WITH EVALUATING WHERE LIGHTING IS NEEDED IN CRITICAL LOCATIONS ON THE COUNTY ROADWAY NETWORK. AND THEN A SECONDARY PURPOSE WAS TO PROVIDE SOME GENERALIZED COSTS THAT STAFF CAN USE WHEN GETTING REQUESTS FOR LIGHTING AND DIFFERENT INTERSECTION AND DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES. THE REASON THIS PROJECT IS NEEDED IS THAT THERE WERE TEN FATAL CRASHES ON COUNTY ROADS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS WITH THE PERIOD ENDING DECEMBER 31ST OF 2025. AND THAT WAS ABOUT 47% OF ALL FATALITIES THAT OCCURRED IN CONDITIONS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE OFFICERS AS DARK AND WE ACTUALLY REVIEWED THOSE REPORTS AND THEN A FEW OF THOSE THERE WAS SOME LIGHTING THAT WAS PROVIDED BUT THE OFFICER STILL DETERMINED IT WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. AND IT IS ALSO A FACTOR IN ABOUT 15% OF ALL CRASHES THAT OCCUR ON THE COUNTYWIDE NETWORK. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID AS PART OF THE EVALUATION WAS WE USE THE NEW CRITERIA THAT WERE ADOPTED IN A STATEWIDE GUIDELINE AND CALLED THE FLORIDA GREEN BOOK BUT THE MINIMUM DESIGN CRITERIA FOR STREETS AND HIGHWAYS ON COUNTY ROADWAYS, WE USED THOSE CRITERIA IN ADDITION TO WHAT IS ALREADY INCLUDED IN LAND DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURE EMAIL AND ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS IN THE ANALYSIS, PARTICULARLY PEDESTRIANS INCURRING AND INTERSECTIONS. BUT WE EVALUATED THE MAJOR FACTOR DETERMINED BASED ON THE CRASH HISTORY AND A REDUCTION OF CRASHES THAT WE CAN ANTICIPATE WHEN LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS OR NEW LIGHTING IS ADDED TO IDENTIFY FIVE KEY LOCATIONS THAT OUR PRIORITIES FOR INTERSECTIONS ON THE COUNTY ONLY NETWORK. AND THE PREPARED PLANS AND COST ESTIMATES FOR EACH OF THOSE. WE ALSO LOOKED AT, FROM A QUARTER STANDPOINT, WHERE FUTURE LIGHTING SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN PROJECTS ON A SIMILAR BASIS. AND THIS IS THE TABLE OF THE GENERALIZED COST OF WHAT IT TAKES TO PUT LIGHTING AND TO MEET THE CURRENT STANDARDS. AND WHAT WE DID IS CLAY ELECTRIC HAS A NICE SET OF CRITERIA THAT WE USE FOR GENERAL CONFIGURATIONS THAT ARE LISTED ON THE LEFT THERE AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERSECTIONS. AND WE ADDED A PER MILE COST FOR TYPICAL TWO WERE FOUR-LANE ROADWAY. NOT ONLY DID WE INCLUDE THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION, WE ALSO INCLUDED THE SUPPORT COST WHICH INCLUDES THE COST FOR THE ENGINEERING, THE PERMITTING AND UTILITY COORDINATION. AND THIS JUST PROVIDES SOME GREAT GUIDELINES SO THAT WE CAN QUICKLY LOOK AT IF THERE IS A NEED FOR A PROJECT, WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE IN THE FUTURE OF THE PROGRAMMING CYCLE? WILSON LOOKED AT THE OPERATIONS OF MAINTENANCE COSTS. IN ADDITION TO CLAY ELECTRIC, GREEN CO. SPRINGS, ELECTRIC AND GEA PROVIDE THE LIGHTING OPERATIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY. AND IN THOSE SAME CONFIGURATIONS, THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED A BASIC TARIFF RATE OR A BASIC PER MONTHLY RATE THAT THEY CHARGE THE COUNTY. AND BASED ON THE CONCEPT LAYOUT, WE PROVIDED THIS TABLE TO HELP WITH THE PLANNING. THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE FUEL ADJUSTMENTS, THESE RATES ROSE IN OCTOBER OF 2025 BUT THERE IS A RUN-UP IN FUEL COSTS THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING NOW. THEY HAVE AN APPROVED WAY TO ADJUST THOSE RATES ON A MONTHLY BASIS. IF YOU WERE TO GO AND LOOK AT THE ACTUAL LEVELS, THEY VARY FROM MONTH TO MONTH BASED ON THIS ADJUSTMENT. SO THAT IS THE SUMMARY OF THE [00:50:05] FIRST OF THE TWO PROJECTS, JUST WANTED TO PAUSE THERE AND SEE IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RESULTS OR THE RECOMMENDATIONS OR CAN DIG DEEPER INTO THE TECHNICAL APPROACH THAT WE USE. >> MY QUESTION WOULD BE WHAT WOULD THE COST BE IF WE DID NOT USE OUR UTILITY PARTNER LIKE POLES? DO YOU KNOW? >> I'M TRYING TO FLIP BACK BACK WE DID INCLUDE ON A NEW POLL WHICH THE COUNTY WOULD PROVIDE OR USING AN EXISTING POLE IN THESE SCENARIOS. >> I SEE THAT. SO ON THE PRIORITY LOCATIONS, SO WHEN IT HAS THE FIVE LOCATIONS OF LIGHTING AND CONSTRUCTION COST, IS THAT USING EXISTIG POLES? >> IN EACH OF THESE -- FIRST FOUR LOCATIONS, WE ACTUALLY PREPARED CONCEPT PLANS AND THOSE WOULD REQUIRE NEW LOCATIONS. AND THE COST ALSO REFLECTS IN THE GENERALIZED APPROACH, WHEN WE HAVE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS, WE USUALLY HAVE TO HAVE MORE LIKE POLES, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE STANDARDS ADOPTED IN 2023 SO THAT REFLECTS THE CONCEPT DESIGN AND THE FINAL DESIGN DOCUMENTS. >> OKAY, THANK YOU. >> YOU MAY HAVE MENTIONED THIS IN THE BEGINNING BUT FOR THE CRASH HISTORY, WAS THE SAMPLE SIZE THAT IS LIKE THE YEAR OF THE DATA? >> THIS IS THE YEAR 2020 THROUGH 2025. A FIVE-YEAR DATA SET. THERE WERE A TOTAL OF ABOUT 4200 CRASHES ON COUNTY ROADS. 658 OF THOSE WERE IDENTIFIED IN DARK OR NONLIGHTING CONDITIONS. >> THIS IS A RANDOM QUESTION BUT I THINK YOU DO THIS A LOT MORE THAN WE DO, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANY CREATIVE FUNDING SOURCES FOR LIGHTING, OTHER THAN JUST THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING IT? >> ONE OF THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT NOW THAT EXIST AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL. AND BECAUSE WE USE A SAFETY BASED APPROACH IN OUR JUSTIFICATION ANALYSIS HERE, AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY OPEN RIGHT NOW FOR PROJECTS. SO THESE WOULD BE GREAT CANDIDATES FOR THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL PROGRAM. >> GOOD, WE GOT ONE OF THOSE. >> I HAVE A QUESTION. WHEN WE SAY IT IS NOT LIT AND THEN WE SAY IT IS LIT, IS THERE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN AN INTERSECTION LEFT AND A STRAIGHT-AHEAD ROADWAY LIT? I WAS PART OF A PROJECT WHERE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAD VERY STRINGENT POWER REQUIREMENTS IN A PARKING LOT. IS THAT THE CASE WITH THESE INTERSECTIONS AND STRAIGHTAWAY ROADS? >> THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO CRITERIA NOW. TRADITIONALLY WHAT YOU DO IS YOU WOULD MODEL THE LIGHT THAT IS PRODUCED BY EACH OF THE LUMINAIRES AND WE HAVE MODELS THAT SHOW HOW IT IS SPREAD OUT ALONG THE ROADWAY AND THEN THERE IS ALSO A NEW CRITERIA WERE YOU CONSIDER HOW THAT LIGHT IS REFLECTED OFF THE PAVEMENT CONDITION. AND IN PARTICULAR, THE RATIO OF THAT LIGHTING FOR A PEDESTRIAN OR CYCLIST IN THE AREA. >> SO I THINK YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION THAT AT AN INTERSECTION I WOULD EXPECT THE CANDLEPOWER TO BE MORE PROLIFIC THAN ON THE STRAIGHTAWAY WITHOUT A CROSSWALK OR A SIGNAL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? >> THAT IS CORRECT. WE DO NOW HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY MODEL THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSIGS. >> THANK YOU. >> WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT. >> THANK YOU. I CAN SEE IT ON THE SCREEN BEHIND YOU. SOMEONE IS WORKING THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE HELP. SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO CONDUCT A ASSESSMENT OF THE CAPACITY IMPROVEMENT NEEDS ALONG RUSSELL ROAD AND WE EVALUATED THE SECTION FROM 315 TO HANDLEY ROAD AS SHOWN ON THE MAP HERE. WE ALSO INCLUDED THAT ALL THREE OF THE BONDED TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN UNDER CONSTRUCTION ARE ALL STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION WHEN WE STARTED THE PROJECT, THAT THEY WOULD BE COMPLETE. SO AS PART OF THE FOUNDATION OF THAT, IT WAS AN EXCITING PROJECT, WE ALWAYS START WITH [00:55:06] SAFETY, SAFETY IS THE NUMBER 1 PRIORITY. THE CRASH HISTORY WAS DEFINITELY INFLUENCED BY WORKS OWNS, 7% OF ALL CRASHES THAT OCCURRED THERE OCCURRED IN A CONSTRUCTION WORK ZONE. 39% WAS THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF CRASH, REAR END. AND THAT IS TYPICAL FOR THIS TYPE OF ROADWAY WITH IT BEING A TWO-LANE ROADWAY AND THE NUMBER OF DRIVEWAYS THAT OCCUR. EITHER PEOPLE TURNING OUT, MOVING TO SLOW, GETTING REAR-ENDED OR SOMEONE REAR ENDING A VEHICLE THAT STOPPED IN CONGESTION AT THE INTERSECTIONS. AND THEN ON THIS QUARTER AND PARTICULAR, YOU SAW 20% OCCUR IN DARK, NOT LIGHTED VERSUS 15% THAT OCCUR ACROSS ALL OF THE COUNTY ROADWAYS. THE TRAFFIC FORECAST WAS REALLY THE KEY PART OF THE STUDY. WE LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND DATA SOURCES TO HELP US PROJECT THE FORECAST. THE FIRST IS BE USED A BUREAU OF ECONOMIC BUSINESS RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA DEMOGRAPHIC FOR ALL OF THE COUNTIES. AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT TRAFFIC TREND ANALYSIS, THE EXISTING AND PLANNED LAND-USE ALONG THE CORRIDOR AND THERE ARE TWO COUNTYWIDE MODELS OR REGIONAL WIDE MODELS TRYING TO FORECAST EXISTING DURING THE STUDY. STARTING WITH THE 2044-45 VERSION OF THE MODEL AND THEN 2050 WAS RELEASED DURING THE STUDY. SO WE ALSO CONSIDER THAT. BUT OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS AS THE TRAFFIC HAS GROWN BY ABOUT 50 PERCENT, DRIVING THAT CORRIDOR, YOU ARE REGULARLY FEELING THE PAIN. BUT IF THAT TREND WERE TO CONTINUE ON, THE VOLUME WOULD INCREASE BY ABOUT 36,000 VEHICLES PER DAY, BUT THAT IS NOT REALLY PRACTICAL CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF LAND THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR ADDITIONAL REDEVELOPMENT. AND THE FORECAST IN CONSULTATION WITH COUNTY STAFF AND SEE PO STAFF, WE ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED THE LOWER SCENARIO WHICH WOULD FORECAST THE TRAFFIC TO GROW BY ANOTHER 5000 VEHICLES PER DAY BY THE YEAR 2050 WERE TO REACH 20,000 VEHICLES PER DAY ALONG THE CORRIDOR. AND WITH THAT, WE LOOKED -- I'M SURE YOU HAVE HEARD THE TERM LEVEL SERVICE IN YOUR REVIEWS, WHICH IS JUST A LETTER GRADE THAT WE ASSIGN OF SOMETHING BASED ON THE TRAFFIC FLOW CONDITIONS. WITH A TWO OR THREE LANE SECTION, WE ACHIEVE SERVICE LEVEL D. SO BASED ON OUR SELECTED GROWTH FORECAST, IT IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED. AND THEN TO DETERMINE IF A THREE LANE SECTION -- YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN THE CONTINUOUS LEFT TURN LANES DOWN THE CORRIDOR, YOU TURN BACK IN. THERE IS REALLY SOME SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF THAT DESIGN AND GENERALLY IF THE DRIVEWAY DENSITIES ARE MORE THAN 12 DRIVEWAYS PER MILE ONE DIRECTION OR 30 IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AND THE VEHICLE IS -- THE VOLUME IS LESS THAN 17,000 VEHICLES PER DAY TO A TO A LEFT LANE CAN BE APPLICABLE. BUT IN THIS CASE, A MEDIAN IS WARRANTED BECAUSE OF THE HIGH DRIVEWAY DENSITY. AND THE HIGH VOLUME THAT YOU EXPERIENCE IN THE DESIGN HERE. SARR TYPICAL SECTION WE RECOMMEND FOR THE QUARTER BY THE YEAR 2050 IS A TWO-LANE DIVIDED TYPICAL SECTION. AND THIS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED ON SAND RIDGE ROAD. BUT BECAUSE THE LIMITER RIGHT AWAY THAT THEY HAVE THERE THAT WE ACTUALLY PROPOSE A NARROW MEDIAN. THAT MEDIAN WOULD BE INTERRUPTED WITH LEFT TURN LANES AND INTERSECTIONS AND OTHER LOCATIONS AS WARRANTED AND APPROPRIATE. JUST A GENERAL PICTURE OF WHAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SECTION WOULD BE. THE COST TO IMPLEMENT THAT SECTION, WE DEVELOPED SOME CONCEPT PLANS FOR THE CORRIDOR WITH THE MEDIAN SECTION ABOUT $60 MILLION TO ACCOUNT FOR DESIGN AND MITIGATION AND CEI ADDED IN. SO IT IS A PRETTY HEFTY PRICE TAG THERE. BUT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES, SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED WITH GAPS STILL ON THE SIDEWALK THAT IS SO THAT CONCLUDES THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS SOPIKO SO I HEARD YOUR STUDY YESTERDAY OR WHENEVER IT WAS AND AGAIN TO DAY AND TO ME IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE RECOMMENDING IT BUT HOWEVER THAT'S NOT THE CASE SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE SAY THAT PIERRE RICHARD CAN ATTEST TO THAT THERE ARE OTHER AREAS THAT WE'LL NEED IT FASTER THAN THIS AND EVERYONE [01:00:04] KNOWS THIS IS MY BACKYARD AND BUT FOR THE PROJECTS I WAS BEGGING KAC WE WERE BEGGING FOR MORE PLACES TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE ON TO AT NIGHT HOWEVER WONDERFULLY ENOUGH WE HAVE A ROUNDABOUT NOW, WE HAVE DOSH IT'S GOING TO BE EVEN BETTER WHEN THE PROPER LANE OPENS ON 09 TOWARDS 17 BUT TRAFFIC IS FLOWING AMAZING AND I HAVE TO GIVE SO MUCH APPRECIATION AND PRAISE TO RICHARD AND THE STAFF AND EVERYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH THAT PACKED WITH THE DESIGN ERIC I THINK EVERYONE IN MY AREA WAS SAYING WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT LIKE THEY ARE CRAZY AND THIS IS NEVER GOING TO BE BETTER AND WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT SANDRIDGE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL DOSE DEFINITELY PEOPLE THAT DRIVE IT EVERY DAY SAID WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE WE DOING WITH THIS MEDIUM DOT MEDIAN AND SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO GO BACK TO THAT REASON WHY THE MEDIAN IS THERE BURAK IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO GO AS FAST AS YOU CAN BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT THAT CORRIDOR IS FOR THERE ARE TONS OF HOUSES AND THAT IS WHAT THAT AREA WAS DESIGNED FOR SO TELL US WHY THAT MEDIAN IS THERE AND WHY THAT IS SUCH A GOOD THING FOR THAT AREA SOPIKO I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THAT PROJECT BUT I CAN SPEAK IN GENERALITIES HERE EXPLAINED BASED ON THE TOTAL VOLUME THAT MOVES DOWN THE ROAD EVERY DAY AND THE NUMBER OF DRIVEWAYS ONCE YOU GET TO A CERTAIN POINT PIRC THE LEFT TURNS THAT OCCUR OUT OF THOSE POCKET BECOMES A GREATER SAFETY PROBLEM THAN THE OPERATIONS IT HELPS RELIEVE BY MOVING THE LEFT TURNS IT'S MEANT WHERE YOU LOCATE THE MEDIAN OPENINGS AND THE INTERSECTIONS, THE MINOR INCONVENIENCE OF A U-TURN AND COMING BACK TO YOUR DRIVEWAY PERIOD GENERALLY IT'S OVER A 20% REDUCTION IN CRASH RATES. MOVING IN THOSE SITUATIONS WHEN YOU MOVE FROM A CONTINUOUS LEFT TO A LEFT TURN NAME TO HAVING A DIVIDED TYPICAL ROADWAY. >> SO BASED ON SAFETY TO GET PEOPLE FROM POINT A TO POINT B AS FAST AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN BUT IN A SAFE MANNER. AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THAT, THAT TRAFFIC IS CONSTANTLY FLOWING. YOU MAY NOT BE GOING 50 MILES AN HOUR ANYMORE BUT YOU ARE GETTING THERE, NOT HAVING TO STOP OR WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO TURN LEFT BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THEIR LANE PERIOD IT REALLY HAS BEEN A GREAT THING. ALSO WITH THIS AREA WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT PLACES WE CAN GO NOW PERIOD WE AREN'T STUCK ON THE ONE ROAD. THAT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL THING AND RICHARD WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW FAST HE GOT TO THE FAIRGROUND THE OTHER DAY FROM THAT AREA COMPARED TO THE WAY IT USED TO BE. IT'S JUST A GREAT THING PERIOD I HAVE TO BACK DOWN PERIOD I THINK RUSSELL ROAD IS FINE FOR RIGHT NOW AND I WILL PROBABLY GET BASHED AGAIN BUT IT'S THE TRUTH. THE ONLY TIME I SLOWED DOWN IN THE MORNING IS BECAUSE 17 TRAFFIC LIGHT IS HAVING ISSUES OR EVERYONE IS HAVING TO SLOW DOWN TO GET ACROSS THE LEDGE THAT IS ON 17TH THAT THEY ARE BUSY WORKING ON PERIOD IT'S BEEN A GREAT THING TO SEE, TO SEE THE PLAN WORK AND KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE OKAY IN THE FUTURE AND YES, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND THERE WILL BE A TIME EVENTUALLY PERIOD I THINK THE BIKE LANES THAT RICHARD SAID, THE RIGHT AWAY FOR THE BIKES, WE DO HAVE AN ISSUE ON RUSSELL WAY ROAD FOR THAT PERIOD WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE HIT ON BIKES AND ALSO WITH SHERIFF'S OFFICE NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE A PLACE TO STOP PEOPLE PERIOD I HAVE SEEN THEM STOPPING PEOPLE SO THAT'S BEEN A GOOD THING OUT THERE BECAUSE WE NEED THEM TO SLOW DOWN FOR THAT ROUNDABOUT PERIOD DID ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A QUESTION? >> JUST A FOOTNOTE-- $2026. >> WE HAVE DEFINITELY FELT THAT PAIN. >> THIS WAS ONE ON OUR TIPO LIST SO THAT WAS ANOTHER REASON WE DID THE STUDY PERIOD THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE ANYONE ELSE? >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU PERIOD. >> WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR 5:00 [TIME CERTAIN - 5:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as can be heard.] [01:05:05] PERIOD NUMBER 21, HOSPITAL'S APPLICATION FOR RENEWAL OF A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR AMBULANCE SERVICE WITH ADJA ADJACENT-- OKAY PERIOD. >> HOPEFULLY IT TOOK ME LONGER TO GET UP HERE THAN THE ACTION REQUIRED BUT I WILL READ THE STATEMENTS." CLAY COUNTY ORDINANCE CODE ESTABLISHES STANDARDS FOR ISSUING C O P C N S P ARE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE STANDARDS ON FEBRUARY 20TH OF 2026, THE FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED A RENEWAL APPLICATION REQUESTING THE RENEWAL OF THEIR CLASS D CERTIFICATE FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE AND/OR TRANSPORTATION OR NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION WITHIN CLAY COUNTY. THEIRPREVIOUS WAS ISSUED ON APRIL 23RD OF 2024. THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES THAT THE FIRE CHIEF ANALYZE THE APPLICATION IN ORDER TO DETERMINE ONE, THE PUBLIC NEED FOR THE PROPOSED SERVICE IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA REQUESTED AND TWO, OTHER PERTINENT FACTS WHICH THE FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT DEEMS RELEVANT IN DETERMINING THE FITNESS OF THE APPLICANT TO RECEIVE THE CERTIFICATE. ADDITIONALLY REQUIRES THAT A COPY OF THE APPLICATION WAS TRANSMITTED TO EACH MUNICIPALITY IN THE COUNTY AS WELL AS THE COUNTY'S MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND THE COUNTY'S OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET. ALL WERE REQUESTED TO FURNISH RECOMMENDATIONS OR COMMENTS IN WRITING OR IN PERSON AT TODAY'S PUBLIC HEARING SO THAT THEY CAN BE PART OF YOUR DELIBERATIONS. TO DATE WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY COMMENTS FROM OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND BOTH THE COUNTY MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT OF BUDGET REVIEWED THE APPLICATION AND PROVIDED THEIR APPROVAL. FINALLY CLAY COUNTY FIRE RESCUE HAS FOUND THAT IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTY FOR THE BOARD TO GRANT THE REQUESTED RENEWAL. TODAY'S PUBLIC HEARING PROVIDES THE APPLICANT, CLAY COUNTY FIRE RESCUE, THE COUNTY'S MEDICAL DIRECTOR, AND CERTIFICATE HOLDERS AND EACH MUNICIPALITY TO APPEAR, BE HEARD, BE REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL, PRESENT WITNESSES AND EVIDENCE, CROSS-EXAMINE THOSE WITNESSES AND PRESENT ARGUMENTS REGARDING THE APPLICATION. AT ITS CONCLUSION, YOU AS THE BOARD SHALL, BASED ON COMPETENT SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE PRESENTED AT THE PUBLIC HEARING, AS WELL AS CONSIDERATION OF ALL FACTORS AND INFORMATION PROVIDED, FIND WHETHER THE RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY WOULD BEST BE SERVED BY GRANTING THIS RENEWAL REQUEST SUBJECT TO ANY CONDITIONS AND/OR LIMITATIONS OR BY DENYING THE APPLICATION. BACK TO YOU, MADAM CHAIR. >> ALL RIGHT. I WILL OPEN UP PUBLIC HEARING. ANYONE? CLOSED PUBLIC HEARING. BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD. >> I WOULD POINT OUT THAT THE APPLICANT WITH CHAD PATRICK IS HERE ON BEHALF IF YOU HAD ANY DIRECT QUESTIONS. >> IF NOT I WILL TAKE A MOTION. >> APPROVAL. >> SECOND A MOTION. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR? ANY OPPOSED? 50. 22. PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ARTICLE EIGHT, ILLICIT DISCHARGE OF CHAPTER 19 OF THE CLAY COUNTY CODE, WATER AND WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT APPEARED. >> RICHARD SMITH, COUNTY ENGINEER. THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR TREATING ILLICIT DISCHARGES SUCH AS AN OIL SPILL OR SOMETHING, AN ACCIDENT ON A STATE ROAD. WE HAVE THE REQUIREMENTS WHICH ARE WE HAVE OUR SET FOR COUNTY ROADS, COUNTY DITCHES, COUNTY PIPES, COUNTY DISCHARGES. FLORIDA DOT HAS ALSO THEIR OWN PERMIT FOR STATE ROAD 17, 16, KINGSLEY AVENUE-- BOULEVARD. THEY WERE AUDITED AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP WAS THEY RELY ON CLAY COUNTY TO PROVIDE THE ILLICIT DISCHARGE DIRECTION FOR AN ACCIDENT ON SAY ROAD 16. THEY ARE ASKING OUR ORDINANCE TO BE AMENDED TO MOVE INTO A CORPORATED AREAS-- INCORPORATED AREAS IN CASE THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED IN THE CITY LIMITS OF GREEN COVE OR KEYSTONE. I'M GOING TO TURN THAT OVER TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY FOR FURTHER EXPLANATION." WHETHER THAT IS LEGAL. >> I THINK YOU HAD IT. I WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK? [01:10:02] CLOSED PUBLIC HEARING. BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR A MOTION. OR DISCUSSION. MOTION IS SECONDED. ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR? ANY OPPOSED? WE WILL GO WAY BACK. TO OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS. ANYONE? CLERK'S OFFICE? ARE YOU SURE? ALL RIGHT, I WILL MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF MINUTES. >> I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONER MEETING FOR MARCH 24TH, 2026. >> SECOND THE MOTION. >> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR? ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT. THIS PORTION OF THE AGENDA IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW CITIZENS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING MATTERS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BOARD. AT THIS TIME THE BOARD WILL NOT ENGAGE IN DEBATE OR ANSWER QUESTIONS. YOU MAY EMAIL AND STAFF WILL ADDRESS YOUR QUESTIONS OR YOU MAY EMAIL YOUR ADDRESS DIRECT TO COMMISSIONER. PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS ARE CONVENIENTLY PLACED AT THE MEETING ROOM ENTRANCE AND SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE CLERK ON THE FAR LEFT OF THE DAIS. TO LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO 3 MINUTES. BEFORE ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AT TODAY'S MEETING AND I HAVE OUR FIRST CARD IS BY AMY. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. ADDRESS IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA." MY NAME IS AMY. I AM PRESENT AND OWNER OF ALPHA ENVIROTECH CONSULTING. WE HAVE PARTICIPATED AT THE COUNTY RFQ PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR CATEGORY TWO. ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. OUT OF 13 PARTICIPANTS, WE WERE RANKED NUMBER 4. STAFF IS RECOMMENDING AWARDING TO THE TOP THREE RANKED CONSULTANTS FOR CATEGORY TWO. MY POINT IS THIS. THE TOP THREE CONSULTANTS FOR CATEGORY TWO ARE ALL LARGE BUSINESSES BUT WE ARE A SMALL BUSINESS. 100% FROM THE COMMUNITY. SO I AM HERE TO ASK STAFF AND THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO CONSIDER AWARDING MORE THAN THREE CONSULTANTS FOR CATEGORY TWO, LIKE CATEGORY FIVE AND CATEGORY SEVEN, TO GIVE SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE US A CHANCE TO PROVE OURSELVES TO THE COUNTY. THE FACT IS THIS, IF COUNTY DOES NOT CONSIDER SMALL BUSINESSES, OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS WILL NEVER COME TO US. FOR EXAMPLE, THE TOP ONE RANKED ENVIRONMENTAL-- FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, THEY REPORT $2.8 BILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUE. THE NUMBER 2 AND NUMBER 3 EACH HAVE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 100 MILLION TO 500 MILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUE. SO ON PAPER, IT WILL BE VERY HARD FOR US TO WIN BUT IN WHAT WE DO, WE DO JUST AS WELL AS A LARGE BUSINESS. AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR YOU-- ASK YOU FOR TO HELP US, TO HELP SMALL BUSINESS LIKE US, GIVE US A CHANCE. AWARD MORE THAN THREE CONSULTANTS FOR CATEGORY TWO. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. NOW I HAVE HELENA. >> HELLO, MY NAME IS ELENA, MY ADDRESS IS ON FILE AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING TO HELP AND ESPECIALLY WITH STAFF, WITH BETH AND HER TRYING TO HELP GO OVER OUR DOCUMENTS AND BEING ABLE TO EXPLAIN HOW MUCH LAND WE HAVE WITH OUR GREEN SPACE AND PARKS AND PONDS AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED BUT FOR THIS DEVELOP OURSELVES OFF THIS LAST PIECE AND WE MAKE THE DIFFERENT DECISIONS. WE DO HAVE A MEETING TONIGHT AND WE ARE THIS CLOSE TO HAVING EVERYTHING KIND OF SOLIDIFIED. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART ON THIS ONE. [01:15:01] I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT EVERYONE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO FIGURE THIS STUFF OUT. AND WHEN WE WERE WATCHING THE TRAFFIC STUDY AND WHEN HE WAS PRESENTING THAT, I SAW THE NUMBER ON THERE ABOUT THEIR REAR ENDS AND THAT 39% AND AGAIN JAKOB SPOKEN BEFORE. OUR SON WAS ONE OF THEM THAT GOT HIT ON TWO 09B CACTUS SITTING THERE WAITING TO LEAVE BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS IN FRONT OF HIM AND SO I'VE BEEN A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR THE ROUNDABOUT AND NOW WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THAT AND PEOPLE ARE LEARNING HOW TO USE THEM AND DOING THE DIFFERENT THINGS AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN SEE THOSE NUMBERS BE REDUCED BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY LIFE IMPACTING FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEY GET THEIR CARS TOTALED FROM BEING REAR ENDED. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING TO KEEP THE COUNTY SAFE. >> ANYBODY ELSE FOR PUBLIC [CONSENT AGENDA] COMMENT? I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND GO ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. >> MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO PULL ITEMS FOUR SPEETEN FOR DISCUSSION. >> ON BEHALF OF STAFF WE WOULD LIKE TO PULL AND DEFER CONSIDERATION OF ITEM NUMBER 14. >> ANYONE ELSE? A MOTION FOR ALL THE OTHER NUMBERS. >> I WILL MAKE THE MOTION. >> SECOND. >> I HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOUR? ANY OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. >> SO I HAVE SOME GENERAL COMMETS ON ALL ITEMS FOUR TO TEN AND THEN IF WE I GUESS ON SPECIFICS SO I WILL SAY FOR THE RECORD I HAVE NEVER MET HER AND I HAVE NO IDEA REALLY MUCH ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS EXCEPT WHAT I SAW ONLINE, EXCEPT THAT I HAPPEN TO WORK IN THE SAME INDUSTRY AND SO I DID GO AND LOOK AT YOUR WEBSITE. I WORK FOR NONE OF THE AFFIRMS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THIS AND I NEVER HAVE. BUT I HAVE WRITTEN ON MY PAPER ISSUES WITH OUR PROCESS AND THE VERY FIRST ONE IS, IT BENEFITS LARGE FIRMS. AND THE COUNTY MANAGER CAN ATTEST TO THAT WAS MY VERY FIRST COMMENT WHEN I WAS BREFED ON THESE. SO JUST GENERALLY ON THIS RFQ, I THOUGHT IT WAS WAY TOO LARGE TO BE ON A CONSENT AGENDA. I ALSO FELT LIKE IT WAS WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION TO BE BRIEFED ON FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE MEETING. I HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND I DON'T KNOW IF ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WERE ABLE TO READ EVERY PAGE OF EVERY BIT OF THE BACKUP. I DID AND IT TOOK A LARGE PART OF MY WEEKEND AND IT WAS A BUSY WEEKEND WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON. BUT I FELT LIKE IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY, IF WE ARE GOING TO APPROVE THIS KIND OF THING, TO READ ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE WERE PROVIDED IN THE BACKUP. THIS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT HAS GONE FROM ONE CATEGORY, ONE GENERAL CATEGORY FOR US FOUR TO FIVE YEARS AGO TO NOW IT'S COME BACK TO US BECAUSE IT WAS APPROVED FOR A THREE YEAR CONTRACT AND THEN IT HAD A COUPLE OF RENEWALS ON IT AND AT THAT TIME IT WAS THREE FIRMS. NOW WE HAVE CHANGED. SOMEONE DECIDED TO CHANGE, AND I UNDERSTAND WE ARE NOT THE FIRST COUNTY TO DO THIS, BUT THEY PUT OUT AN RFQ IN EIGHT DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. AND SO ONE OF MY FIRST QUESTIONS FOR STAFF WAS, WHAT DOES THIS ENCOMPASS? SO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ACTUALLY IS GOVERNED DIFFERENTLY UNDER THE FLORIDA STATUTES THAN REGULAR CONTRACTUAL SERVICES AND IT HAS TO COMPLY WITH THE CONSULTANT COMPETITIVE NEGOTIATION ACT AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, STAFF CAN'T ASK FOR PRICING. SO NONE OF THESE EVALUATIONS THAT WERE DONE BY OUR STAFF TO COME BACK AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR US HAVE ANY CONSIDERATION FOR PRICING." EXCEPT THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WHEN YOU ARE CONSIDERING TAXPAYER DOLLARS. SO EVEN IF YOU HAVE THREE FIRMS." IN THE CATEGORY TWO IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, THERE ARE THREE LARGE FIRMS. BASED ON WHAT SHE COULD SEE, THEY HAVE SIMILAR PRICING SCHEMES BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IS GOING TO BE THE BEST USE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS, WHICH IS WHAT OUR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO DO. THE OTHER THING I ASK IS HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE SPEND ON THESE CONTRACTUAL SERVICES? PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE [01:20:02] CLERK'S OFFICE DOES THE ACCOUNTING WORK, WHERE THEY MATCH UP THE PROJECTS WITH-- THEY PUT THE DESIGN WORK UNDER INFRASTRUCTURE, SO IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT TO PULL OUT. SO I HAD A CONVERSATION TODAY ABOUT POSSIBLE OPTIONS AND THEY HAVE COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS TO PRESENT TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE ABOUT DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN CATEGORIZE THIS SO THEY CAN GET A FULL SPEND. BUT BASED ON THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASK, STAFF SAID IN THE ROUND FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS WE HAVE SPENT ABOUT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS. IN THESE DESIGN SERVICES, SEPARATE FROM BIG PROJECTS. BECAUSE, IN 2024 THE STATUTE CHANGED. SO BEFORE 2024, ALL THE PROJECTS THAT THEY COULD USE THESE SERVICES FOR HAD TO BE UNDER $2 MILLION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT." BUT IN 2024, NOW TODAY IT'S SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION. SO IN THIS NOW-- WITH WHATEVER WE APPROVE TONIGHT, WHICH I IMAGINE THAT WE WILL APPROVE SOMETHING, RADAR ROAD DESIGN COULD HAVE BEEN DONE COMPLETELY WITHOUT COMING TO THIS BOARD. BECAUSE IN THE APPROVAL OF THESE CONTRACTS BACK THEN THE WORK IS ACTUALLY APPROVED BY WORK ORDER, WHICH BY OUR POLICY THE COUNTY MINISTER SIGNS OFF ON. HE CAN SIGN OFF ON $7.499 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES THAT DON'T COME IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD. AND SO IF IT'S A PROJECT-- TAKE RADAR ROAD, I THINK RADAR ROAD IS A GOOD PROJECT AND WE ARE PAYING FOR IT IN A GOOD WAY, BUT MY POINT IS THERE MIGHT BE A TIME THAT WE SAY THE DESIGN OF THIS IS JUST WAY TOO COSTLY. WE WOULD PULL IT BACK AND SAY WE NEED TO REVISIT A DIFFERENT WAY OR WE NEED TO REPRIORITIZE THESE PROJECTS. AND MY CONCERN IS THAT NOW WITH HAVING EIGHT DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, THE SPEND OF HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN CONJUNCTION WITH NOW THE PROJECTS CAN GO UP TO 7.4 OR $7.4499 MILLION, SPENDING IN THIS CATEGORY WILL JUST BE EXPONENTIAL. AND I MADE TRACE EARLIER TODAY. MOST OF THESE ARE GOING TO HELP HER DEPARTMENT'S WORK, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PLANNING. WE LOST OUR COUNTY SURVEYOR SO SURVEYING WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT." GEOTECHNICAL, THE STORMWATER PROJECTS WE KNOW WE HAVE TO DO IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ROAD PROJECTS. I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT STAFF DOESN'T NEED HELP BUT I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY FOUR YEARS AGO, I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY, I ASKED THE QUESTION ON THE BOARD FLOOR, WE SPEND SO MUCH ON ENGINEERING AND DESIGN SERVICES, WOULD IT BE MORE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO DO LESS OF THAT AND HIRE MORE STAFF? THAT'S WHEN RICHARD HIRED TAYLOR AND HE GOT SOME MORE STAFF AND SO OBVIOUSLY IT PLAYED OUT TO BE CHEAPER. HE GOT THE STAFF HE NEEDED. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THESE THINGS OUT FOR DISCUSSION. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS. COMMENTS. THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK-- AND SOME OF THAT STUFF WE CAN'T CONTROL BECAUSE OF STATUTE. BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN ADVOCATE TO OUR STATE LEGISLATURE DELEGATION ABOUT POSSIBLY TRYING TO CHANGE THE STATUTES. AND SO THAT'S NO DEROGATORY TO ANY OF THE GREAT FIRMS THAT WE'VE HAD BID. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PROTECTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND AS THINGS ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE SQUEEZED ON OUR BUDGETS, FROM PROPOSALS OUT OF TALLAHASSEE, WE MAY NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THESE THINGS. AND THEN THE FINAL THING THAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS BECAUSE I-- THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT PAPER, SORRY ABOUT THAT, I WROTE ON TWO DIFFERENT AGENDAS. SO BECAUSE OF THE-- SO I DID HAVE CONCERNS SPECIFICALLY-- I DID NOT HAVE CONCERNS WITH ITEM FOUR DIRECTLY. I DID NOT HAVE CONCERNS WITH ITEM NUMBER 3 DIRECTLY COCKROACHES TRANSPORTATION, PLANNING AND TRAFFIC. I DID NOT HAVE ISSUES WITH PLANNING AND STUDY SERVICES. I HAVE SAID ON THE DAIS-- AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE HE'S IN THE AUDIENCE, BUT I THINK MARK SHELTON IS THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS IN PLANNING AND SO I WAS PLEASED TO SEE THAT, THE WAY IT CAME OUT. I HOPE THAT THEY WILL HONOUR-- BECAUSE HE WAS LISTED IN THE [01:25:03] PROPOSAL. I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL OR THE GEOTECHNICAL OR THE STRUCTURAL CIVIL ENGINEERING SERVICES. SURVEYING I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT. BECAUSE WE JUST LOST OUR COUNTY SURVEYOR AND SO SURVEYING COULD GET QUITE EXPENSIVE. I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH RICHARD ABOUT WHETHER THIS ACTUALLY MET THE NEEDS THAT HE IS GOING TO NEED WITH THE SURVEYOR. HE NEEDS SOMEBODY TO BE ABLE TO TURN ON A DIME AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH THAT ONE. SO THOSE WERE ALL OF THEM. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE WAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. MY ISSUE WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES WAS THAT-- EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID, THOSE ARE NOT ENVIRONMENTAL FIRMS. IT'S NOT THAT THEY CAN'T DO THE WORK BUT THEY-- LISTEN, I MAKE MY LIVING BEING BILLABLE AND TO MY CLIENTS AND I UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS AND WHEN YOU ARE A LARGE FIRM AND YOU HAVE ONE CONTACT SO YOU REACH OUT TO THAT CONTACT AND THAT CONTACT HAS TO SEND IT TO A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT AND THEN THAT BECOMES BILLABLE AT EVERY, YOU KNOW, THEY READ AN EMAIL, IT'S 15 MINUTES WHICH IS GREAT IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR BUT NOT SO GREAT WHEN IT'S TAXPAYER DOLLARS PIERRE CAN THEN MY FINAL THING I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL IS THAT I ASK STAFF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW ARE THESE EVALUATED? AND THE EVALUATION CRITERIA HAS NOT BEEN VISITED OVERALL SINCE THERE WAS A COMMISSIONER ON THE DAIS. WE HAVE REVISITED SOME OF THE CRITERIA ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO BUT MY CHALLENGE TO THAT AND MY REQUEST TO STAFF IS THAT WE WOULD REVISIT THE EVALUATION CRITERIA PRIMARILY AROUND LOCATION. WE HAVE HAD SOME EXPERIENCES, AND I WON'T NAME FIRMS, BUT WE'VE HAD SOME EXPERIENCES AS A BOARD WHERE WE HAVE GIVEN PROJECTS TO A FIRM BECAUSE THEY GOT A LOCAL PREFERENCE. BUT THE PEOPLE DOING THE WORK WEREN'T LOCAL AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND CLAY COUNTY AND DID NOT TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND AND REALLY KIND OF CAME HERE AND USED GENERAL STATEMENTS AND I FELT LIKE WE WASTED SOME TAXPAYER MONEY ON THOSE. THEIRS TWO PROJECTS THAT SPECIFICALLY CAN COME TO MIND. THEY ARE NOT UNDER THESE SERVICES SO I WON'T BRING THEM UP BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU BECAUSE-- SO THEY GET TEN POINTS IF THEY HAVE A CLAY COUNTY OFFICE BUT THAT DOES NOT SAY THAT THE EMPLOYER'S-- EMPLOYEES WHO ARE GOING TO DO THE WORK ARE IN CLAY COUNTY. THEY COULD BE IN THE ORLANDO OFFICE, WHICH HAS HAPPENED TO US IN THE PAST. SO THOSE WERE THE THINGS I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL AND TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK THIS COULD BECOME A REALLY EXPENSIVE LINE ITEM. ANYONE? >> I WILL START OFF BY SAYING I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS IS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES-- I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND-- I THINK THE COMMENT WAS THAT COUNTY MANAGER COULD APPROVE A PROJECT UP TO SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION OR WHATEVER THE NUMBER WAS. I WOULD LIKE OUR PURCHASING OFFICER TO CLARIFY THAT FOR ME. [INDISTINCT] >> DID A GREAT JOB EXPLAINING THE STATUTE BUT THE ONE THING I DO WANT TO CORRECT IS THE STATUTE SAYS THAT WE CAN'T USE A CONTINUING CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION UP TO 7.5 MILLION." COUNTY MANAGER WOULD NEVER SIGN OFF ON A DESIGN, DESIGN WOULD NEVER BE 7.5 MILLION. IT'S NORMALLY TEN TO 12 PERCENT, 10 TO 15% OF THE CONSTRUCTION COST. D O T USES THE SLIDING SCALE AND WE EVALUATE BASED THAT. SO IT WOULD NOT BE 7.5 MILLION IN DESIGN SERVICE FEES BUT THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS COULD GO UP TO 7.5 MILLION UNDER A CONTINUING CONTRACT. >> WE WOULD APPROVE THAT? CONSTRUCTION COSTS. >> CONSTRUCTION YES, BUT NOT THE DESIGN. WE MAY HAVE A PROJECT THAT WE DID NOT KNOW COMES IN AT-- >> 7 MILLION WOULD BE 700,000 IN DESIGN. >> RIGHT. >> YOU APPROVE THE MASTER AGREEMENT THAT HAS THE RATES IN IT SO THEIR HOURLY RATES AND THEIR POSITIONS. WHAT COMES BEFORE THE COUNTY MANAGER IS THE NEGOTIATED PROPOSAL WITH THE NUMBER OF HOURS, WHICH POSITIONS ARE USED, THE DEFINED SCOPE OF WORK. [01:30:04] AND WE'VE DONE THAT SINCE WE'VE BEEN USING CONTINUING CONTRACTS." WE HAVE THAT WITH OTHER CONTINUING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS. BUT AS EXPLAINED CACTUS IS STRICTLY TODAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. >> SO THAT'S ONE NEW CHANGE TO THE FLORIDA STATUTE, THAT YOU CAN'T-- >> THE 7 MILLION. IT WAS CAPPED AT 2 MILLION IN CONSTRUCTION COST. ABOUT THREE YEARS INTO THAT IT GOT MOVED UP TO 4 MILLION AND AS YOU CAN SEE IT KIND OF KEEPS INCREASING BASED ON CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND NOW IN 2004 IT WAS INCREASED TO 7.5. WITH THE ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE THAT EVERY JULY IT CAN BE INCREASED BY THE CPI INDEX. SO I THINK LEGISLATIVE WAS TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH CONSTRUCTION COST. >> I THOUGHT I SAW ANOTHER CHANGE WITH PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. >> WITH CONTINUING CONTRACTS, THERE WAS A PROVISION THAT HAS BEEN IN THE STATUTE FOR YEARS THAT SAID THAT FIRMS PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES UNDER A CONTINUING CONTRACT SHALL NOT BE REQUESTED TO BID AGAINST EACH OTHER FOR KWEE ARE STRICTLY LOOKING AT THEIR QUALIFICATIONS AND THEN WE NEGOTIATE WITH THEM. THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED THE CONSULTANT COMPETITIVE NEGOTIATION ACT. BUT IN 2004, WHICH WENT INTO EFFECT 2005, THEY CHANGED THE WORD FROM SHALL TO MAY. MEANING IF WE QUALIFY FIVE FIRMS TODAY FOR EXAMPLE AND THEN WE SAY THESE FIVE FIRMS ARE FOR RADAR ROAD, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE CACTUS WORD MAY-- NOW WE COULD GO BACK AND SAY NOW WE KNOW YOU ARE QUALIFIED, GIVE US YOUR TIMELINE AND YOUR FEES. FROM THAT WE COULD DISMISS THEIR WORK ORDER AND MOVE TO THE NEXT FIRM THAT IS QUALIFIED WITH THE BEST RATE. IT'S VERY NEW. SAINT JOHN'S COUNTY IS THE ONLY ONE THAT OUT OF A SURVEY I DID IS STATING THAT THEY USED THIS. AND TO THEIR ADVANTAGE NOW TO GET PRICING. BUT MANY OTHER COUNTIES, SARASOTA COUNTY, PUTNAM COUNTY, VOLUSIA COUNTY, LEE COUNTY, MARION COUNTY, SANTA ROSA SAID THEY ARE STILL USING THE MOST QUALIFIED AND A ROTATION METHOD APPEARED SO I THINK IT'S JUST NEW. MAYBE A LOT OF AGENCIES HAD AN EXISTING CONTRACT BEFORE THIS STATUTE WENT INTO PLACE. THAT'S SOMETHING WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARD. DEFINING. BUT FOR OVER 30 YEARS I'VE BEEN DOING THIS, YOU NEVER COULD LOOK AT PRICING, IT ALWAYS HAD TO BE QUALIFICATIONS. >> A COUPLE COMMENTS I HAVE FIRST COMMISSIONER, I APPRECIATE YOU MAKE A LOT OF VERY VALID POINTS THAT I AGREE WITH THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INTERESTING TO ME IS THE VARIATIONS AMONGST THE CATEGORIES, WHETHER WE ARE SELECTING THREE VENDORS OR SELECTING FIVE VENDORS OR SIX VENDORS. WHEN YOU LOOK THROUGH IT, THE POINT DIFFERENTIALS ARE ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO SIX POINTS SO I DON'T REALLY SEE A SPECIFIC RHYME OR REASON AS TO WHY CERTAIN CATEGORIES ONLY HAD THREE, CERTAIN HAD FIVE, AND THEN PUBLIC COMMENT. WHEN YOU ARE NOT LOOKING AT PRICE, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE AS MANY COMPANIES AS POSSIBLE SO THEN WE HAVE THE ABILITY FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS THAT HAVE BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS, IT THROWS OUT THE ONES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, IT DOES GENUINELY I WILL USE THE WORD SCARE ME TO AWARD IT TO ONLY THREE COMPANIES BECAUSE WHAT IF THEY ARE ALL WAY NOT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO WHAT WE ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR A PROJECT? I MEAN I GUESS WE COULD JUST REJECT IT BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS WITH IF YOU HAD THESE CONTINUING CONTRACTS, CAN YOU STILL GO BACK OUT FOR A BID? ARE THEY REQUIRED TO GET THE WORK? HOW DOES THAT WORK? >> UNDER THE CONTINUING CONTRACTS, THEY ARE NOT GUARANTEED ANY CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WORK UNDER THE CONTINUING CONTRACT. ALSO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IF THERE'S STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDING, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO USE A CONTINUING CONTRACT. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE'VE HAD PROJECTS OUT TO BID JUST BECAUSE IT HAD FEDERAL FUNDS TIED THROUGH IT. SO IT DOESN'T GUARANTEE ANY CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WORK. AT ANY POINT WE COULD INDIVIDUALLY RFQ A PROJECT. >> SO THERE IS NO LIMITATION THAT IF YOU AWARD THREE COMPANIES, YOU COULD STILL BID OUT THE SAME EXACT PROJECT? [01:35:04] >> CORRECT, YES SIR. >> I'M STILL IN FAVOUR OF A LARGER NET. I MEAN IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THIS KIND OF LIST, I STILL THINK A WIDER-- ESPECIALLY WHEN SOME OF THESE SCORES ARE, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, YOU KNOW, NUMBER 1 THROUGH NUMBER ESSENTIALLY TEN ARE NINE POINTS APART. SO AS WE'VE SEEN MANY TIMES WITH BIDS AND STUFF, THERE CAN BE QUITE THE VARIATION. WE'VE SEEN PRESENTATIONS, THEY MAY HAVE SCORED POORLY BUT THEN THEY COME PRESENT AND IT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT SERVICE OR PRODUCT IN TERMS OF THEIR QUALITY. SO THOSE ARE KIND OF MY TENTATIVE THOUGHTS. >> WHAT IS THE REASON WHY NUMBE5 HAD THREE? WHAT WAS THE REASON THAT STAFF DECIDED THAT? >> WE LOOKED AT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS. THE BREAK IN THE POINTS AND ALSO THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE HAVE. WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC DESIGN, STORMWATER SIDEWALK TYPE PROJECTS SO THAT'S CATEGORY NUMBER 1. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT BIGGER POOL TO SELECT FROM. ENVIRONMENTAL, WE HAVE SOME PROJECTS. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S A SMALLER SCALE THAN OUR NORMAL TRANSPORTATION TYPE PROJECTS. SO THAT'S HOW IT WAS DETERMINED. AND THE MINIMUM CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE TO EVALUATE IS LISTED IN THE FLORIDA STATUTE. SO PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL, WILLINGNESS TO MEET BUDGET, LOCATION, WORKLOAD, THINGS LIKE THAT IS ALL SPECIFIED IN THE STATUTE. SO OUR CRITERIA IS BUILT OFF OF THE STATUTE REQUIREMENTS. WE DO GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DEPTH WITH LOCATION IN A FEW OF THE ITEMS, SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT. IT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND REVISITED JUST A FEW TIMES. AS FAR AS A MAJOR CHANGE, WE ARE KIND OF LIMITED TO WHAT STATUTE REQUIRES BUT THERE COULD BE SOME TWEAKING IN THE FUTURE. >> WOULD IT BE A BIG DEAL TO ADD >> WE COULD DO THAT. AND WE DID LOOK AT WHO HAD HEADQUARTERS IN CLAY COUNTY AND LOCAL OFFICES. OUT OF THE 41 COMPANIES THAT SUBMITTED, ONLY EIGHT ONE HAS A HEADQUARTERS AND SEVEN HAVE A LOCAL BRANCH. BUT SURROUNDING COUNTIES, IF YOU HAVE YOUR HEADQUARTERS HERE, YOU GET TEN POINTS AUTOMATICALLY. IF YOU ARE A SURROUNDING COUNTY YOU GET NINE POINTS. SO THERE'S NOT A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUST BEING OUTSIDE OF CLAY COUNTY. BUT IF YOU ARE TOTALLY LOCATED IN ORLANDO, NO LOCAL OFFICE OR ANYTHING, YOU WILL GET LESS POINTS. >> ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS PUTTING THIS INTO PRACTICE, LET'S JUST USE A SIMPLE EXAMPLE PER CATEGORY ONE, GENERAL CIVIL ENGINEERING SERVICES. LET'S SAY WE AWARD THE TOP TEN. I'M JUST ARBITRRILY LOOKING AT THIS AND SAYING THE TOP TEN. LET'S SAY THERE'S A PROJECT-- STORMWATER DRAINAGE PROJECT THAT WE NEED TO BE ENGINEERED. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE ON THE STAFF SIDE IN TERMS OF PUTTING THAT OUT TO THOSE TOP FIVE AND THEN WHAT WOULD THEY SEND BACK, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE? >> YOU ARE SAYING IF WE WENT DOWN TO THE TOP TEN. >> TEN VENDORS. >> WE WOULD LOOK AT THEIR SUBMITTALS, WHAT DID THEY EMPHASIZE THEY WERE MOST QUALIFIED IN. DID THEY DO MORE TRAFFIC DESIGN WORK VERSUS STORMWATER? IF IT WAS A STORMWATER PROJECT, WE MAY SAY OUT OF THE TEN, FIVE OF THEM HAD MORE EXPERIENCE IN STORMWATER." THEN WOULD WE GO TO THAT FIVE. THEN WE TRY TO LOOK AT THEIR AVAILABILITY ALSO. IF WE'VE JUST GIVEN THEM ANOTHER HUGE STORMWATER PROJECT, WE MAY SAY THEY ARE TIED UP AND DON'T HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO TAKE ON ANOTHER BIG STORMWATER PROJECT. YOU LOOK AT THEIR AVAILABILITY AND THAT'S PART OF THEIR QUALIFICATIONS. >> YOU ARE NOT NECESSARILY GETTING PROPOSALS ON A PROJECT BY PROJECT BASIS BUT MORE SO SAYING HERE'S OUR LIST OF TEN, WE KNOW THESE FIVE SPECIALIZE IN THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT AND THEN YOU JUST PICK ONE OR ARE WE GETTING PRICING FROM THOSE FIVE? >> NOW THAT THE STATUTE CHANGED TO MAY, WE COULD ASK FOR PRICING. IN THE PAST WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT. >> I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WENT-- >> WE ARE STILL EXPLORING THAT, WHETHER THAT'S POSSIBLE UNDER THE STATUTE. [01:40:01] >> IT SURPRISED ME, ONE COUNTY IS PURSUING IT RIGHT NOW. >> ASKING FOR PRICING? >> YOU ALREADY HAVE THE HOURLY RATES." YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT THERE IT IS. IT'S JUST REALLY HOW MANY HOURS DO THEY ANTICIPATE USING, WHICH THEN GIVES YOU AN AMOUNT. >> GOT IT. >> DO THEY APPROXIMATE THE NUMBER OF HOURS? >> THEY DO. >> SO IN A WAY THEY GIVE YOU THE PRICE. >> DO THEY TELL YOU ALL THE EXTRA? LIKE WHO YOU HAVE TO TALK TO AND YOUR POINT PERSON AND WHAT THEIR BILLABLE RATE IS AND-- >> THEY DO. IN THE PROPOSAL THEY WILL LIST THAT. >> BUT TO DO A PROJECT, DO YOU GO BACK AND SAY IT'S THIS MANY HOURS? >> THEY GIVE IT TO US AND IF WE DISAGREE WITH IT, BASED ON STAFF EXPERTISE, THEN WE HAVE CHALLENGED THAT MANY A TIMES. LIKE WHY DO YOU NEED 50 HOURS OF CLERICAL OR LET'S SAY 150 HOURS OF CLERICAL FOR A PROJECT LIKE THIS? WE UNDERSTAND YOU MIGHT NEED MORE OF YOUR ACTUAL-- YOU ARE A DESIGN FIRM OR MAYBE SOME G I S WORK, DIFFERENT CATEGORIES THAT THEY GIVE US RATES IN. BUT WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE HOURLY RATES, WE HAVE NEGOTIATED BACK AND FORTH TO REDUCE THOSE AND THERE HAS BEEN TIMES WHEN WE HAVE JUST DECLINED. I THINK I SHARED WITH YOU TODAY WE HAD ONE THAT WE JUST DECLINED BECAUSE IT WAS A DESIGN AND PERMITTING PROJECT. SMALL SCALE DESIGN PERMITTING. >> THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE I WAS GOING TO TELL YOU CACTUSES MONTHS AGO SO PRIOR TO ALL OF THIS, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A LOCAL ENGINEER WHO HAS NOW RETIRED AND SOLD HIS FIRM BUT LOCAL TO CLAY COUNTY AND HE SAID TO ME AT THE TIME, AREN'T I KIND OF JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND JUST KIND OF THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND THEN IT JUST CAME GLARINGLY BACK TO MY MEMORY WHEN I WAS READING ALL OF THIS INFORMATION AND HE SAID, DON'T YOU WANT YOUR KIDS THAT ARE GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE IN THESE KINDS OF FIELDS TO COME BACK AND LIVE IN CLAY COUNTY AND MAKE IT THEIR HOME AND WORK IN CLAY COUNTY AND OPEN THEIR OWN BUSINESSES? AND I SAID YEAH, I DO." I ONLY HAVE ONE SON, MY YOUNGEST, HE'S AN ACCOUNTANT, AND HE CHOSE NOT TO LIVE IN CLAY COUNTY. MAYBE HE WILL GET MARRIED AND SETTLE DOWN AND HE WILL. I STARTED THINKING ABOUT YEAH, I REALLY WOULD LIKE THAT. BASED ON ALL OF THIS KINDS OF STUFF, THAT'S WHY THEY DON'T. THEY JOINED THE BIG FIRMS BECAUSE THEY ARE PAYING THEM BIG DOLLARS BECAUSE-- AND I SAID WHY AREN'T THEY OPENING FIRMS IN CLAY COUNTY? THEY CAN'T GET WORK AND GOVERNMENT WORK IS CONSISTENT. THEY ARE NOT GUARANTEED ANY OF THIS WORK BUT IF YOU ARE A SINGLE SHINGLE KIND OF FIRM, YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO KEEP PROJECTS SO YOU CAN STAY OPEN. WE HAVE A CRITERIA THAT IS SET BY THE STATE THAT THEY HAVE TO SHOW OTHER PROJECTS THAT THEY HAVE DONE IN EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BE ABLE TO BID AND SO IT DOES-- REALLY THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS REALLY DESIGNED TO BENEFIT LARGE FIRMS AND NOT HELP THOSE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND WE DO OUR WHOLE PROCUREMENT, DOING BUSINESS IN CLAY FOR A REASON, WE WANT LOCAL PEOPLE IN CLAY AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU, THAT I HAD A CITIZEN SHARE THAT CONCERN WITH ME AND I PROBABLY BRUSHED IT OFF AT THE TIME AND THIS MADE IT KIND OF COME BACK TO YEAH, THAT'S KIND OF NOT HOW IT USED TO BE. >> DO YOU WANT TO PROPOSE-- >> ON ITEM NUMBER 4, I WAS FINE WITH THE SIX SO I WOULD MAKE THAT MOTION BUT IF YOU WANT-- YOU HAD WANTED TEN? >> I MEAN MY BIGGEST THING IS COMPETITION. WE HAVE STARTED TO SEE, I CAN TELL YOU IN MY FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE, WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THE COMPETITION COME BACK AND THAT'S MY BIGGEST GOAL, IS THAT IT'S COMPETITIVE, THAT IF THERE'S ONLY THREE, THEN I MEAN-- >> AND WE WANT BUSINESSES HERE. >> 100%. NOT EVER ALLEGING THAT SOMEONE IS DOING SOMETHING WRONG BUT THAT'S BUSINESS. WHEN THERE'S ONLY THREE PEOPLE IN THE MARKET AND THEY KNOW THAT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE THEIR HOURLY RATES, THAT'S ONE THING. BUT THE COMMISSIONER MAKES GOOD POINTS ABOUT THERE'S MANY WAYS TO GET TO THE FINISH LINE AND ONE FIRM MIGHT HAVE NINE STEPS AND ONE MIGHT HAVE THREE STEPS AND THOSE EXTRA SIX STEPS COST MONEY. SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR [01:45:02] EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS ON-- AND STAFF TOO, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS IS EFFICIENT BECAUSE I THINK THAT WAS THE SPIRIT OF ALL THIS, TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES. BECAUSE WE LIKE-- THE GOVERNMENT MOVES AT A SNAIL'S PACE SO THIS IS TO TRY TO IMPROVE THAT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, STAFF'S THOUGHTS IN TERMS OF WHAT'S EFFICIENT, WHAT'S NOT EFFICIENT, YOU KNOW, BUT WHAT IS MOST COMPETITIVE. >> DOES IT MAKE YOU CRINGE TO HEAR TEN? >> NO, MA'AM. IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF WORK UP FRONT TO DO ALL OF THE AGREEMENTS. AS FAR AS THE WORK ORDERS, IT'S WORK TRACKING THEM AND NEGOTIATING THEM BUT IF WE WERE TO PUT IT OUT AS SINGLE PROJECTS, WE WOULD ALSO HAVE SIMILAR AMOUNT OF WORK. >> I'M GOOD WITH TEN. >> WE CAN INITIATE THE WORK ORDERS A LITTLE QUICKER THAN IF WE HAD TO PUT EVERY PROJECT OUT ON THE STREET AS A FORMAL RFQ. SO I THINK FROM OUR STAFF, ENGINEERING STAFF, THE WORK ORDERS WORK REALLY GREAT WITH THEM. >> I HAVE ONE COMMENT BEFORE WE GO AND THAT'S I WANT TO COMPLIMENT STAFF. WHEN YOU HAVE 27 FOR A CERTAIN CONTRACT. IF YOU HAVE EVER SAT ON ONE OF THESE EVALUATION COMMITTEES, TO READ 27 PROPOSALS, IT IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK. ANYWAY, I HAVE GREAT FAITH AND CONFIDENCE IN THE STAFF AND, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND, SIX OF ONE, THREE OF THE OTHER PACKETS DEPENDED ON WORKLOAD ANTICIPATED SO I'M WILLING TO GO WITH SIX. I THINK SIX IS OKAY. SIMPLY BECAUSE MY STAFF THAT WE HIRED TELLS ME SIX IS GOOD. OR FOUR, I'M WILLING TO GO FOUR. FIVE, FOUR. FOUR? OKAY. YOU KNOW, AND FOR SMALL BUSINESS IS, I FORGET HOW MANY EMPLOYEES SHE HAS BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD POINT AND I CERTAINLY VALUE YOU COMING TO THE COMMITTEE OR THE COUNCIL, COMMISSION TO NIGHT AND VOICING THAT CONCERN. THAT'S MEANINGFUL TO ME. >> TEN MIGHT BE TOO MUCH. >> HOW ABOUT I MOVE ON ITEM NUMBER 4, I WILL MOVE FOR FOUR, PER STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION. >> I SECOND. >> PROPOSE SIX. >> FOR ITEM FOUR, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION. >> SO THAT'S A MOTION FOR FOUR. >> TIMEOUT. >> A MOTION FOR ITEM NUMBER 4. >> GOT IT. >> SIX CONSULTANTS. >> I HAVE A MOTION FOR STAFF RECOMMENDATION." K. I WILL MOVE-- ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR SAY TRANFIVE. WE ARE GOOD ON NUMBER 4, LET'S MOVE TO NUMBER 5. >> I CAN MOVE TO APPROVE ONE THROUGH FOUR. >> I SECOND THAT MOTION. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR? ANY OPPOSED? ON ITEM NUMBER 6, I WILL MOVE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION OF THE TOP FIVE. >> I WILL SECOND THAT MOTION. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR? ANY OPPOSED? AND ON ITEM NUMBER 7, MOVE TO-- FOR STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION ON-- FOR THE TOP FOUR. THEY WERE HIGHLIGHTED ON MY PAPER. >> TOP FOUR WOULD INCLUDE TWO, AND FOUR ARE LOCAL. >> ON ITEM NUMBER 7, I GOT A COLOUR CODED CHEAT SHEET, SORRY. APPROVAL OF ONE THROUGH FOUR. >> I WILL SECOND THAT MOTION. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR? NOAHW POSED. NUMBER 8, ITEM NUMBER 8, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE TOP FIVE. >> I WILL SECOND THE MOTION. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR? ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ON ITEM NUMBER 9, I'M FINE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION OF THE TOP THREE. I HAVE NOTHING TO BASE IT ON EXCEPT THAT NUMBER 6 IS A LOCAL FIRM BUT I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEIR WORK. SO I CAN MOVE TO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR? NUMBER 10. >> CAN I INTERRUPT YOU ON THAT [01:50:01] ONE? IT WOULD BE STAFF'S DESIRE TO REJECT THIS CATEGORY, IF THE BOARD IS WILLING, THE SURVEYING SERVICES. ITEM TEN. THE REASONS YOU'VE BROUGHT UP, WE HAD ALREADY TALKED ABOUT BEFORE WE MET WITH YOU, SOME STAFF CHANGING WE HAVE HERE, OUR IN-HOUSE SURVEYOR WILL BE LEAVING, WE JUST WANT TO RELOOK AT THIS AND SOME THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. WE JUST NEED TO DECIDE INTERNALLY HOW WE ARE DOING STUFF WITHIN THE ENGINEERING AND HOMEWORKS DEPARTMENT WAS SURVEYING. >> DID WE VOTE TO REJECT? I MOVED TO REJECT ALL. >> SECOND THE MOTION. >> ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR? ON NUMBER 11, THE TOP TWO. >> SECOND THE MOTION. >> NUMBER 11, DID I SAY FOUR THROUGH TEN? MAYBE I DID NOT SAY 11 BECAUSE I WAS GOOD WITH IT BECAUSE THERE WERE ONLY TWO. >> ALREADY APPROVED SO. >> THANK YOU EVERYONE. >> I WANT TO ECHO SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSIONER SAID. JESSICA ON MY STAFF DID AN AMAZING JOB. IT WAS A LOT OF WORK BUT NO DIFFERENT THAN IF WE HAD TO PUT THEM ALL OUT SEPARATELY BUT SHE TOOK IT FROM BEGINNING TO END MAC SO SHE DID A GREAT JOB AND ALL OF OUR EVALUATORS, YOU'VE SEEN THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS SO I WANT TO THANK THEM AS WELL. >> I ECHO THOSE SENTIMENTS. I WALKED BY, I KNOW AT LEAST FIVE OFFICES WITH PEOPLE WITH THEIR DOORS CLOSED, HOURS AND HOURS, READING THESE." IF ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC THINKS THAT STAFF DID NOT ACTUALLY DO THEIR WORK, THEY REALLY DID. I ALSO SEE A NUMBER OF FIRMS REPRESENTED IN OUR AUDIENCE AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME TO OUR MEETING. YOU COULD HAVE SKIPPED IT THINKING YOU WERE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA BECAUSE NOBODY KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO DO THIS BUT WE APPRECIATE THE WORK AND I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION. >> JUST TO ADD TO THE-- THE NUMBER OF SUBMITTALS HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS." WHEN YOU HAVE 27 RESPONDENTS, ALL QUALIFIED, IT'S GOOD NEWS. STAFF. WE ALWAYS KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOOKING OUT FOR THE TAXPAYERS, LOOKING OUT FOR US AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THAT. >> THIRTEEN, DID WE ALREADY SPAKE OUT WE VOTED ON IT TOO-- >> ALL RIGHT. [DISCUSSION/UPDATES] I THINK WE ARE ON DISCUSSIONS. PROGRESS REPORT ON CAPITAL PROJECTS. >> GOOD EVENING TO THE BOARD, THE CHAIR, PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR HERE TO UPGRADE ON THE PROGRESS TEAMS HAVE MADE OVER THE MONTH. FOR PROJECT NUMBER 1, THE COUNTY'S TEAM CONTINUED OUR BIMONTHLY STATUS MEETING. ANDERSON COLUMBIA CONTINUED THE INSTALLATION OF THE DRAINAGE STRUCTURES, CURBING, MEDIANS, WORK ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF THE PROJECT, THE PROJECT IS ROUGHLY 68% COMPLETE WITH 93% OF THE. [INDISTINCT] FOR PROJECT NUMBER 2, FROM U.S. 17 TO PETERS CREEK BRIDGE, THE COUNTY'S TEAM CONTINUES BY MONTHLY STATUS MEETINGS. THEY COMPLETED THE DEMOLITION AND MILLING OF THE OLD ASPHALT ON THE EAST SIDE AND THE NORTH SOUTH SECTION, WEST OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS. THEY ALSO CONTINUE CONSTRUCTING THE CUT OFF WALLS AT PONT TWO WHILE MOVING MATERIAL FROM PONT TWO TO PONT THREE FOR THE CLAY LINER IN THAT POND. COMPLETED ALL CROSS TRAINS AND THE CONCRETE OR FLATWORK WHICH IS THE DRIVING SIDEWALK ON THE SOUTH SIDE EAST OF THE RAILROAD TRACK. BASE MATERIAL ON THE SOUTH SIDE BETWEEN 17 AND THE RAILROAD TRACK WAS PREPARED FOR ASPHALT AND THE PAVEMENT STARTED THIS AFTERNOON. AND THE PROJECT IS ON SCHEDULE B, THE ROUNDABOUT OUT 209B, HELD A BI MONTHLY STATUS MEETING. ALSO COMPLETED THE INSTALLATION [01:55:08] OF THE NEW ROUNDABOUT INCLUDING THE BASE MATERIAL, BASE ASPHALT, CURBING, SIDEWALK AND STREET LIGHTS. THEY PLACED ALL THE SIDEWALKS ON THE MAJORITY-- THEY PLACED THE SIDEWALKS AND MAJORITY OF THE SIDING ON THE EAST SIDE OF RUSSELL ROAD." THIS PROJECT IS 77% PAID OUT WITH 143% OF THE TIME ELAPSED. PROJECT FIVE AND SIX A WE STILL ARE WAITING FOR THE PERMIT TO BE ISSUED AND PROJECTS THREE A, FOUR AND SIX B ARE COMPLETE. CONTINUED TO WORK ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT AS WELL AS INSPECTION OF THE JOB SITES. AS OF APRIL 7TH THE PROGRAM HAS EXPANDED-- AND THIS COMPLETES MY SUMMARIZATION. WE WILL GO AND MOVE INTO THE SWITCHING HATS TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS UPDATE FOR THE SIX DIRECTORS. RICHARD SMITH TO MY RIGHT, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND REC, THE DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, THE DIRECTOR OF GROUND MAINTENANCE AS WELL AS MYSELF, DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL PROJECTS. OVERALL FOR THE COUNTY THE CURRENT PROJECT LIST HOLDS AT 262 PROJECTS. THE PROJECT DATA WAS COMPILED BY OUR CAPITAL PROJECT'S COST SPECIALIST. TOTAL WORKPORTFOLIO IS EQUAL $212,267,352. FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, CAPITAL PROJECTS DEPARTMENT IS MANAGING 81 PROJECTS PROJECTS ACROSS 13 DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ACROSS-- ACCOUNT FOR 98 MILLION AS DEPICTED IN THE TABLE PROVIDED." FOR THE OVERALL STATUS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY BOND, SO FAR THE COUNTY HAS SPENT 19.9 MILLION OR ROUGHLY 31% OF THE 65 MILLION. FIRST UP IN NUMERICAL ORDER, HIGHLIGHTS ON SOME OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY PROJECTS. FIRE STATION ONE CONSTRUCTION IS WELL UNDERWAY WITH 50% COMPLETE, 27% PAID OUT. FORECAST COMPLETION IN THE FALL OF THIS YEAR. FIRE STATION 15 DESIGNED 19% COMPLETE-- 90% COMPLETE, 2% PAID OUT AND 44% OF THE TIME SPENT. FORECAST COMPLETION IS THE SUMMER OF 27. FIRE STATION 16, THE DESIGN IS AT 90% COMPLETE, 2% PAID OUT. FIRE STATION 20 IS COMPLETE AND OPERATIONAL LAST SUMMER. FIRE STATION 21, THE DESIGN IS AT 90% COMPLETE AND 2% HAS BEEN PAID OUT. WHILE FIRE STATION 22, CONSTRUCTION IS 62% COMPLETE WITH 35% PAID OUT. THE FOREST-- FORECAST COMPLETION SUMMER OF 26. LATER THIS SUMMER. FIRE STATION 24, THE DESIGN IS NOW 100% COMPLETE, 3% HAS BEEN PAID OUT, THE COUNTY RECEIVED BIDS FROM 11 BIDDERS AND AWARDED IN THE CONSTRUCTION THE AMOUNT OF $8,197,007 TO THE LOWEST EVALUATED BIDDER. PRECONSTRUCTION MEETING WILL BE HELD LATER THIS WEEK. FORECAST COMPLETION IS SPRING OF NEXT YEAR, 27. FINALLY, FIRE STATION FACILITY MODIFIED DESIGN COMPLETE AT 90% AND THE FORECAST COMPLETION OF THAT IS THE SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR. MOVING ON TO SOME VERTICAL PROJECTS, THE SERVICES SHELTER WHICH CONSISTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW 32,000 SQUARE FOOT SINGLE STOREY ANIMAL PROJECT IS LOCATED AT 2511 COUNTY ROAD 220. THE CONTRACTOR IS FINISHING UP THE OVERHEAD ELECTRIC DUCTWORK AND DRYWALL." THE SITE IS BEING GRADED FOR FINAL ELEVATIONS AND THE INSTALLATION OF THE TURNOUT FENCE, CURBING, SIDEWALK AND BASE MATERIAL FOR THE AREA THAT WILL RECEIVE ASPHALT." PROJECT IS CURRENTLY 64% COMPLETE. WE HAVE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUILDING NEXT DOOR, THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF DESIGN, PERMITTING AND CONSTRUCTING A NEW TWO-STORY BUILDING THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE THE COUNTY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF. NEXT WEEK FURNITURE WILL START BEING DELIVERED AND THE FINAL CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY AND INSPECTION IS PENDING THE INSTALLATION OF SOME ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT WHICH SHOULD BE ROUGHLY IN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS. ESTIMATED TO BE FULLY OPERATIONAL BY MID-JUNE. A LITTLE FURTHER NORTH WE HAVE THE BOARDWALK CACTUS PROJECT WILL CONSTRUCT 2690 LINEAR FEET OF ELEVATED BOARDWALK LOCATED AT 4393-- POINT AND FLEMING ISLAND. PRECONSTRUCTION MEETING WAS HELD ON MARCH 31ST AND PROJECT [02:00:01] CONSTRUCTION IS UNDERWAY WITH MATERIALS BEING PROCURED AND MOBILIZATION WILL OCCUR THIS MONTH. THAT CONCLUDES THE VERTICAL CAPITAL PROJECTS. I WILL TURN IT OVER TO RICHARD FROM ENGINEERING. >> BEFORE YOU GO, BIDIRECTIONAL-- WHAT IS THAT? >> HELPS WITH COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE BUILDING. BASICALLY A REPEATER IF YOU WOULD. THAT'S WHY I SAID ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT." DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE THE MA MASSES. >> WORK CONTINUES ON THE 220 BRIDGE REPLACEMENT. IF YOU GO OUT THERE YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF BIRDS." DRAINED THAT BIG POND NEXT TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER. THERE'S SOME INTERESTING DESIGNED PIPES IN THERE THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM TO CLEAN OUT. PROBABLY HAVE NOT BEEN CLEANED OUT, PROBABLY SINCE THE MID-90S. AND THAT IS RIGHT THERE ON NIGHT BOX. THE PURCHASING TEAM HAS COORDINATED WITH OUR ENGINEERING STAFF AND D O T." IT LOOKS LIKE D O T WILL PAY TO REPLACE SOME OF THOSE PIPES SO THAT WILL HELP US OUT ON A FUTURE STORMWATER PROJECT THAT NOW WE CAN CHECK OFF THE LIST. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF WEEKS LEFT, A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE YOU WILL SEE BIG PAVING TO FIX THE HUMP BACK IT'S STILL ROUGH. THAT WILL GET IRONED OUT IN THE NEXT 23 WEEKS. THE INTERSECTION SHOULD BE FINISHED AROUND MID-TO-LATE MAY WITH A BRIDGE COMING IN IN SEPTEMBER. WE ARE PUSHING TO GET IT EARLIER THAN THAT BUT RIGHT NOW THE BRIDGE SHOULD BE COMPLETE WITH D O T APPROVAL AND TRAFFIC ON IT AT THE END OF SUMMER. >> BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS, PLEASE. COME ON, RICHARD. >> IT WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SPOKEN OUT LOUD. NOW THAT IT'S OUT THERE, WE NEED IT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS. >> SECOND. >> VOTE FOR NO STORMS. >> I WILL GET A HAIRCUT IF WE. [INDISTINCT] GREENWAY TRAIL IS SCHEDULED, FINAL INSPECTION IN ABOUT 1212 WEEKS. THERMOPLASTIC STRIPING REMAINS. -- COMPLETED MARCH 31ST 2026, THE ROAD UP TO THE ICO FACILITY. 220 AT EAST WEST PARKWAY COMPLETED ON MAY 3RD 2026 AT EAST-WEST PARKWAY. COMPLETED APRIL THIRD. SO THAT'S FINISHED AND IT'S EASIER TO MAKE THE RIGHT TURN THERE IF YOU COME OUT. THE 220 RESURFACING PROJECT IS UNDERWAY. THEY GOT PULLED ON A DOT PROJECT TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. THEY WILL BE BACK AROUND THE 21ST AND THEY PROBABLY HAVE ANOTHER TWO WEEKS TO FINISH T THAT. OUR SIDEWALK UPDATE, THEY START WORK ON MONDAY THE SIXTH, I WOULD SAY BY NOW IT WAS AT 60% ON FRIDAY, THEY MAYBE FINISHED. THAT'S GOING VERY FAST. WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF ENGINEERS THAT LIVE ON THAT ROAD BUT I THINK WE WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT. THE CONTRACTOR IS DOING A GOOD JOB AND IT'S A SIDEWALK SO SHOULD BE FINISHED AND THEN RIGHT OVER TO MALLARD AS SOON AS THAT IS COMPLETED. WE ARE STARTING A PROJECT THAT IS PROBABLY GETTING MORE COVERAGE THAN ANY I'VE WORKED ON, EXCEPT MAYBE THE BRIDGE, AND THAT'S THE LAKE GENEVA RESTORATION PROJECT. SEEMS LIKE IT'S ON EVERY NIGHT AND MORNING ON THE NEWS, AND I TINK PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE THE CITY MANAGER IN KEYSTONE HEIGHTS ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB OF INTERCEPTING ANY QUESTIONS, ANY COMPLAINTS, THEY ARE ADDRESSING THEM, WHETHER IT'S DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, A FULL WHEELER NEARLY GETTING KILLED BY A TREE FALLING, ALL THE WAY UP TO I DON'T WANT THAT TREE CUT BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE IT. THEY ARE DOING-- SITE PREP IS DOING A GOOD JOB. AND FOUR ARE-- ONE, TWO, AND FOUR ARE BEING WORKED ON NOW. ONE IS COMPLETE WITH ONLY BURNING TO GO. THE CHIEF IS PROBABLY NOT WANTING ANY BURNING TO GO ON FOR A WHILE. WE'VE KIND OF INSTRUCTED THEM LET'S GET A COST OF WHAT YOUR BURNED PORTION IS. WE MAY LOOK AT THAT IN SOME SORT OF CREDIT ON OTHER STUFF AND MAYBE THOSE PILES WILL BE THERE FOR A WHILE. BUT IT LOOKS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE PAVILION. YOU CAN SEE ALL THE WAY TO THE GIZMO. IF YOU ARE AN OLD TIMER YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. >> IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW. >> WE WENT OUT THERE THURSDAY, [02:05:04] OUR COUNTY SURVEYOR RETIRED AND BRANT WENT OUT THERE WITH US ON TUESDAY TO MARK AN AREA TO CONNECT A LOAD THAT HAS PROBABLY NOT BEEN CONNECTED TO THE MAIN LAKE IN 30 OR 40 YEARS AND IT'S KIND OF CONFUSING BECAUSE YOU ARE FOLLOWING CONTOURS AND NOT JUST CUTTING TREES DOWN. WE FOUND THREE CYPRESS TREES THAT WE ARE GOING TO SAVE IN THEIR. THAT WAS TEN A M. BY 5:00 THEY WERE COMPLETE. ALL THE MARKETABLE TIMBER IS PRETTY MUCH OFF THE SITE NOW. SO WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT DEBRIS CLEANUP AND PILING. AND IF YOU FLIP OVER TO YOUR PAGE YOU WILL SEE A PICTURE WE TOOK THERE OF A STAND OF TREES THAT JUST LOOKED LIKE STICKS. THOSE ARE IN AREA TWO AND THAT IS WHAT THE LAKE WOULD LOOK LIKE IF WE DID NOT DO THIS. THOSE TREES ARE NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, DIE OFF AND FALL OVER. THEY ARE GOING TO STAND THERE. THEY ARE TALL. 30, 40, 50 FEET TALL AND THEY WILL JUST BE GRAY STICKS. THERE IS NO PINE NEEDLES ON THEM AND THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF TREES THAT WERE INUNDATED WITH WATER PROBABLY SIX, EIGHT YEARS AGO. THE WATER HAS SINCE RECEDED FURTHER CUTS DOWN PROBABLY TO 1998 LEVELS WHEN IT WAS THE LOWEST EVER RECORDED. THAT'S THE REASON FOR THIS PROJECT. FILLING THE AQUIFER, THAT'S THE REAL REASON. THE RESTORATION PROJECT IS IT MAKES IT SAFE AS IT FILLS UP FILLING THE AQUIFER IS THE UNDERLYING REASON TO TRY TO GET FRESH WATER BACK DOWN TO RECHARGE THE FLORIDA AQUIFER. SO THAT IS A COMBINED EFFORT OF CLAY COUNTY, CITY OF KEYSTONE, STATE OF FLORIDA AND OUR SAVE OUR LAKES ORGANIZATION. MAYBE BRADFORD COUNTY WITH A CALL KAREN IS MAKING TOMORROW. WE WILL SEE HOW OUR NEGOTIATING SKILLS WORK. >> I CAN UPDATE YOU ON THAT MAYBE. I DID ATTEND THE BRADFORD COUNTY COMMISSION LAST WEEK. COMMISSION MEETING LAST WEEK. THE COUNTY MANAGER OWES ME. NOT YOU, YOU ARE ON MY GOOD LIST. THE COUNTY MANAGER IN BRADFORD COUNTY OWES ME BECAUSE HE PUT ME ON THE AGENDA WITH THE I.C.E. FACILITY." MADAM CHAIR, PUBLIC COMMENT WAS OVER AN HOUR AND I LISTENED TO IT ALL AND WE ARE VERY BLESSED IN CLAY COUNTY. BUT AT ANY RATE, THEY VOTED AT THEIR MEETING TO PURCHASE WITH SOME OF THEIR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FUNDS SOME KIND OF INCINERATOR THAT IS LIKE-- THEY SAID IT LOOKS LIKE A BOX TRAILER, KIND OF LIKE A TRACTOR TRAILER KIND OF THING. AND THEY ARE USING IT FOR THEIR STORM DEBRIS, WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FUNDS BUT THEY VOTED THAT THEY COULD OFFER THAT TO CLAY COUNTY AS AN IN-KIND. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SECTION FIVE, AREA FIVE IS ALL IN BRADFORD COUNTY AND SO THAT'S THE 3 ACRES WE HAD NOT INTENDED TO REMOVE ANYWAY. WE WERE GOING TO REMOVE IT AND STACK IT. AND SO THAT MAYBE SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD-- I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS SAFER THAN, YOU KNOW, REGULAR BURNING OR IF THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO RIGHT NOW BUT ANYWAY, THEY VOTED ON THAT AT THEIR MEETING. THEY DID NOT APPROVE ANY MONEY FOR US BUT I DID MAKE THE REQUEST. SO I TOLD THEM EVERYONE WHO WAS PARTICIPATING AND GAVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THEIR NAME ON THE LIST AS WELL. >> THAT WOULD HELP. AND THAT AREA, WE ACTUALLY FOUND OUT TODAY THAT PROBABLY MANY DROUGHTS AGO THEY HAD DUG ABOUT A 15-FOOT DEEP CANAL, SO IT'S NOT ACCESSIBLE. WE REALLY CAN'T EVEN GET TO THOSE TREES AT THIS TIME. SO WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. I'M TRYING, I'M WORKING ON A TRAINING PROGRAM. I CALLED UP A LIEUTENANT OR SOMETHING IN THE FOREST-- FORESTRY SERVICE SUNDAY AFTERNOON, ALSO A RELATIVE." WAS ON SITE, HE WAS FIGHTING A FIRE AND TOM REALLY DID NOT THINK WE WOULD BE DOING MUCH BURNING AND THE CHIEF KIND OF SECONDED THAT BUT WE ARE GOING TO GET THE DEBRIS DONE AND THAT PROJECT IS GOING TO BE-- I THINK IT WILL BE A BOON TO THE AREA AS WELL AS FOR REAL ESTATE VALUES AS WELL AS FOR TOURISM. AND THE PEOPLE, THE VOLUNTEERS WHO LIVE THERE, THEY CAN'T WAIT TO GET THEIR EQUIPMENT OUT OF THE WAY SO THEY CAN GET OUT THERE AND DO THEIR OWN CLEAN UPS. SO I THINK BETWEEN THE TEAM WE'VE GOT WITH KEYSTONE, SOLO, CLAY COUNTY, THE STATE, HOPEFULLY BRADFORD, IT'S GOING TO BE CLEANED UP. IT WILL BE VERY NICE. RADAR ROAD, WE STARTED CONSTRUCTION ON THE SIXTH, ON APRIL SIXTH. IT IS CLOSED TO VEHICULAR [02:10:02] TRAFFIC TO THUNDERBOLT. IF YOU WERE GOING TO THE PARK, DON'T GO BY THE CHURCH, GO TO THE LIBRARY, USE THE WALKWAY. THERE'S A WALKWAY THERE WITH BARRIERS TO KEEP YOU OUT OF THE CONSTRUCTION SITE. WE ARE WORKING WITH SOME OF THE STAFF THAT HAVE TO GO THERE FOR DAILY ACTIVITIES AND DUTIES AND WE ARE GETTING THAT COORDINATED NOW BECAUSE THERE'S STILL MOWING THAT CLEANING, JANITORIAL STUFF. BUT IT IS AN ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION SITE. YOU CAN GET KILLED SO BE CAREFUL AROUND IT. >> MIKE MCDONALD WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE THAT WE HELD OFF UNTIL AFTER EASTER TWEE-TWEE. >> AGAIN, ACCESS TO THE CHURCH AND THE APARTMENT COMPLEX IS AS USUAL FOR NOW. THERE WILL BE A SWITCH IN THE MAINTENANCE OF TRAFFIC LATER IN THE PROJECT. THEY WILL ACCESS FROM THE ROUNDABOUT WITH THEIR ACCESS TO 17 CUT OFF TEMPORARILY." THAT'S THE WAY TO GO. I WAS OUT AT LONG BAY AND OLD JENNINGS. THAT'S COMING ALONG VERY NICELY. THEY'VE GOT SOME SHOULDER WORK THEY ARE DOING OUT THERE. IT'S A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA. AS THEY START SINGLE LANE CLOSURES IT'S GOING TO GET TOUGH OUT THERE SO BE CAREFUL AND BE PATIENT. COMMISSIONER, OUR D O T UPDATE STARTS AT 220817. THEY ARE STILL WORKING. >> JUST A QUESTION ON THAT. IS THERE CONTRACTUAL PENALTIES? HOW LONG CAN THEY WORK ON IT? >> WE USED. [INDISTINCT] MODEL FOR OUR, WHAT'S IT CALLED, OUR DELINQUENCY-- LIQUIDATED DAMAGES. IF THERE ARE, THAT WOULD BE A TOUGH ONE. I DON'T SEE ANY REASON, THERE'S BEEN NO WEATHER MAC OR RAIN TO NOT FINISH THE FINAL TOPPING AND STRIPING. >> IT LOOKS, AS FAR AS BUILDING NEW THINGS, IT LOOKS DONE. IT'S JUST LIKE YOU HAVE TO PUT THE BOW ON IT. >> YES, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CLAY BAPTIST. THAT PART IS STILL-- YOU CAN TELL IT'S NOT QUITE FINISHED. FROM BLACK CREEK BRIDGE DOWN HERE, THEY'VE STARTED AGAIN. THEY WORKED, THEY SPENT SOME TIME AT THE 209 INTERSECTION, SMOOTHING THAT OUT. >> CLOSING THE LEFT LANE TURNING INTO-- >> YES, THAT'S A PERMANENT CHANGE OBVIOUSLY. THAT IS GONE. SO THE ACCESS IS STILL THERE. THAT WILL PROBABLY BE ELIMINATED SOMETIME DURING THE PROJECT. YOU CAN STILL TURN IN ON 17 AND OFF OF 17, YOU JUST WON'T BE ABLE TO GO OVER. WELLS ROAD, KWEE HAVE A GOOD REPORT, THE PROJECT IS 55% COMPLETE. THE CURRENT DATE IS NOVEMBER FOURTH, 26 TO FINISH. THEY ARE TALKING WITH A CONTRACTOR TO ADD SOME TIME, LOOKING AT PROBABLY INTO JANUARY. THAT PROJECT, THEY ARE WORKING NOW, GOING UP TO PHASE TWO A WHICH IS ON THE NORTH MEDIAN BETWEEN WELLS AND THE DUVAL COUNTY LINE. BE CAREFUL UP IN THAT AREA. AGAIN, IT'S THE MOST DANGEROUS, MOST CONGESTED HIGHEST ACCIDENT RATE IN THE COUNTY AREA SO BE CAREFUL DRIVING THAT. HAT TIP TO T O T, THEY TOOK A BREAK DURING THE FAIR AND WENT BACK TO WORK TODAY. 16 IS BEING RESURFACED AND THEY HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK BETWEEN PENNY FARMS AND 21. THEY WILL FLIP OVER TO NIGHT WORK TO DO THE REST OF IT. OUR QUICK CALL ON MONDAY MORNING TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WE GOT POSITIVE REACTION WITH THE RAMPS BEING OPEN. THEY SAID THAT DID NOT-- THAT HELPED IN THE FAIR TRAFFIC. AND THE FAIR WAS UP SLIGHTLY IN ATTENDANCE SO UNLESS PEOPLE CARPOOLED IT WAS A SUCCESS. COMING UP, TOWN CENTRE RESURFACING, AS SOON AS WE GET THEM BACK ON SITE. THEY SHOULD BE OUT THERE EARLY TO MID-MAY TO DO TOWN CENTRE FROM EAGLE HARBOUR TO EAST WEST PARKWAY. >> IS THE PLAN TO FINISH THAT AFTER THEY DO 220? >> YES. HOPEFULLY WITHOUT A BREAK TO GO TO THE BRIDGE. DOCTORS LIKE DRIVE, THAT WILL MOBILIZE AND GO NORTH. WE HAVE OUR BIDS IN TODAY. WE ARE OPEN FOR THE HILLTOP STREET AND LAKE VIEW STREET PAVING." DIRT ROAD PAVING PROJECT. IT'S NOT A RURAL PAVING [02:15:03] PROJECT,-- DIRT ROADS WE WANT TO KEEP RURAL AND LOW SPEED PRACTICES IN THE CITY OF KEYSTONE AND WILL BE A FULL PAVING PROJECT. THEY CAME IN ABOUT $150,000 BELOW BUDGET SO WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT WITH THE CONTRACTOR, IF EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THAT STARTED. I'M OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. >> I HEARD THERE WILL BE FIREWORKS WHEN WE COMPLETE ELDRIDGE ON JULY FOURTH. [LAUGHTER] SPEAKER WHAT IS GOING ON? IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS. >> IT'S NOT COMPLETE YET. >> I KNOW, THAT'S MY POINT. >> THAT'S THE SAME FIRM AS ED'S PROJECT, WHICH WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF GRIEF. >> WASN'T IT SUPERIOR? >> SUPERIOR, YES SIR. THEY HAVE THREE. 23, ED'S PROJECT, 209, AND ELDRIDGE. SO THERE'S THREE IN THE COUNTY. THEY DID OPEN AN OFFICE HERE." SPEAKER ONE LAST QUESTION." THE ANIMAL SHELTER IS 60 SOMETHING PERCENT. IS THAT STILL FALL OF 26 COMPLETION? >> YES SIR. >> OKAY. >> ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU EVERYONE. MOVE ON TO KAREN. >> ACTIVE IN UPCOMING FORMAL SOLICITATIONS. >> GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN." WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON SOME OF OUR BIDS THAT ARE RECENTLY CLOSED AND THAT ARE GETTING READY TO ADVERTISE. SOME OF THE PROJECTS YOU HAVE JUST HEARD BUT THE TILE REPLACEMENT AT THE CLAY COUNTY JAIL, WE RECEIVED THREE BIDS AND THEY ARE BEING REVIEWED RIGHT NOW. THE CLAY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE BUILDING 500 RENOVATIONS, WE RECEIVED FIVE BIDS. THEY ARE UNDER REVIEW. CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING INSPECTION, THE CI SERVICES FOR THE SUN TRAIL, WE RECEIVED EIGHT BIDS. DIRT ROAD PAVING, SIX BIDS. FIREFIGHTER GEAR STORAGE SHEDS, WE RECEIVED FOUR BIDS. THE CLAY COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS ROOF REPAIRS, RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS HURRICANE WITH FEMA FUNDS, WE RECEIVED FIVE BIDS. OUR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, THAT BID OPENS ON APRIL 28TH. THEN THE FIRE ALARM UPGRADE AT THE CLAY COUNTY JAIL OPENS EARLY MAY ON MAY 5TH. SO AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER WE ARE SEEING MORE RESPONSES COME IN NOW TO OUR BIDS SO THAT'S A GREAT THING. FOR APRIL AND MAY, WE HAVE TRAILERS FOR THE FIREFIGHTER GEAR. WE HAVE THE P3 PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX THAT ADVERTISES THIS THURSDAY. JUST A GENERAL REMINDER. MOSQUITO CONTROL PROGRAM, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT BID. THE MARINA AND LAKESHORE PARK IMPROVEMENTS. THE ADVENTURE PARK MITIGATION, THAT'S TIED TO THE FEMA PROJECT AS WELL. CONSULTING SERVICES FOR CDBG PROGRAM. WE HAVE OAK LEAF SPORTS COMPLEX DRAINAGE THAT GOES OUT THIS WEEK." WE HAVE DRAINAGE REPAIRS FOR PUBLIC WORKS TYPE PROJECTS. THIS IS A CONTINUING CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT. SO THAT'S FOR DRAINAGE AND NEW PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS. FAIRGROUNDS WATER AND UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS AND THEN OUR EMS MEDICAL SUPPLY BID WILL BE GOING OUT LATER THIS MONTH OR NEXT MONTH. QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. [LETTERS FOR ACTION] >> ALL RIGHT. WE WILL MOVE ON TO LETTERS FOR ACTION. APPROVAL OF LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER'S CANDIDACY FOR SECOND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES. ARE WE APPROVING THAT? ALL RIGHT, AWESOME. >> I WILL SECOND. >> A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOUR? NONE OPPOSED, OF COURSE. >> REALLY FAST ON THAT, COMMISSIONER, I BELIEVE I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US WHEN I SAY WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE ON THAT TYPE OF COMMITTEE. OBVIOUSLY YOU DO NOT GET PAID TO DO THAT BUT FOR THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE, IT'S ADVOCACY FOR CLAY COUNTY THROUGH THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES IS [02:20:03] HUGE." THIS PROPERTY TAX, AN EXERCISE WE'VE BEEN DOING, SUPER INVOLVED IN TALLAHASSEE AND IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION LIKE THAT IT REALLY GIVES CLAY COUNTY A VOICE SO WE ARE GRATEFUL YOU ARE EXTENDING YOUR HAND OUT THERE TO DO THAT. >> COMMISSIONER, EVERY EVENT THAT I HAVE BEEN TO OVER THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS, I HAVE OBSERVED YOUR ABILITY TO NOT ONLY MAKE MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE STATE BUT ALSO GIVE MEANINGFUL WORDS OF ADVICE THAT HAS NOT BEEN DISMISSED. AND I HAVE SEEN THAT PERSONALLY, THAT YOU ARE SO WELL RESPECTED THAT FOLKS WILL LEAVE ORLANDO OR TAMPA OR WHEREVER IT IS WE HAVE TO BE AND IMPLEMENT YOUR SUGGESTION IN THEIR HOMETOWN OR IN THEIR COUNTY. AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE THAT ABOUT YOU FOR SEVERAL YEARS, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO POINT THAT OUT. AND SO I THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP AND REPRESENTING CLAY IN THIS WAY. >> I WOULD LIKE TO PILE ON AS WELL. WHAT A DRAMATIC CHANGE OF THE COMMISSION FROM WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE COMMISSION, WHERE I THOUGHT THE COMMISSION WAS STEPPING BACK AWAY FROM LEADERSHIP NOT ONLY WITHIN THE REGION AND THE STATE. I THINK ALL THE MEMBERS ON THE COMMISSION, WE ARE STEPPING FORWARD. CLAY COUNTY IS NOT THE SLEEPY LITTLE COUNTY IT USED TO BE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR REPRESENTATION IN TALLAHASSEE, THE SPEAKER." MEAN THE CURRENT SPEAKER KNOWS WHERE CLAY COUNTY IS AND THAT'S DUE TO OUR ENGAGEMENT SO I WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOU STEPPING FORWARD ON THAT. >> COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU [LETTERS FOR DOCUMENTATION] ALL. >> AWESOME. LETTERS AND DOCUMENTATION. OPENING TABULATIONS FOR THE TILE REPLACEMENT OF THE CLAY COUNTY JAIL AND BID OPENINGS FOR THE BUILDING 500 RENOVATION AND CLAY COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS HURRICANE ROOF REPAIRS AND CATTLEMEN'S ARENA. [PUBLIC COMMENTS] WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR SECOND PUBLIC COMMENT." ANY ONE? >> BOBBY JAMESON. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU." FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, MY TEAM, A COUPLE OF FOLKS HERE, HIRED HER OUT OF SCHOOL AND SHE'S READY TO TAKE HER EXAM, MATT JENNINGS HEADS OUR SURVEY DEPARTMENT FOR ALL OF FLORIDA, HE'S BEEN ABLE TO COME OUT ON SHORT NOTICE AND HELP TROUBLESHOOT ISSUES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IT'S BEEN REALLY GREAT. AND I WILL JUST SAY REGARDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL, WE HAVE WORKED WITH AMY ON A COUPLE OF OUR JACKSONVILLE PROJECTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SHE'S DONE OUTSTANDING WORK AND I'M GLAD YOU INCLUDED HER ON THE LIST. AND WE JUST LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING WORKING WITH YOU ALL. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. >> VERY NICE, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT, I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS. [COUNTY ATTORNEY] ANYTHING FROM OUR COMMISSION AUDITOR? COUNTY ATTORNEY? >> JUST QUICKLY, THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE IS WRAPPING UP THEIR WORK. THEY HAVE CONCLUDED THEIR REVIEW OF ALL THE TOPICS THAT THEY INITIALLY DECIDED TO REVIEW. THEY HAVE ONE TOPIC THAT THEY ARE SEEKING TO MOVE FORWARD AND IN CONNECTION WITH THAT THEY HAVE THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS SCHEDULED. APRIL THE 20TH AT 5:00, MAY THE FOURTH AT 5:00 AND MAY THE 18TH AT 5:00. THE ATTORNEY FOR THE CRC DID PROVIDE THE BALLOT LANGUAGE FOR THAT AND THAT WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA BUT IT WILL BE OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC DISCUSSION AT THOSE THREE MEETINGS. THEN I ASSUME THEY WILL WRAP IT UP SHORTLY AFTER THAT. >> MADAM CHAIR, COMMISSIONER, [COUNTY MANAGER] TWO ITEMS FOR THE BOARD. JUST A REMINDER, APRIL 25TH, THERE'S AT THE FAIRGROUNDS, SALUTING THOSE WHO SERVED, FROM 9:00 UNTIL TWO P M PIERRE QUIET HOURS ARE FROM NINE UNTIL 12. THE OPENING CEREMONY IS AT 10:3E WILL ALSO RECOGNIZE OUR VETERAN, OUR VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AND OUR YOUTH VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AND THEN ANYONE OUT THERE, LIGHTS AND SOUNDS AT-- FROM 12:00 UNTIL 2:00. SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND [02:25:02] IT'S A VERY POPULAR EVENT. I HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS FROM THE FOURTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT. WE BENEFITED FROM THEIR REQUEST FOR THE FREEDOM TRUCK 250 AND IT IS SCHEDULED TO BE BETWEEN THE ADMIN BUILDING AND THE COURTHOUSE FROM THE 15TH TO THE 17TH OF JUNE. WE WILL WORK ON A SCHEDULE FOR THAT WITH THE FREEDOM OR AMERICA 250 COMMITTEE WE HAVE COMING UP ON THURSDAY I THINK IS OUR NEXT MEETING. THINGS ARE PROGRESSING WELL WITH THAT AND I HAVE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE CHIEF JUDGE. THEY COULD NOT FIT IT IN DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE AND SO WE WERE NEXT ON THE LIST AND WE ARE GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT. THERE'S ANOTHER VEHICLE OUT THERE I THINK THEY WILL GET THAT IS A BIT SMALLER. MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT IS HISTORY OF OUR GREAT NATION AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET THE KIDS OUT TO IT TOO SO WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND ANY SCHOOLS THAT ARE OUT THERE TO BRING KIDS THROUGH AND UNDERSTAND ABOUT OUR NATION AND OUR HISTORY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. ANY QUESTIONS? >> MADAM CHAIR. I HAD A CONSTITUENT ASK IF YOU NEED ANY ADDITIONAL TRUCKS FOR TOUCH A TRUCK? DO I PUT THEM IN TOUCH WITH JASON? >> DO WE NEED MORE TRUCKS? THERE WE GO. >> I WILL PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH THEM, THANK YOU. >> WE CAN ALWAYS USE SOME MORE. I LIKE IT. [COMMISSIONER COMMENTS] ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. >> FIRST, THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND TRULY I AGREE WITH THE COMMISSIONER, WE ARE A GREAT TEAM AND YOU WATCH OTHER COMMISSIONS AND YOU APPRECIATE MORE AND MORE THAT CLAY COUNTY IS HOME. BUT AT ANY RATE, I WANTED TO QUICKLY SHARE, I THINK RICHARD LEFT, KNOW HE'S IN THE BACK. I GOT A REALLY NICE NOTE FROM A LADY ON LAKE GENEVA AND SHE SAID-- SHE'S ELDERLY AND SAID I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SEE WATER FOR 25 YEARS FROM MY HOUSE AND SO SHE APPRECIATED THE WORK DONE OUT THERE. I THOUGHT YOU WOULD LIKE HEARING THAT. I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND WITH CRAWFORD A DRONE EXPO AT THE KEYSTONE HEIGHTS AIRPORT AT THE END OF MARCH AND IT CAME UP KIND OF SUDDENLY PIERRE COUNTY MANAGER WOULD HAVE GONE WITH US BUT HE WAS AT HIS BOAT SHOW SO IT WAS LIKE THAT FAST. BUT THERE WERE I THINK OVER 50 DRONE COMPANIES THERE. THE DRONE EXPO IS THEY FLY THEIR DRONES THROUGH AN OBSTACLE COURSE, MUCH LIKE A FRISBEE GOLF COURSE. THEY GO THROUGH THE LITTLE ROUND HOOPS I GUESS BUT AT ANY RATE, FASCINATING TALKING WITH THEM. THERE ARE FOUR OR FIVE THAT WANT TO LOCATE BUSINESSES IN FLORIDA AND THE KEYSTONE HEIGHTS AIRPORT IS ATTRACTIVE TO THEM BECAUSE OF THE PROXIMITY WITH CAMP LANDING AND THEY ARE INTERESTING IN THAT SO THE PARCEL THAT CRAWFORD MENTIONED BEFORE, THE TIMING IS GOOD, THAT THEY HAD THAT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DONE THAT FAA REQUIRES. WHO KNOWS WHERE THAT ONE WILL END UP. WE GOT TO SEE DRONES IN ACTION THAT ARE ACTUALLY PARTICIPATING IN THE BATTLEFIELD IN UKRAINE." SO JUST REALLY SOME INTERESTING THINGS. THEY ALSO HAD A DRONE AND I HAVE A CARD FOR SOMEBODY, HOWARD I WILL GIVE YOU THAT, THERE'S A DRONE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN PIGGYBACK ON THE STATE CONTRACT, SO IT'S LIKE THEY HAVE USED IT TO FIND LOST KIDS IN THE FOREST AND THAT KIND OF THING BUT IT'S ABLE TO SOMEHOW HAVE A TWO WAY COMMUNICATION. I FORGET. I LISTENED TO THE PRESENTATION OF WHY IT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAN YOUR AVERAGE DRONE BUT ANYWAY, HAS BEEN APPROVED AS A PURCHASE THROUGH FWC AND SO IT'S CHEAPER SUPPOSEDLY. $17,000 THOUGH FOR THESE LITTLE GUYS. BUT AT ANY RATE, THERE WAS A PEDESTRIAN CRASH OR A PEDESTRIAN HIT YESTERDAY AT THE INTERSECTION OF STATE ROAD 100 AND STATE ROAD 21 IN KEYSTONE HEIGHTS AND SOME OF ASKING ABOUT TIMING SEEMED OFF SO I SENT AN EMAIL, RICHARD, I SENT IT TO THE PEOPLE AT D O T BUT THE MOTHER MESSAGED ME AND SAID SHE DOESN'T THINK THAT IT IS. SHE WENT DOWN THERE AND LOOKED. BUT I JUST WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU SEE PEDESTRIANS. THEY HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY AND OF COURSE OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE DOES A GREAT JOB BUT THEY CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE AND THEY CAN'T PREVENT AN ACCIDENT SO WE ARE SEEING AND HEARING MORE ABOUT PEOPLE AND ACCIDENTS AND SPEEDING AND CRASHES AND THEN YOU HEAR PEOPLE SAY THEY JUST DON'T CARE OR THEY DON'T SLOW DOWN AND SO IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING AND VERY SCARY FOR [02:30:02] THIS FAMILY AND THANKFULLY THE YOUNG LADY IS GOING TO BE OKAY BUT OUTSTANDING FARE, THE FAIR ASSOCIATION, I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY GOOD." WAS CONCERNED EARLY ON. I WENT OUT THERE A FEW TIMES EARLY AND THERE WEREN'T THAT MANY CROWDS AND I WAS WORRIED ABOUT IT BUT BOY, THEY PACKED THEM IN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY THIS WEEK AND WE HAD THE GREATEST SHOWMAN AND HIS SIDEKICK OVER HERE THAT TOOK ME OUT IN THE PIG SHOW. SO LAST YEAR I HAD TO GO ON IR, I HAD MY GALLBLADDER OUT SO I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL SO I HAD TO ESCAPE THE FAIR LAST YEAR." WENT FROM SECOND PLACE TO THIRD PLACE OUT OF THREE. HE BROUGHT HIS RIBBON. BUT MY LITTLE BUDDY CALLAWAY IS NINE YEARS OLD AND I GOT TO SHOW HIS PIG. HE WAS ALREADY COACHING ME ON WHAT WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE FOR NEXT YEAR. TELLING ME I NEED TO COME OUT TO HIS HOUSE AND PRACTICE. SO I'VE BEEN SHAMED BUT AT ANY RATE IT WAS A GREAT EVENT, IT HAD MORE PARTICIPATION THAN IT HAD LAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS AGO, I WAS NOT THERE LAST YEAR OBVIOUSLY, BUT NOW THE CONGRESSMAN WANTS TO GET INVOLVED. ALTHOUGH HE HAD SOME KNEE THING HE WAS KIND OF WORRIED ABOUT SO HE WANTED TO CHECK US OUT BEFORE HE GOT IN THERE BUT IT WAS A GREAT TIME. IF YOU WERE NOT THERE YOU WERE MISSED. THERE ARE VIDEOS FLOATING AROUND OF PEOPLE. BUT ANYWAY. AND THEN FINALLY THE COMMISSIONER MENTIONED IT EARLIER BUT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO AS WELL AS HE DID TO THE COKE 250 AND JUST FASCINATING, YOU KNOW I WILL NOT TURN DOWN AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO A MANUFACTURING PLANT IF I CAN. COKE DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB. NOTHING IN THEIR FACILITY GOES INTO THE LANDFILL. SO WHEN THEY USE THEIR-- THE HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SIRUP THAT THEY USE TO MAKE THE SODA, THAT'S RAIL CARTED IN P-A-R-K JUST FASCINATING. THAT'S THE ONLY PLANT IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY THAT MAKES THE ORB COKE BOTTLE THAT YOU CAN GET THAT IS ONLY SOLD AT DISNEY WORLD AND DISNEYLAND I THINK IN CALIFORNIA AND THEY ARE ALSO THE ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD THAT IS MAKING THE 7.5-OUNCE LIMITED EDITION CAN FOR AMERICA 250 AND SO YOU HAVE TO BUY THE SMALL PACK, BUT IT'S IN DIET COKE COKE ZERO, AND IN COKE. AND IT HAS THE STATE ON IT." WHEN THEY DEBUTED IT IT HAD THE STATE OF FLORIDA BUT THEY HAVE IT FOR ALL 50 STATES SO IF YOU WANT TO COLLECT, YOU CAN GET EVERY STATE IN THE NATION I GUESS, I DON'T KNOW. BUT AT ANY RATE, IT WAS A GREAT TIME AND APPRECIATED THE OP-- INVITATION AND THEY WERE JUST, THE SECRETARY OF STATE WAS THERE ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNOR KHAKIS THE FLORIDA 250 SPONSOR FOR THE AMERICA 250. JUST A LOT OF REALLY GOOD COLLABORATION. HE ENCOURAGED EVERYONE TO GO FIND ALL OF THEIR AMERICA 250 HISTORY LESSONS THAT ARE OUT. THEY HAVE DEBUTED ON A LOT OF STATUES AND MORE TO COME. LOTS OF PATRIOTISM. >> DO YOU REMEMBER THE TOWN WHERE COKE STARTED IN FLORIDA? >> IN QUINCY. MY FAMILY IS FROM QUINCY AND JUST IN CASE YOU ARE THINKING THAT I'M ROLLING IN THE DOUGH, WE WERE NOT THE COKE FAMILY FROM QUINCY, FLORIDA. BUT A BANKER IN QUINCY, FLORIDA IN THE EARLY 1900S ENCOURAGED HIS PEOPLE WHO HAD ACCOUNTS THERE AND HAD WANTED TO BORROW MONEY, THEY HAD TO INVEST IN COKE." AT ONE POINT, MORE PEOPLE PER CAPITA IN LITTLE TINY QUINCY, FLORIDA OWNED STOCK IN COCA-COLA THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD AND AT ONE POINT, I DON'T THINK HE MENTIONED THIS, BUT AT ONE POINT THE COKE RECIPE WAS IN THEIR VAULT. STORED IN THEIR VAULT IN QUINCY, FLORIDA, WHICH IS JUST NORTHWEST OF TALLAHASSEE. >> THEY HAD MORE MILLIONAIRES PER CAPITA THAN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD I THINK HE SAID OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. >> BUT NONE IN MY FAMILY. ANYWAY. I'M HERE. THANK YOU. >> ALL RIGHT. TRY TO KEEP IT AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF WEEKS SINCE WE'VE MET BUT FIRST, THANKS A TON TO RICHARD AND STAFF, WE ADDED A THREE WAY STOP AT EAGLE HARBOUR PARKWAY AND TOWN CENTRE BOULEVARD AND I WILL JUST SAY THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NEVER A BAD TIME TO SLOW DOWN AND I THINK THAT THAT STRETCH IS JUST HAS BEEN KIND OF A RACEWAY AND ALSO THE TRAFFIC UNIT HAS BEEN [02:35:01] OUT THERE MONITORING. ANYTIME YOU PUT IN A NEW STOP SIGN, SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT'S THERE SO THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB WITH THAT. AFTER OUR LAST MEETING, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH FLEMING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS, THEIR GOVERNMENT CLASSES. IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO SEE WHEN YOU PUT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE POSITION THAT ALL OF US ARE IN IN TERMS OF MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS, IT'S INTERESTING TO HEAR THEIR LOGIC AND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. WE TALKED ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE JUDGE TALKED ABOUT THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND WE ALSO SPRINKLED IN SOME STATE STUFF THERE SO THAT WAS GREAT. COMMISSIONER, I NEED AN ASSIST ON THIS. MR. MACK WHO READ OLD GLORY, WHAT'S HIS RANK? MASTER CHIEF. >> THE HIGHEST ENLISTED STATURE IN THE NAVY. >> SO MANY OF US GOT TO ATTEND THE VIETNAM WAR VETERANS DAY AT THE HISTORIC TRIANGLE AND WHEN I TELL YOU THAT THE PRIDE THAT I KNOW I HAD JUST FROM BEING FROM CLAY COUNTY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY MASTER CHIEF MACK, IF YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN OLD GLORY, I POSTED IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND I WOULD IMPLORE YOU TO WATCH THE VIDEO. DOES A RENDITION OF THE POEM OLD GLORY WITH SUCH PASSION AND PRIDE AND I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A DRY EYE IN THE AUDIENCE. BUT IT WAS JUST ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL THINGS I HAVE EVER BEEN A PART OF AND I'M NOT JUST SAYING THAT. IT WAS TRULY, TRULY SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE SEEN NATIONALLY BY PEOPLE. IT WAS REALLY COOL TO SEE TOO THAT NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE VIETNAM WAR VETERANS OF AMERICA SAID THAT OF ALL THE VIETNAM CEREMONIES HE'S BEEN TO, THERE'S NEVER BEEN ONE MORE PATRIOTIC THAN THE ONE IN CLAY COUNTY, WHICH WAS JUST REALLY COOL, REALLY GOOD, THAT WAS JUST A GREAT DAY. ALSO A COUPLE DAYS AFTER THAT CACTUS IS IN MY OTHER JOB, WE HOSTED A SALUTE TO SERVICE NIGHT AT THE SCHOOL, WE WERE A PART OF A FLORIDA, GEORGIA SHOWDOWN IN BASEBALL. THREE JACKSONVILLE SCHOOLS AND THREE GEORGIA SCHOOLS PLAYED IN A ROUND ROBIN DEAL. THANKS TO C C S O. I THINK HE MIGHT HAVE LEFT BUT THE SERGEANT THREW OUT THE FIRST PITCH AND FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW KHAKI PLAYED 13 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL. THERE WERE FOUR PROFESSIONAL SCOUTS AT THE GAME AND THEY ASKED WHO'S THE GUY IN THE UNIFORM, WE WANT TO RESIGN HIM. CAPTAIN RODRIGUEZ FROM CLAY COUNTY FIRE RESCUE AND THE HONOUR GUARD CAME OUT. OUR STUDENTS WERE EXTREMELY APPRECIATIVE AND WE ALSO HONOURED ACTIVE DUTY AND VETERANS AT THAT CEREMONY TOO SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED. AT THE FAIR WE DID THE BEST WE COULD. >> SOME DID MORE THAN OTHERS. >> IT'S A SHOWMANSHIP COMPETITION. THAT'S WHAT THEY CALLED IT. NO CACTUS WHAT AN AWESOME COMMUNITY EVENT. OAKLEAF HIGH SCHOOL, A FRESHMAN. OUR. , WE DROVE INTO THE RING AND LIKE YOUR STUDENT, WAS A GREAT COACH, WAS GIVING ME GREAT POINTERS, WAS FIRED UP EVERY TIME WE GOT OUT THERE. THERE WERE 32 PARTICIPANTS AND I THINK THE COMMISSION, IS REALLY COOL, KWEE THE LARGEST REPRESENTED ELECTED BODY WITH THREE OF US. GET ALL FIVE OF US IN THE RING, IT WOULD BE GREAT. BUT IT WAS AWESOME, AN AWESOME EVENT. WITH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE FFA AND CLAY COUNTY. THEY SAID $600,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS, IS THAT WHAT THEY SAID? FROM THE PIGS, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL. KELLY MOSELY, CONGRATULATIONS. IT'S SO MUCH WORK TO PUT THAT EVENT ON BUT YOU DO IT AND YOU MAKE IT LOOK SEAMLESS. ALREADY EXCITED FOR NEXT YEAR. LAST THING IS, TOMORROW THE FIRST COAST EXPRESSWAY SUMMIT, LET'S BRING THAT COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. WE REALLY NEED COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN CLAY COUNTY TO CREATE JOBS AND HOPEFULLY TOMORROW IS A GREAT CELEBRATION OF SOMETHING BIG COMING FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT, THANK YOU. >> JUST THREE THINGS. I WANTED TO COMMEND COUNTY STAFF FOR JUST MEETING SOME NEEDS. WE HAD A COMPLAINT THAT WAS REALLY OUT OF OUR PURVIEW, OUT OF OUR JURISDICTION AND STAFF DID A PHENOMENAL JOB OF AT LEAST ADDRESSING THE CONCERN AND SHARING WHERE OUR HANDS WERE TIED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT I DID GET THIS FOLLOW UP MESSAGE THANKING COUNTY STAFF FOR BEING ATTENTIVE." I WANT TO RELAY THAT BACK TO STAFF, THAT NO MATTER WHAT I [02:40:03] CALL AND ASK ABOUT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY ASKING FOR HELP, OUR TEAM MOVES SWIFTLY AND WITH CARE AND SO I DO NOT WANT TO MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT THAT. THE SECOND THING, THE COUNTY FAIR. I HEAR YOUR INVITATION BUT HIGH HEELS DO NOT MIX WELL WITH DIRT. SO I'M GOING TO PASS ON THAT. BUT MY LAST POINT IS I HAVE THIS CIRCLED ON MY AGENDA FOR TONIGHT, I WAS SO TOUCHED BY TOMMY SPENCE. THAT IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION THAT ANYBODY HAS TAKEN THEIR MOMENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT TO ASK HEAVEN FOR DIRECTION ON OUR BEHALF AND THAT WAS A HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERED PRAYER AND I FELT IT THE SECOND HE STARTED TALKING, OR ASKING THE LORD TO BLESS US. AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HIM BACK BUT JUST THANK YOU, MR. SPENCE, IF YOU ARE OUT THERE WATCHING THIS MEETING, SOME TWO 0.5 HOURS LATER, THANK YOU FOR DEFERRING YOUR TIME TO US AND ASKING IN A WAY THAT WE PROBABLY CAN'T FOR HELP. SO THANK YOU AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TONIGHT. >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. A LOT OF WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE SINCE LAST MEETING. FIRST OF ALL, WE HAD THE P O W M I A RECOGNITION AT THE MUSEUM WITH SENATOR ASHLEY MOODY AND THE REPRESENTATIVE MAYBE A WEEK AGO, TEN DAYS AGO. P O W POSTESS OUT THERE, WE RECOGNIZED THEM FROM THE VIETNAM WAR. AND ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED I THINK THE 81,000 OR 80 SOME THOUSAND STILL MISSING IN ACTION. PAM CAIN ADDRESSED THE GROUP, SHE WAS HERE FOR A COUPLE-- HER FATHER WAS LOST IN LAOS. I LEARNED THEY HAD PICTURES OF HIM ON THE GROUND ALIVE, THEY STILL DON'T KNOW WHERE HE'S AT NOW. SO IT'S KIND OF A MOVING CEREMONY. THE CONGRESSMAN ON APRIL 11TH HAD A 2026 CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION FOR THE FOURTH DISTRICT. WE HAD 17 SUBMISSIONS AND HE HAD A GROUP OF FOUR JUDGES I THINK THAT JUDGED THE WORKS OF ART AND THE ONE THAT WON WAS FROM CLAY HIGH, MISS HAILEY. THAT PIECE OF ART NOW WILL GO IN HIS OFFICE FOR THE NEXT YEAR. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IT WILL COMPETE AGAINST THE OTHER 435 CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES OR REPRESENTATIVES TO BE THE NATIONAL PIECE OF ART. AND I WILL TELL YOU, IT WAS A LIKE I SAID, THERE WERE 17 GOOD YOUNG ARTISTS THERE AND HE DID A GOOD JOB AT THAT. THAT AFTERNOON, THE 11TH, KWEE RIBBON CUT F-35S AT THE FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL GUARD AND THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT THING. THE F-35 IS THE PREMIER FIGHTER JET AND IT'S NOW ALL THE WAY IN OUR INTERNATIONAL GUARD HERE IN JACKSONVILLE WHICH THEY HAD STRIKE EAGLES FOR MANY YEARS AND THERE WERE NONE THERE ANY MORE SO. THE LAST THING I HAVE IS TODAY THERE'S TWO MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS, ONE IN GREEN COVE. YOU STILL HAVE 15 MINUTES TO VOTE. POLLING PLACES ARE OPEN. A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY MY VOTE IS NOT GOING TO COUNT, IT'S NOT IMPORTANT, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS WHICH WON BY ONE VOTE OR LOST BY ONE VOTE. SO IF YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN OUT I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU GET ONE OF THESE STICKERS THAT SAY I VOTED. WITH THAT, THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. >> I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, EOC, FIRE RESCUE FOR HELPING US BE INVOLVED IN THE FAIR, THE SECURITY, THE MEETINGS, APPRECIATE IT. IT SEEMED LIKE IT WENT OFF REALLY WELL AND SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK. IT WAS INTERESTING TO HEAR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT BUT YOU TAKE CARE OF ALL OF IT SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND LISTEN, I CAN SING, I CAN DO [02:45:02] MANY THINGS, OKAY, BUT I AM A CITY GIRL. WHEN I STARTED DATING MY HUSBAND, WE DROVE TO GREEN COVE AND I USED TO TELL HIM IT SMELLS LIKE THE CIRCUS HERE. THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE AIR." I'M NOT A FARM GIRL. PIGS, I'M SORRY. I WILL WATCH BUT YOU WILL NOT GET ME OUT THERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> ALL RIGHT. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL REPRESENTING US AND IT LOOKED REALLY FUN. LET'S SEE. CHRISTIE OVER HERE HAS A NEW GRANDBABY. JUST BORN THIS PAST WEEK. HE IS ADORABLE. HE HAS LITTLE GIORGIO ONESIE ON THE FIRST TIME I GOT TO HOLD HIM." CONGRATULATIONS. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR PRAYER FOR BILL BURNS. EVERYBODY KNOWS HIM. FORMER P O W FROM OUR COUNTY. I'VE GONE AND SEEN HIM A COUPLE TIMES AT HIS HOUSE. HE'S NOT DOING TOO GREAT SO PLEASE BE IN PRAYER FOR HIM. THEY ARE SPECIAL PEOPLE. AND MY LAST THING WOULD BE YOU WILL GET TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THE ROUNDABOUT BUT YOU KNOW IT'S BEAUTIFUL. BUT HERE'S THE DEAL, YOU CANNOT PUT YARD SALE SIGNS IN THE ROUNDABOUT. I'M TIRED OF THEM ALREADY AND ADD GOTHAM TAKEN DOWN SO I WILL BE SNEAKING OUT THERE AT NIGHT AND TAKING THEM DOWN. THAT IS NOT WHERE YOU PUT YOUR SIGNS SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I THINK THAT IS IT. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? >> WE ALL GOT THIS EMAIL BUT I FORGOT TO SAY. JUST TO SHOUT OUT AN EMPLOYEE, ROBIN WHO IS ALSO ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS." SHE GOT THE SWEETEST COMMENDATION FROM A GENTLEMAN WHO HE SAID HE IS 77 YEARS OLD, HE WAS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING IN THE PERMITTING SYSTEM-- MR. STEWART. HE HAD TO CALL THREE TIMES AND ROBIN TREATED HIM WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT AND WAS JUST NICE TO HIM ON THE THIRD CALL AS SHE WAS ON THE FIRST. THE ONLY INTERESTING THING WAS, ROBIN, WE LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU, WE KNOW YOU ARE WONDERFUL, BUT HE SAID IT-- SENT IT TO SAINT JOHNS COUNTY SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE HE THINKS HE'S DOING HIS PERMIT. THEY FORWARDED IT TO US AND SO ROBIN, SHOUT OUT TO YOU, THANKS FOR YOUR WORK, WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT STAFF THAT ARE THAT WAY. >> * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.