>> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Troy is not here he is not going to be here. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: He is not coming. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: He is on spring break. [Laughter] >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Okay if everybody is ready we will call the March 17 at 2026 Volusia County Council meeting to order at 4:01 PM or 4:02 PM whatever clock you believe it is good to see everybody here it's always good to see a full house. Just a second I will ask you to stand. We always start our meeting with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we'll go right into Public Participation. This morning we did not have a faith group signed up for an invocation so if you would just stand with me and we will have a minute of silence we are at a point where the country could certainly use prayer. "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." Karissa, would you do the roll call? >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Here. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Here. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Here. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: Here. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT LARGE: Here >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Here we are missing one but we have a quorum. Do you have any Public Participation okay. There was none. We start the meeting with General Public Participation where you can speak to any Item that is not being discussed on the agenda. Then you can speak to any County business Council might act on in the future. You will have three minutes to speak if you tell us what part of the county you are from. You don't need to give your entire address for safety reasons. Just tell us where you are from so your representative knows there will be a timer on the monitor in front of you on the platform here and also on the screens above my head in the back of the room. Please stick with the three minutes. We have a lot of people that want to talk. This opening public art exhibition is limited to one hour. We want to squeeze everybody in. Council I will ask your permission we have the first speaker is a request from Jessica Cao she is the chair of NRAC she's supposed to be in court or some meeting I told her I would call her first even though she wants to speak on an agenda Item if there is if everybody would allow that. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: No objection. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Jessica Cao three minutes or less. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Good afternoon everyone thank you for this I have a speaking presentation at Stetson to see if they want to become employers that would be good thank you for letting me be preview an agenda Item Volusia Forever have a privilege of acting for current Volusia Forever chair and vice chair of NRAC to verify I'm speaking here individually just want to note I think you have a room full of people who are primed to tell you how much you love this program I think it takes over 500 pages in the agenda backup to talk about the pros of this program you've got an outpouring of support from our local government as well for Volusia Forever. I just want to say I think their concerns brought up are very valid about the program that I think don't necessitate looking at the program overall. What I would hate to see is one of our county's greatest successes be turned into an intellectual topic or an election issue overall. I think we have seen a huge success in this program with overwhelming public support, huge dedication. Of public input we have seen the conservation in this county growth over the past five years from 30% up to 40% with no end in sight the program allows for not only conservation of informally sensitive areas for future generations but it provides to the forest and farmlands program the opportunity for our agricultural community to get value for their greatest investment. Their land while allowing them to continue the agricultural operation that had been the backbone of our county for generations I think two main issues of clump in the discussion are capacity and partnerships. I think overall when it comes to partnerships I think the concern is valid of local control remaining where it is needed. But I think with enough foresight from staff and participation in the policy level, that can be handled through specific negotiations. When a project comes forward if the state wants to expand.[Listing Names] they might be the best management entity for that. When a project comes forth that impacts Volusia County Volusia should be in charge of those management decisions I think there are no changes to the program that are required to allow that to proceed with County staff getting direction for the policy negotiations. The second is binding when the referendum was adopted bonding capacity for the program was permitted I think as long as real estate remains a valid investment structure here in our county funding as long as it is reviewed by this County Council, for every purchase that goes through for fiscal responsibility, that's a valid process that makes a lot of sense when it is used correctly. I don't think we spent all of our capacity under one. I think having the tool in the toolbox was ultimately reviewed but his council continues to show the benefit of the program. It was used in the last iteration and would love to buy some more land. Thank you for your continued support. Thank you for letting me speak out of order. I hope you continue your support of this program.. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you very much. I will call three names so the first one, the other two are there seats in the front row. So we can get through as many people as possible. [Listing Names]. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Mr. Chairman are these for Items not on the agenda. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: These are for the opening public comment I will look at each one and see. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: You will monitor that I am assuming. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Yes. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Good afternoon my name is Wendy Blazek I'm here to go over the potential Duke energy transmission route of.[Listing Names] specifically I would like to address the 1400 -1600+ Hazen Rd. area which is very close to the corner of Hazen Rd. and Green Dairy roads I'm also including in this Green Dairy Road these operas become very in size from 1+ acres up to 10 acres this section of Hazen Rd. Road is extremely narrow. For example when two large trucks are passing each other on the road we have to scoot over to the edge and kind of go off the road so we don't hit each other's mirrors. There is also a natural bond that has been there for 50 plus years. There is a significant amount of canopy trees that is home to numerous wildlife of various birds towels wild turkeys corporate turtles. There are also farm animals on some of these properties, horses, cows and goats and chickens etc. If Duke energy chooses the Hazen Rd. and Green Dairy Road route they will have to remove a significant amount of trees they will need to invoke eminent domain to those properties that are 120 feet approximately 85 feet above ground, transmission poles will go on. This will completely devastate the way this quiet farm-like area looks. Along with the EMF electro magnetic fields also called EMR electromagnetic radiation emitted from the power lines that are known to cause a variety of health issues including cancer not to mention the significant reduction of property values. These are our homes. Where we raise our children. Our grandchildren and enjoy our later years. We do not want any of this on our residential route. Please help all of us homeowners to inform Duke energy to choose one of the other two potential routes specifically for spring garden which is also known as 15 A B truck route that is commercial and if the transmission poles would blend in perfectly thank you very much for letting me speak. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you. [Listing Names] >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Good afternoon council my name is.[Listing Names] I'm from the unincorporated Glenwood area of Deland normally I the speaking to but toilet to tap another issues that you all have failed to address but today instead I'm going to give you a blessing of light in Irish blessing. Since it is St. Patrick's Day. May the blessing of light beyond you light without light within the blessed sunlight shines on you like a great fire so strangers and friends may come in warmth added. May light shine out of the two eyes of you. Take a candle set in the window of the house beating the wanderer coming in and out of the storm. In May the blessing of the rent beyond you makes it beat up on your spirit and wash it fair and clean and leave their shining pool where the blue of heaven shines and it sometimes a star. May the blessing of the earth be on you. Soft under your feet and as you pass along the roads soft under you as you light on it tired at the end of the day. And they addressed it to you. When at last you light out under it. May it rest so slightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly. Up and off and on its way to God. Now for the Lord bless you and bless you kindly please do what is best for this county. These do what is best for your citizens. They are here speaking to you please, listen. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Jan Albert following you will be.[Listing Names] >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Good afternoon governing body and everyone my name is.[Listing Names] I live on country East Port Orange. I have been a real estate appraiser for 54 years and hydrologist. I want to speak about Blackwater infusion. Which is otherwise nicknamed toilet to tap. Chairman Brower is absolutely correct to triage this issue to the top of what we are dealing with because our aquifer is very finite. Millions of years in the making, nothing that is DWELLING now has any impact on what will be in there. For millions of years more. There are things that we can do to extend that. For instance if municipalities would use things like water.[Listing Names] and hemp and Hydra you'll end up with projects that are not toxic but some of you chose not to let the people have a vote on this and we really need to get people's opinions on how we will proceed because we are reaching the end of totally free. As if it was ever free water, we have to decide how we are going to proceed. Of course it is obvious to do things like stopping data centers etc. Altamonte Springs did not have a choice and now after just less than one year of Blackwater infusion their cancer rates are significantly up and their fertility rates are significantly down. The husband was a physician here for 50 years. His colleagues are keeping track of this kind of data. We are going to have this across everywhere but especially here I understand you only control 7%. But you're setting the example for them in the polities. All the rest of us have individual wells that will be damaged by injecting Blackwater directly with the toxins in them. I don't think you'll find many people who think that that is a good way to extend our aquifer. Thank you. [Applause]. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you.[Listing Names] >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Good evening council before I get into the details of my request want to draw your attention back to Item Q and the Consent Agenda County staff recognized city of Gainesville located in Alachua County have written a solid legally binding contract and they asked for your permission to utilize it my request to the Council is similar in here to ask you to support placing a charter amendment on the ballot fully protects with the Volusia County voters approved in 2020 when a renewed the Volusia Forever program was 75.6% of the vote Alachua County crafted a strong legally binding charter amendment designed to protect the land be placed in the conservation through their voter approved Alachua forever program pollution can do exactly what Alachua County did legally safely and without conflict. Our proposal falls under a model that has stood unchallenged for nearly 2 decades and is in full compliance with state and federal law as referenced in section C of the amendment. The key element in the amendment appears in section B which states in part, rejected public places may not be sold or converted to use that will result in loss of value or values for which the property was placed upon the registry except by majority vote of the electors voting in a countywide referendum election the amendment applies only to lands placed in conservation on the registry were all land purchase for conservation should be printed all other County on land such as those used for Public Works or other purposes could still be sold with a simple majority vote of the Council. While I respect the work done by our charter review commission, the amendment proposed for placement on the ballot falls short; it leaves the door open for sale of conservation land through the vague term public purpose. That phrase is broad and easily manipulated, weakening the protections voters believed they were funding. For example one member suggested that if we need a fire station? What if we need excuse me. We should not be selling off conservation plan for such purposes. Solar farms, that is what it was, solar farms solar farms we should not be selling off conservation land for such purposes those needs should be anticipated and funded through the development that had created demand for the infrastructure like fire stations. Regrettably we must protect Volusia Forever conservation land program from political whims of those who wish to repeal or undermine it at the time the semicustom number continues to challenge and undermine Volusia Forever the need for stronger protections it's never been clear Alachua County style charter amendment would ensure the conservation land cannot be sold without the direct approval of voters. These lands belong to the people pay for them the people of Volusia County deserve the final say in protecting them I respectfully ask you will best the Sarasota mentoring those two amendments that were overturned were not in compliance with Florida state law and not an apples to apples comparison with the Alachua men instead give presents the same common sense protection for Alachua County voters enjoyed thank you for your consideration an opportunity to speak. [Applause] >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you Patrick are you there and then Andrew.[Listing Names] >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Good afternoon I appreciate your taking the time to listen to a separate my name is.[Listing Names] I'm a resident of the unincorporated area of Deland 24 inches ago I left Miami for several reasons chose Volusia County also for several reasons specifically Deland the primary reasons was it did not have the same reasons I left Miami four. Unfortunately now we're starting to see some of these issues pop up all too often here. I am sure many of us I will talk about today about this Duke energy powerline issue are concerned that we have. Understanding growth is inevitable. Infrastructure will be necessary. It must be managed through thoughtful planning and respect for the people who already live in the area. I've yet to talk to anyone that received notification from Duke energy but I'm aware that some people have. I don't know how many I'm assuming it is now lot common sense tells me the rock for these polls of deftly putting in all should go down to 15 A. Duke is asking us what our opinion is but I would ask any folks that have a house anyone telling Duke put these nice polls in front of my yard? I highly doubt it. I don't understand what Duke energy takes. I think I have an idea but I'm not a hundred percent sure I don't want to speculate. I don't know what authority or what abilities you have regarding this is a council, I will ask you all to take a step back and truly consider the cumulative impact of any decisions you have regarding this. Our community deserves thoughtful zoning, reasonable development and infrastructure planning that protects the neighborhoods we all call home. Please help preserve the character, safety and quality of life that drew so many of us here in the first place. Thank you and happy Saint Patty's day. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: [Listing Names] >> PUBLIC COMMENT: After noon my name is Andrew I'm also the president of the unincorporated area Volusia County and the fourth-generation Deland resident raising a fifth-generation my family has lived here for more than 100 years in New York today because of the concerning project in the neighborhood on the large-scale Duke energy transition line. My first and foremost immediate issues are taken up with Duke energy's complete lack of parity surrounding this project; nobody in the neighborhood learned about it through any official notice. I discovered it by complete lock a few weeks ago. After asking around, nobody in the street heard about this product. Yet the public meeting was held on February 17 in which attendance was sparse because people did not care not because people didn't care but because they did not know from that point residents were given 30 days to respond in an online survey which was extremely difficult to locate. It began getting people to provide action. Apart from that issue I would like to speak not as a resident but somebody whose family has watched the county evolve for generations. The development has reached a point where many long-term residents feel overwhelmed by now proposing a transmission line of this magnitude along his and wrote an area for homeowners intentionally seeking out space in rural character is unacceptable. These massive industrial grade goals will permanently and dramatically alter the landscape and the quality of our life in our neighborhood people invested in his own specifically to avoid this kind of industrial infrastructure and to oppose it on the now is not just disrupting but unfair events made significant financial sacrifices to purchase larger properties and escape the growth integration of Deland only to face the issue we have moved away from. Operative values will undeniably suffer because large transmission lines adjacent to homes produce market appeal. Intermittent visual and burdens which not have to bear. It's not unreasonable if an alternative does not exist: one of these proposed routes followed as a spring garden area which was probably made up of commercial properties. That route would propose far fewer impacts on families and homeowners and appear to have more reasonable options. One of my other concerns is the elementary school that is on the haze and rode the construction heavy January increase traffic, I believe would put unnecessary burden on the safety of young children especially with the cranes erecting 120 foot poles on a residential road with very limited access. Also in that area there is a main gas line runs towards Hayes and is connected to many roads in the school underground utilities are also a concern from us on that road in closing I appreciate your time and willingness to share this concern homeowners have endured a wave of development around us bring thousands of new homes and custom construction but there must be limit when it comes to infrastructure of this magnitude place with established neighborhood enough is enough thank you for listening I hope you will stand with our residents and try to protect our homes. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you fall done. [Listing Names] >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Good afternoon.[Listing Names] [Listing Names] Happy St. Patrick's Day. Local governments would appear to be in some financial disarray with poor stewardship of our tax dollars. Recently we've been reading news stories about their rampant credit card abuses by employers in local cities. We know of one even hired an auditor who was rebuffed by city staff even though they were given the authority by the city manager of that city. Another important case involves the apparent long-standing payroll errors in Volusia County EMS. Which caused almost 301st responders, those who we depend on to have their heads on straight and call them to our homes to save a loved one's life to be thinking about that. Not the fact they were overpaid by $60,000. The county is now pulling that money back with a been underpaid. We come to understand that Dave notified HR finance and their leadership that they were payroll errors but they were notified that no you are good all is good. Your peril is correct. It turns out there were not. Now he will call back that money and again I don't want a paramedic to save my loved ones like thinking about the things he will get in his paychecks over next 20 weeks because of the date $10,000 back that he was overpaid and there are least for over employees the $60,000 overpaid employees a single mother of two children who have since left the county trust me when I say he want seasoned employees thinking about nothing but medicine when they come to your house for an emergency . We need to fix this. We need to hold those accountable accountable. It's not the software is not a glitch, it's not an interface. It is human factors. The oversight needs to be tighter. Please fix this. Now we find out that perhaps 9000 school board employees and no you are not over the school board 9000 school board employees were paid improperly. Because of the software glitch. This needs to stop. Who is watching our payroll? Who is watching our tax dollars? We need to fix this. We need to make sure that your transparent with how we pay our employees. We need to be transparent about how we have oversight over the weight they are paid. We need to fix the issues and let us know that you fixed the issues. The transparent these do not make us a lot of freedom of information act find out how you fixed the problem these make sure Mr. Recktenwald and the gang that we are taking a good look at our credit card money is being spent because P card purchase cards whatever you want to call them people can abuse them very easily. We want to make sure our money is being spent wisely. Audit down let us know how those audits come back and make sure that you are doing for jobs that we elected you to do. We want our leaders to lead with honesty and transparency. Thank you very much. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you. [Listing Names] >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Good afternoon members of the Council. My name is.[Listing Names] the wife of.[Listing Names] who served as head of the building and zoning department of Volusia County for over 24 years. Other than being this person at age 93 to live on Hazen or Green Dairy road and also the longest living resident at more than 60 years. It was brought to my attention that Duke energy. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Can you hold on one second to save her time? Can you pull the mic for everybody to be able to hear what you're saying if you pull the microphone down. This is important. Thank you. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: It's been brought to my attention that Duke energy is highly considering the use of Hazen and Green Dairy Road on which to put massive poles several stories high. Carrying several high-voltage wires on them. Such huge poles and high-voltage wires should go down the commercial and industrial Road and is on spring garden Avenue not through a beautiful neighborhood and by Citrus Grove elementary school the largest elementary school in Volusia County. With over 900 students and staff members there are studies that show constant exposure to such high-voltage can be both physically and mentally damaging. This is not what we want for ourselves, our families, our neighbors, or the children and the staff at this large elementary school. Such a project would ruin the beauty and the value of our properties. Of the County Council we know you would not want such a horrendous project built in front of your home or we know hundreds of children and residents could be adversely affected by the terrible wrong placement of these large poles and high-voltage wires. Therefore we here in this audience, we ask that the Volusia County Council write a letter to Duke energy imploring them not to use Hazen and greens Derry Road thank you. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you very much. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: [Listing Names] >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Good afternoon my name is Christy Taylor I live in Hazen and West Deland. I am here today to ask the County Council to help us as we try to oppose routing Duke energy's proposed 69 KB transmission plans through a residential quarter such as Hazen . Hazen road is not an industrial Corridor it is a moral residential area zoned as Transitional Agriculture A3 with acreage homes, a mature oak canopy and a diverse wildlife habitat. Many families including mine chose this area specifically for those reasons. Installing large transmission poles through this Corridor would permanently culture the rural character of a neighborhood, move a significant tree canopy and reduce the property values for all of us homeowners who have invested a lot of time and money in our properties. In addition, a section of Hazen sits directly across from citrus Grove elementary school Hazen is already a narrow two-lane road that expresses significant congestion during daily school drop-off and pickup. Introducing a multitier transmission construction project in this area, would create additional traffic and safety concerns for students and parents, not to mention severely limiting the egress routes that the resident's use on this road every day. Our very is also home to important wildlife. Bald eagles are readily observed and I personally have photo and video documentation of their activity on my property. As a federally protected species under the bald and Golden Eagle protection act the presence of a bald eagle habitat should be carefully considered when evaluating these potential transmission routes. Finally there are clearly other routes in this area that would have far less impact on homes and families. For example spring garden Avenue rock is a four-lane roadway with existing commercial industrial uses and also provides a far more direct and appropriate project for the infrastructure of this scale. Residents are not asking the county to stop progress or necessary infrastructure, we are simply asking that residential neighborhoods, schools and environmentally sensitive areas, if they not bear the burden when there are other alternatives that are better and they exist. I respectfully ask the Council to help us to advocate for these other routes and avoid the Corridor especially Hazen road to protect our homes, our environment and our community. Thank you. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you.[Listing Names] >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Ted, just like when the television showed up, I had to follow Christy. She is really talented at talking about what I really am concerned about. But in the background we had an experience where we wanted to bring children into an area and when you bring children into a school, that's a pretty high priority. Because this is probably one third of their awake time with teachers. I live directly across from the school. [Laughter] As a result of it, that is our future. When I think about this route that is probably more important than my own property because they will have to take your place on that. I'd rather have known that they were not near any high-voltage wires. I don't care what you say I've been around them in the military and the rest of it, you will have some aftereffects. It's been stated earlier by some of the others, we know for a fact that can happen. The benefit I feel of moving the route back from Hazen back to the spring garden you'll find is probably commercial already. It should be easier to make that transition rather than use the beautiful part of our County that where we are residing because we are on the west side of Hazen Rd. With that I would ask you to consider the idea of contacting Duke energy and voicing their concerns for your county. Where we reside. I thank you very much. [Applause]. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you. [Listing Names] >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Mr. Chairman I want to take a moment of personal privilege for the first Sergeant. Thank you for your service. You don't see too many first sergeants here so thank you. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: [Listing Names]. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Good afternoon my name is Natasha Kane and a resident of Daytona Beach and the owner of one whale Bail bonds and a couple of other agencies. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Can you make sure your microphone closes when the whole thing comes up there is a button on your left. The whole crowd knows where it is. Is it all the way up? >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Can you hear me now. I will start over. My name is Natasha Kane I'm a resident of Daytona Beach 1 way out bail bonds throughout the state of Florida here today to speak about the growing problem affecting our community and our country. Fraud specifically bail bond scams. Scammers are using legitimate agencies names and addresses including mine that appear credible when contacting victims this leads us directly with the fallout when people realize they've been scammed. For the past two years this has affected me, my family and my business in serious ways. We've had people come into our agency angry accusing us of taking their money. As a family owned business creates a real safety concern for me, my children and my grandchildren. I've had a woman shop to my office for $10,000 in cash believing she was helping her son and that there has been many others like her I've encouraged victims to contact law enforcement, and have collected numerous police reports both locally and out of state, I reached out to multiple agencies including the police chief to Sheriff’s Office and county staff trying to find a solution. But so far no progress. I understand that the Florida statute chapter 119, this information must remain public, however, there is a way to keep it public while better protecting our citizens. Currently the jail website below any one to click a recent search option. In installing Seafort names ages and locations of newly booked individuals in real time. By simply removing this recent search feature you servers will instead need a specific first and last name to access information. This change will make the system far less useful to scammers. It would be a major step in protecting fungal populations, especially the elderly who are a big part of the population that has been scammed with working families that can't help loved ones without becoming victims in our County and other counties including Flagler County St. Johns County has already taken action to address this issue. I asked that you consider discontinuing the search option for implementing another effective solution to keep our citizens from being scammed. Thank you. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you very much. Wendy Anderson. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Good afternoon I am Wendy Anderson. I live in unincorporated Deland district 1. I would like to address the real and urgent toilet and tap concerned. The county has been managing aseptic great incentive program for presidents in the Deleon Springs basin which is provided up to $14,000 for property owners who needed to upgrade their septic systems to enhance nitrogen producing advanced treatment unit also called an.[Listing Names] Florida DEP implemented new regulations last December that requires septic system owners who live in patients with impaired water bodies and under the governance of the basin management action plan, to upgrade their systems to and.[Listing Names] at the point where the systems need to be repaired or replaced in Volusia County this applies to any area that is in the Indian River for gluten basin pajama Springs basin blue Springs basin in the Deleon Springs basin because I'm a County Council candidate I am now receiving phone calls from residents in District 1, who are sharing with me their horror stories of being surprised by the fact that they now have to replace their septic tanks when they were just calling a contractor for repairs. They are finding out clinical the county for support, that the only people who can actually receive any kind of financial help with this huge burden on the people who live in the Dalian Springs basin I'm here to ask if the county government if the impairment of management division is actually currently seeking any funding from the state DEP to help the residents in the Blue Springs basin and the Gemini Springs basin and in the I RL basin to help them when these big surprises come? We are hearing from residents who have accepted whoever raw sewage backup into their homes. We are hearing from people who cannot cook or shower or bathe or do their laundry. Because their septic tanks are failing and that they cannot afford to replace them at 15- 20 -$30,000. I'm asking the county to work if you need me to help you with this. I am happy to help. We need to be immediately seeking funds from the state to hear about residents that basically have an unfunded mandate from the state and the county needs to be doing everything they possibly can to help his residence. I'm here basically to ask for an update on where we are without efforts already underway . If it is not, how can I help? Thank you. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you John Nicholson. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: John Nicholson Daytona Beach side thank you for missing me but you will miss me every March 1st weekend in March of every year they go to North Carolina for my sister's birthday. I will always be gone. All of you that are worried don't worry. I'm alive and just in North Carolina. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: You are burning time. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: I don't care I have the time but thank you so. Secondly I want to thank you for passing the arts I was gone. I was not worried about it because when it first came up you had for you member Denny you're not here if you had four, of your council that was for people passing it in only two people against it. And hell you can end up with 4/2 and not pass it I will never know. You went back and forth for like one hour trying to get a vote and you never did. It should have been passed on the very first time because you really had only two people opposing it when Danny got here when David got here if you had all the ones you needed. There are two things on the agenda, art in public places for the ring center. Again if you do not pass that would you have turned down this art in public places? We have that art in public places because we were the Council previously in the public and understood the value of art to a community. I believe you understand that now hopefully, and you will look at the idea of not funding it in the future. It is not an ironclad or you will never fund, secondly, Duke energy I was not going to talk about Duke energy, however, one, absolutely look at an alternative if it cannot be found in has to be on that road, have them do it underground it will be more costly if you take into effect the damage it might do to the kids, in time if they had the idea of putting a park underneath this line. It was fine they had all of the funding you can make this great park with all tennis and all kinds of stuff then in the end they decided against it because of the harm that might be to the kids that were using the facility. Again if it's harmful in Miami it's harmful to the children at the elementary school. Again, find an alternative if you can't, put it underground it may be more costly but in the long run the value of those homes will compensate for the loss that it cost them to put it in if they want it badly enough they will pay to put it underground thank you. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you Mary Dickinson followed by Mark Hale. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: I'm Mary Dickinson. I live on Marsh Road as you all will know. The bridge on Marsh Road is a substandard storage; it has a 10 ton weight limit on it. You have 40 ton logging trucks using the bridge. the bridge has been compromised if it had cracks filled with whatever and they paint over it with white paint to make it look like there is no problem on that bridge. Basically, we are still in a dilemma because we have these dump trucks that are 25 tons running down our substandard road that has a weight limit of 10,500 pounds. It shakes our homes, it is like thunder under our homes. My driveway has now cracked all the way to the foundation of my home. The sidewalks are all cracking. You all have diverted traffic from Highway 11, all the weight limit signs on poultry, Carter and Marsh Road were taken down. They did that to divert traffic onto Marsh Road and Carter Road. They are speeding down Marsh Road at 60 mph. Here is a picture 51 mph. The next picture is a dump truck, 60 mph in a dirty five mile-per-hour zone. No police presence. I've called the police and called them. This is another little problem we have with the dump trucks. This is to bicycle riders. We have a number of bicycle riders to ride in a pack down Marsh Road. This dump truck is pushing these bicycle riders. They are moving as fast as they can. So don't get run over or run off the road. The dump truck. This happened right in front of my house it happened, the dump truck basically went out and crossed over the double yellow line which is illegal, and they passed these two bicyclists and thank God they did not kill them. The last commission meeting that I was here was in the morning, I proceeded to go home. I was on Marsh Road right at old Daytona and there is a curb there. That you cannot take and get around and I was almost killed on that curve. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you for coming in. [Applause]. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Hello Council members and not here to ask for a reduction or variance fees on my property. I've been doing this for probably 2.5 years fighting with this. I've done everything everybody asked of me about this. Any help I can get from you guys would really be appreciated. 11 At the end of a dirt road there are really no other issues I have to get my permits. With that said I appreciate any help I can get from you thank you sir. [Applause]. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Hello my name is.[Listing Names] I am a resident of Hazen Rd. We moved here due to the rural area in the country. The infrastructure is not in place for these 69 KBA lines to be run down Green Dairy Rd and Hazen Rd. If you've been down that road you can see it is very narrow. The type of lines that they are going to put up is this high. They are huge. This will directly impact the value of the property most of these homes are 2.5 -5 acre tracts they are high-end homes. The impact is going to be substantial. Which is also going to impact the taxes that will be collected from the county. I want to point that out. But the bigger concern is the school. With the EMF and the magnetic forces that are in place with these high 69 KBA lines is going to impact cancer rates will go through the roof especially in the children and the elderly with anybody immune compromised I would like for the Council to think about this and get involved we have been contacting Duke power I've contacted Ron Desantis. Everybody that we can speak to about our concerns but we are very concerned about this especially with the financial impact that it is going to have for all the residents. Altogether you are looking at about 600 homes that this will impact. That's a huge amount that we need to consider. Thank you so much. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you. [Listing Names] >> PUBLIC COMMENT: I'm.[Listing Names] I'm Kim's neighbor on Hazen Rd retard pharmaceutical marketing researcher for a lot of things already I want to hit you with a few more data points that I can provide the sources on if you would like to have them I will spare you that now just to give you the data points. There is an astonishing impact on health and human life and all forms of life involved with these high-powered lines. We are in an area that is largely zoned A3 many of us own animals and farm animals. People raising them for food for each kids are winning big awards for huge cows and we personally are raising chickens and everyone says our eggs are the best. They get a completely organic diet and the only free range under supervision. We have many protected species in this area and want to call out to you a couple of people we have seen, Florida Panther, we have a lady there who parades her new kitchen every spring across our property. We have called Eagles as mentioned all of these things of course Sandhill cranes protected species. Not to mention many people are keeping bees and high-powered lines of radiation cause them to experience colony collapse without bees. We are all dead sorry I cannot help you. Astonishing Monarch butterflies that transit all the way from South America to us and further north. Here are the issues that we are facing as a result my husband and I are cancer conquerors. We did it holistically. One of the reasons we were able to do that is producing as much radiation exposure as possible. We have no Wi-Fi analysis and you don't have a microwave oven. That is really important because the 765 KVA Ada 164 feet you are hundred percent more likely to develop cancer of any kind increased in triglycerides people what that means that third? You may experience abnormal EEG is not a good thing. Half a mile away you get issues related to decreased calcium flow again people know what that means. And nearly 1 mile you can still have altered biorhythms winter plethora of autoimmune conditions not least of which is ADHD and autism. We are in a school zone even at 1 mile and quarter transmission network. They can cause extensive growth to all forms of life. He increased fire hazards, increased electrocution hazards increased risk of radiation exposure constant buzzing noise has all kinds of side effects. Reselling homes becomes much more difficult in these areas. Production value can be up to 40% for those with the poles in the property that would be everybody on Hazen Rd and Greens Dairy Rd. The rate of defendant homes in that area could be sold is much higher. Duke is Goliath and we are David. In my bible David wins. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you. Jeff is still not here? I will hold Jeff Hester until the final closing just so that is the end of the public comment period for the beginning we will have another one at the end of the meeting just so all of you that showed up for this it's honestly very important to you I know myself probably Don has talked to the staff about this may be other council members. I will ask the County manager and County Attorney just to comment on this at the end of the meeting and your public comment period. I know there's not a lot that we can do. Utility companies have a lot of freedom. If you don't share at the end of the meeting and you have time to think about how we can deal with this I think the public will find a lot of agreement with you in the path that could be picked. And the path that should not be picked. Is that okay thank you. Alright thank you all for coming in. We are going to move to our first Item which is the approval of the agenda. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Motion to approve the agenda minus agenda Item number three. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: I second the motion. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Chairman if I can comment I will follow up with another motion. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Everybody is waiting with baited breath sitting out here. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Council citizenry in the public agenda Item 3 was discussion of the forever program it's like many of you are here today as you know it was approved not once but twice total 26 years over 75% of the vote in the district district 340 SE. Volusia County Port Orange all the way down to north of the border of Mims. South of Oak Hill, support this program, not just them we received from others. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Can we hold off for a minute while the room clears. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: The people in the back are having a hard time hearing because of the people leaving and speaking. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Thank you chairman north and south supports this program when it comes to conservation mental protection and land ownership rights there is a great balance there. That is why he gets support from farmers all the way to servers and everybody in between. Thank you to those folks that sent in the hundreds of emails the pack chamber our staff are putting together a good presentation. Something I encourage everybody to familiarize yourself with and study it. A lot of us have known about the program and reviewed it already, especially over the last six years. It's a testament and a clear indication of how this program is widely accepted that the public does understand pretty much what they voted for. In my opinion any further discussion in terms of modifications to it goes against the will of the people. [Applause]. With that said council I will make a motion to remove agenda Item number three which is discussion about possible policy changes change considerations included in that motion will also include the staff to come back at the next agenda meeting to discuss the bonding that is consistent with the forever program thank you. [Applause]. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: If that is a separate motion I will second that as a separate motion. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: I think he amended the motion or do you want to make it a separate motion or amended? At the next meeting works is that part of the original motion or is that the second. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: That's time certain. The first meeting in April. Everybody will have a chance to discuss it with me . We have a motion and a second. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Does anybody have questions for the staff first spring. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: I can just tell you this needs to go forward, height 100% am supportive of Volusia Forever. I've heard a lot of you guys ever read your emails. I've got some videos to share with you my thoughts and concerns on it. I love it. It's a great program. How many of you have read the whole 100 page easement because the devil is in the details. As an attorney 36 years of practice in law I graduated with honors from law school, reading the stuff, we have a problem with flooding in this community. We want it to stop. I talked to Benjamin Bartlett this morning and he agreed. In the small paragraphs which I am all set to give in a presentation in these little paragraphs one paragraph says you cannot do anything in these conservation easements that affect hydrology. We bought Lake more, Lake Moore is a wonderful solution for all of the flooding on Taylor road because we're pumping water into Lake more. But we bought Lake more outright; it was not a conservation easement. If Lake Moore was a conservation easement, we could not do it. That is the concern I have. If you worry about flooding and want to have all the tools in your toolbox available so you can possibly address some of the resolutions that are coming through these 30+ studies that we spent $20 million on but if they call for pumping water into some of those conservation easement land. That one third of our county that we are sailing off for possibly putting some of this stormwater. In two to stop flooding. You want to just turn a blind eye to the leading issues. In the toilet to tap, what are we going to do when we run out of fresh water? In 100 years when the freshwater aquifer runs out, we will have two choices. The conservative water underneath these easements or toilet to tap we are partnering with the state of Florida who is pushing toilet to tap. Wouldn't you like your great great grandchildren to be able to have a choice? Maybe if our current aquifer is reached it would be nice to access this conserved water we've been considering for 100 years would not be nice. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Your microphone. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: The small . These easements say you can never ever ever predict commercial well on this property. Is that what you want? So never exes freshwater after the current aquifer goes? Are we saving this water for the turtles or for the great great grandchildren? Okay. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: We need to have order in the house. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: This is not about development, understand why. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Order now. we let you speak now it is his turn. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: Solar I talked about this when we run out of fossil fuels quickly. Next will have three options: nuclear wind or solar. You want a nuclear reactor in Volusia County? We cannot do wind because windmills don't spin unless there are hurricanes. Solar is our last viable option and fossil fuels are not. But they are saying no is in there in the agreement. Read it. Then come and protest me and take it off where I cannot discuss it with these people. You guys are so caught up with the tagline Volusia Forever means forever. I challenge you to read these easements you don't even want to talk about. That is terrible. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: I'm thinking about what to say Mr. Chair. I made the second to the motion. Don I have a lot of spec for you. I don't doubt the things you've said there. I want you to know that. We are here today, some may not like this also. We are here today because a frenzy started on social media in some cases that forever was under threat of being eliminated or something of that sense. Where it was nothing like that. Absolutely nothing like that. I spoke publicly in some forms and shared that with people. What occurred was a council member of this body which I think certainly any of us have the right to question anything that we vote on in the details. Was asking specifics about what certain things mean about perpetuity contracts. I think you've been clear to say that. I will say it to my disappointment that the environment I've been an attacker of social media have said it several times the frenzy begins it's hard to stop red pick the topic we've been here several times Mr. Nichols has seen it all the time when the social media frenzy begins. I think any contract that we vote for is a body any of us can question any of the details of. Any detail. Whether it is, do we want to amend it to allow for water? Do we want to amend it to allow for XY and Z. Whatever that might be, I think that it is due diligence on our part to read the details because I think like you said, 99.9% of the people will not read the details. It is our job. I think we are at a crossroads because of the environment we are in Don. But what I do encourage you to do because your knowledge and your experience it is valuable to this body, when these contracts come before us and they will be simple for us, if this the motion passes, it was a time for us to go into the weeds with some of the details of these contracts and have a public discussion on whether or not we want to amend it or send our staff in there to say, you know what I will make it up, if we are conservative 1000 acres that's set aside 10% of that for the possibility I'm just throwing out ideas for the water in the future can we put a public well there in the future or for whatever it might be at the time for us to consider so we don't kind of pain ourselves down with pretty stringent requirements. Some of them are very stringent in that Don has a valid point on these contracts. Like I said, most people don't know the details. I think Don because of the environment we are in I think the best path forward I'm not trying to shut you up with my individual vote. I would love to hear your details about how we can only do it in public. That is the thing. Maybe we should find a way to do that discussion and you can share your concerns without the concerns that Volusia Forever is under threat. It was never ever ever under any threat. If that is what you heard, I will apologize to you because maybe as an individual councilmember I could've been more clear. I did hear the commentary that you are hearing. I felt it was genuine for details. I don't think anybody on this body felt that Volusia Forever was ever under threat. I will blame Mark Zuckerberg on that one. [Laughter] So please don't. I would ask you not to judge my friend here in his commentary because sometimes you have to have people that are visionaries and look for things that may be problematic in the future. I think your intentions are honorable and good for us to discuss. But where we are at today and how this is taking a path I think we have to deal with it as it becomes contract to contract and maybe we can learn a little bit about what your concerns about when we get the next contract is that we have to discuss when the next contract comes before us. I will share a little bit what I learned this past week I think it's valuable for the audience may go a couple seconds over food for thought, in case you don't know I learned that Volusia County's conservation lands we have so much and nothing we are stopping I don't want to start that rumor. We have a lot of conservation plans which is fantastic. I had the privilege of being able to see much of that recently from the staff and it was mind-boggling. I also learned Mr. Chair I will wrap up at this just for geographical purposes for you all to know you can take the entire land area of Seminole County, the entire land of Seminole County and insert it into what Volusia County currently has in conservation and still have more. I want you to know you should be proud of that! You should understand we are on the right path to doing this. With that Mr. Chair thank you and thank you Don you have my utmost respect I want you to know why I am voting the way I am. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Chairman, I do have a question if Brad or Ryan can come out, as I understand I hope I'm not wrong because I thought about it this way based on how I read your manuals there R-2 ways to get property one is to buy it be simple then the county owns it and there are certain things we can do with it there certain things we cannot do with it. Then the other way we use the money is in conservation easement of a private land owner's property. A private landowner. Is that correct? >> BRAD BURBAUGH,STAFF: Yes sir. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Is there any time that we do a conservation easement on public property? >> BRAD BURBAUGH,STAFF: In one instance that is if a partner transfers the full title to us will sign a conservation easement to protect their investment. It will have some limitations on it but if we own it be simple outright no. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Have we ever committed ourselves only by a land fee simple have we ever limited ourselves to be able to help with flooding or to put a well in or anything like that. >> BRAD BURBAUGH,STAFF: You can certainly put a well and if you are altering the hydrology if you want to go you can certainly store the water in its natural state on the property which is what we do all of this time. If you wanted to build a wastewater treatment plant on it we would need to get the permission of the other partner who bought it with us. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Got it. Under no circumstances yet, or by contract, when we buy a conservation easement, from a private citizen, do we put stipulations that do or do not allow us to do things on their property. It is still their property and they maintain it in the ways we asked him to do so right. >> BRAD BURBAUGH,STAFF: Yes through that easement we are giving them boundaries and the easement essentially on what is allowed and what is not allowed. We typically do not deserve rights for ourselves and those easements for landowners reserving their rights through negotiation on each contract. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: I will ask the next question to George. I don't want to put you on the spot. Do you foresee any circumstance where we would tell a private landowner of which we have the conservation easement that we will do something on that property that is public good without talking about partnering or eminent domain or something like that? >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : I would have two different thoughts to legal I think that would be a talking point. I think again Brad said it really what you're buying with amusement there is the private owner 's agreement to restrict the use of this property we are buying those rights to do that. We typically don't take stuff that we want to use with it. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: All) based on those questions I hope everybody understands where I'm going here. The fear of an easement limiting our ability to do something if we only give easements to the people who own the personal property I'm not for doing anything against what that personal property owner above and beyond what he has agreed to. And he does not agree to anything other than to conserve his property in the way that we maintain agriculturally or whatever with the forever program. Based on that I know there is work to do to tweak. I'm pretty convinced I know how I will go on this thank you. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Don just to echo what David said earlier. Some of these are valid concerns. You are obviously looking into the future as am I. Understand this, I have my whole district, my cities, of people giving me direction on this. I happen to support them but it looks like there are other ways to skin this cat. When it comes to these contracts from what I'm hearing, if there are certain modifications we would like to make or that this body has an opportunity to do that during that contract that is what it sounds like. What is done is done. I think we need to move on from what's done whether you agree with it or not. Going forward if you have questions, if you want to think this in the workshop will go over this thing which appears to be valid but we just got this 10 minutes or 15 minutes ago.. I have to go with the people in my district on this. Right now. Understanding the viewpoint and the position don't take it to heart but I think there are other ways to do this. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: Standing if you and your constituents set them together collectively in red easement read the 100 page contract I guess not. Let me just say this. I'm trying to set policies here or at least I'm not even trying to set them. It is not about me, it's about having an intelligent discussion about the program because again the word opportunity is attached to it. What is done is done is your right and what is done is done for the next 5000 years. It is done! What do we want to do when it comes time when our aquifer runs out? What does it say about our ability to access water so we can ship it out to all of the people in the community and your constituents? What does it say? It says that you cannot. What does it say when your people are getting flooded and when to start shipping quarter off into some of this conservation plan? Like we are doing more because we own it outright without a partner because we are not dealing with the state. What does it say? It says you cannot . You guys don't even want to talk about it. Are you really doing your constituents a favor? I'm not even wanting to sit down and read through the contract and talk about it together. I agree with you on one thing: we need a workshop. This thing is pretty big for me to set a policy that the people did not vote on being partners with the state. We just fought off Senate Bill 180. We brought a collective letter saying we don't want redemption. In 718 we wrote another letter saying we don't want that. Do you know what 718 was? It was the state had tried to take over control of all water. You would put it up there for me Melissa. This is what's going on in Tallahassee right now. [Laughter] [Unclear Audio]. Right here. This was just shut down and we collectively wrote a letter from all of us against this. It says Senate Bill 718 prevents private counties and municipalities from adopting laws and regulations also to water quality quantity pollution control pollutant discharge prevention and removal of wetlands and preempting such regulation all to the state. Giving them everything about our water. We come up here and say we want water, we want to protect our water, water is the new oil money- T Boone Pickens but all of that water. We are all here for not all of us but a lot of us are against toilet to tap because we want to protect our water. I want to check our water. I don't want to get rid of Volusia Forever and Volusia Forever. But the very people we are fighting often these letters we are fighting off in all of our objection to Senate Bill 718 because they're trying to take over our rights we are giving it to them in every single conservation easement were telling them because we partner with them the same thing Jake was talking about we are partnering with these people so here if we get the right people in the legislature and we get people in the legislature who like Home Rule want to give us back our power to the local counties and the cities, we cannot even do anything with it when we get it because we are under contract with them. We contractually got into bed with the very people who are trying to take control of our water and we are getting in or giving it to them at a time. You don't even want to talk about it. [Laughter]. This is surreal. This is surreal. I propose we have a workshop and we sit down and talk about it but cannot sit here and take a blind eye and put your head in the sand and just say Volusia Forever bring your signs everybody bring your signs that's great we have the same color shirt on Phyllis called everybody hates Dempsey that is cool. But you better read the devil is in the details. If you guys, you're taking the bait. We need to talk about this. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you. Danny I'm going to support you in this not because I don't want to talk about it. I think we've been talking about it for several months. We've heard from a lot of the public. I think I've got as many letters and phone calls on this as I have. I will mention the other names. Don I understand your concern. We are talking about it. When you just said that every contract we have prevents us from doing this, that is not exactly true because we don't contract with the state for everything that we do. Sometimes we pull in the state as a partner. I agree with that or Saint John's water judgment district or somebody else because it stretches our constituents tax dollars so we can buy more land. The reason that there are restrictions on those is because it is to protect our water from pumping more water out of the ground and keeping it in the ground where it is needed. But you're right, if there was an emergency, where we absolutely needed to water the aquifer and run dry in some areas, maybe where the wellfields are, there is no doubt in my mind that we cannot do what we are doing right now and discuss it and alter it. We are not without hope even with a contract with the state or St. John's or anybody else, even if it means that we bite them out and that is an option we can buy them. Yes okay in 25 years we've had Volusia Forever the state has never done this. I agree we just went through one of the most restrictive legislation seasons that I've ever seen potentially dangerous for losing local control but still in 25 years have never backed out of a Volusia Forever contract we have. I understand why some of the people I got letters from people that said they think the whole program is in danger. I understand how they think that. I went back and listened to your videos. You are a really good lawyer and you brought up really good points. But you clearly stated in their debt instead of forever let's make it a 30 or 50 year timeframe on properties. That scares people. I would propose that we do exactly what you did with the echo problem in the program when it came up and that you said it was such a wildly popular program. Let's not make any changes to it, let's just approve it and go on. I don't feel endangered or threatened by partnering with the state or St. John's. I think we can be in an emergency situation if the aquifer runs dry, nothing in politics is permanent. No contract is permanent. Your attorneys have told us that it is forever until it is not. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Thank you chair. During this back and forth Don you brought something to light that made us all think when you talk about the water and what not as far as we are we will get it in the events. I think I agree with everybody in this room and myself forever is forever. I looked up you had me call when you are not the perfect duty look up the definition of perpetuity is forever perpetuity is forever. I know I won't argue that. I agree with the Chair. I think what we're doing is for the production of water and I agree with you also if you guys paid attention to the legislature this year how preemptive it was on everything even the stuff that we tried to fight which Mr. Dempsey pointed out. We are seeing it and we are going to continue to see it there issues are dealt with for the protection of a sit and mixing apples and oranges just to make a point I chaired the tourist development Council we thrive on tourism in this county I chair that I asked for that committee I wanted that because my district is in Daytona and on the beach side want to make sure that we kept echoing there's been a threat every single year to take that money. Because of some counties which I will leave nameless that are bigger than Volusia County. We have to continue that fight. When you talk about contracts nobody will know it better than you Don or any attorneys. I'm not an attorney and did not stay at Holiday Inn Express. I think that every negotiation that you bring up when we have to approve every single forever purchase when it comes in front of this council I think that is something we want to look at individually then we do so, but also understand that I'm a property rights guy. We are buying the easement. We are buying the development rights we are telling these individuals or they are coming to us. The last purchase we did was a developer that came to us and said to me developer you can have it. He contains the property he has to maintain it. And guess what he is to continue to pay the taxes on it. That is a good deal. That's what I like about this program when you talk about easements. We are getting ready. Let's talk about the state legislature again, filled with ready to discuss hot issues about property taxes now we will afford to pay for services here in Volusia County. Keep that in mind when you do away with if you say we did not want these partnerships we did not want to worry about easements. We will just try and buy these properties that are right for the purpose of conservation. That is all grand but that money only lasts so far you need partnerships. I'm sorry I know Don you disagree. You need partnerships, you cannot be successful. We will not have enough money in the forever program in order to continue to conserve at the level Volusia County wants to go. That is the reason I understand. [Applause] >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: Just to kind of quote you chair and Matt nothing is a problem until it is a problem when we do run out of our current aquifer in our freshwater just remember that because the very partner that we are in bed with has to give us permission to be able to hit that conservation aquifer. The big question should be whether we can conserve it or not? Who are we conserving it for? Or your kids thank you. Whenever the kids go to access it in the state says no, I have something that says you can never ever ever do a commercial well here ever.[Unclear Audio] >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Mr. Chairman point of order we each took our two bites I would take to get too personal public comment on the motion to remove it. And call the question. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: We don't have any public comment on Item number one for approval of the agenda. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Correct we just need to vote for an. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: So call the question. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: You've already spoken for 10 minutes. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: I was not keeping track it's a blower.[Laughter] >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: That's why I voted against these rules that everybody else voted for. Karissa will call the roll the motion is to approve the agenda as written excluding Item number three but to bring that back at the next meeting in April for discussion on bonding. As it applies to Volusia Forever. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: May I say the last thing Jake. Okay well I will vote against it. I would like to see a workshop on this even then he said the workshop is a very important issue at least to hear my side of it. I think because I think everybody has expressed interest in what I had to say in my concerns. I think a workshop would be great for them to do this. We cannot do it all today. I would ask that maybe you guys would consider doing a workshop about Volusia Forever so we can discuss these things. There are a lot of issues that we should discuss. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Agreed let's bring it up at the end of the meeting. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Let's take the vote, do not concede yet we have not voted Karissa please call the roll . >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Yes. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Yes. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Yes. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: No. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Yes. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Yes the motion passes 5/1. Thank you all for coming and there is no Item number three now for you to speak on what I think your presence has spoken in volumes. How are you doing? >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Mr. Chairman I need a minute. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Brad we will wait one minute. [Unclear Audio]. Thank you everybody who wants to find a seat we need to continue on. All right. Okay let's have order in the room again. We still have to do with the consent agenda. Okay. All right. We are going to move to Item number two which is the consent agenda. Does any council member have an Item they would like the pull for discussion or for a vote vice chair Matt Reinhart. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Item letter and for discussion only N as in Nancy. No one else has an Item I would like to pull. Can I get a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: A motion to approve the consent agenda as written. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: I second the motion. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Any discussion? All in favor of approving the consent agenda. >> AYE. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Any opposed? For discussion on Item N. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Item N kudos to Ben and Ted thank you for explaining that this is in every important orange those of you familiar with the area getting ready to undertake major construction project of the widening of Williamson Road from Beville Road down to Madeleine. One of the things I brought up in the first election I said, what about the bridge? It seems everything will bottleneck that's a big concern of the individuals in Port Orange what this does didn't have the money for that the bridge is going to be very expensive understand CAD you can explain as far as how that navigation will have happened but what this money does or what this money that we got immigrant does is study it for the extension of that to the town West which is the bridge correct. >> This is a project in which the Department of Transportation understanding the need that we have in this area and the effect it will have on their roads as well they kicked in half of the money for the design of this project as you said this ones from Madeleine down to town West will have the four lands through the entire length of Williamson all the way down to Airport the overpass aspect of it but we will do is keep the existing bridge entities will either widen it on the other side or build an adjacent structure to it but we would preserve the traffic through that section there may be some minor delays obviously any time you have a construction zone otherwise we keep traffic going. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Just out of curiosity not to get too much into the weeds structurally that bridge is not that old but structurally. >> That bridge is in great shape. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: I knew the answer I figured I would ask thank you. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: It's important. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : It's important that we think the department is something we asked for and they came through for us. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Mine will be brief thank you Mr. Chair. I want to thank Matt for giving Tadd reason to come to the podium because it's been a while. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: With his Arizona tie. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Thank you very much for getting this up in front of us. I remember when I first got to Florida in 2015 it was under the 2016 TPL list. I was in Port Orange and Billy Wheeler had to revpar where it was at 110% were Williamson Boulevard requested 110% capacity. I think it has gone down a little bit but it's nice to have this project. People often talk about infrastructure before development. Okay you're not quite there on Williamson. But we are because there is more development coming. Hopefully this widening will help diffuse some of that money coming online in the next couple of years between Port Orange and Daytona. Well done you will have two send flowers to district 5 over there. FDOT and thank Secretary Taylor for us. Thank you very much. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: That looks like it thank you very much Tadd that takes is to Item number four Requesting review and approval of the updated ECHO Direct County Expenditure (DCE) plan (FY2026-2029). Expenditure: $6,065,000.[From ECHO DCE funds] Strategic Goals: Expand Recreation and Sports Tourism. >> BRAD BURBAUGH,STAFF: We included the background information on the ECHO Direct can expenditure which is council prerogative on to spend vehicle money so long it aligns with ballot initiatives therefore projects included in the agenda Item you are each individually have a presentation if you would like me to go through otherwise I'm here to answer questions. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: I make a motion to approve. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: I second the motion. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Any questions for Brad? All in favor of approving the echo expense to the County directly. >> AYE. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Any opposed it passes 6/0. That takes us to Item number five. Votran/Transit Services Mini-Budget Workshop Presentation. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Can I have a motion to approve the presentation.[Laughter] >> RYAN OSSOWSKI,STAFF: Chief financial office this is the third of five of these Mini-Budget workshop visitations this is little bit different is one single division today I still am appear to give you the preface of what we are here today to go over the service levels that we are providing and to make any suggestions to any service level changes you might want to see because if there is certain bits and pieces that you want to talk about that we need to cost out the idea is to bring those back for may presentation looking for any directions you have to have any of those like service changes costed out so you can consider them without alternate over to Bobbie King the transit services director. Good evening. >> Transit services director. Bobbie King. Be sure to talk about our services being provided to the community and the tax revenues that help fund some of our services; the rest is evidently funded by grant funds. This year's tax amount is $11,361,621. Breakdown of our expenses and our revenue quick overview real quick is the first one is our direct County services which is our county staff and our operating is about $5 million that includes fuel maintenance of our facility property insurance things like that. Our biggest expense is our operations and maintenance contractor. RATP Dev provides our employment for all of our Voltran drivers that provides fixed route services paratransit service and micro transit service as well as they bring uber to the table as something we can use if we need throughout the county then we also have third-party contracting this is primarily to contracts that we contract with two local paratransit contractors that help us to provide the paratransit services in the community. That is a total of about $35 million and so of that $35 million 23 dollars of it is grant funds and or bus fares and marketing revenue from bus advertising. The rest of it is general fund dollars. We wanted to kind of show you where we were before COVID with the General Fund subsidy and where we are currently during the COVID years 2020 we were inundated with lots of COVID relief funds. Which helped us to drop the subsidy dramatically. We did a good job of kind of even out over the next couple years as we started to utilize those funds. For the last two or three years we stayed pretty consistent with the $11 million so we have not asked for any increase and in fact last year we write the same as we worked the year before. This coming year looks like we will be doing the same. No increase on the horizon for this next budget year for the General Fund subsidy. That is really good news. We want to give you an idea of where we get this revenue from, the majority of it is federal grant dollars. Then the rest is state money. A little bit of fares is of course always helpful in that the advertising on the buses. The other investment income generated from having our revenue in accounts that generate investment income. This is our work chart and so our division oversees the RATP contract of 300+ employees, the $22 million contract plus the other third party subcontractors that we contract with. We are a team very small team. We do a lot of work with that small team. Just a quick overview of some of our services fixed route, is a large bus of course then on the east side of the county we have the majority of our fixed route buses it's about 16 routes on the west side we have between 4/5 at this time the majority of our ridership is coming in from the Daytona area. We don't when on a fixed route in New Smyrna Beach all we do is run almost all day every day for 362 days per year. Paratransit, as you have well known recently, is extremely important to our community. We operate that with the fixed route buses only serve at least 200,000 per year. That is for eligible riders only we have two paratransit programs we require eligibility for, is not a private transportation operation. You must be eligible to ride that is very important. It also leaves a lot of people out. But we do the best with what we have. With our paratransit service we have been seeing an extremely good improvement on council member service and on-time performance with some new software we purchased for this. It's also making us more efficient and more effective. But we always need more funding for paratransit. We are always trying to find a way to squeeze every dollar out of our grants for paratransit as much as possible. We also have micro transit, we have been running on the west side only until just a couple of weeks ago. We serve at least 100,000 people per year on the west side of the county over the last couple of years. And we started on the east side. This is a more efficient service to provide and it reaches more people. Over the last couple of years we've been moving toward more micro transit because it does actually bring our budget down. We are able to leverage grant funds better by having these types of services and it does also provide options for ADA and PD riders as well so they may come off of her paratransit service and move on to this service as well. It is a nice bonus so to speak. These services are on-demand, they are not prescheduled. it is when you want it which is also very nice. Obviously we are benefiting the community. The riders of our community use our services for healthcare jobs and education nutrition for recreation. It also helps our employers and businesses as well. These people need to be able to get to their jobs and so these large companies here are seeing the stops in front of these businesses are seeing the biggest ridership numbers by far. To get more in the weeds about our operating expenses, our biggest expense is our operations and maintenance contract. Then our third-party contractors that we work with to provide the paratransit service. Next is fuel, you have been trending down until probably recently. We don't know where that is going to go. We still anticipate not much of an increase on this depending on what happens with the fuel. Since we are taking more big buses out of the mix, that is why the fuel keeps going down each year. Then all of the property maintenance, janitorial security services utilities and things like that all fall into the next category - parts for all of the buses including tires and things like that are about $1 million per year. The rest of it is made up with minimal things here and there, office supplies, office equipment printing in marketing and things like that. Again another look at operating revenue, the Federal transit administration grant funds are definitely the biggest funder. The Department of Transportation is next. We also get money from the state or the transportation disadvantaged program . it is very important to us they fund 90% of that program the other 10% is General Fund funded. We are seeing a reduction in advertising because we don't have as many buses running and so the advertisers are having a hard time keeping the revenue they promised to us. We agreed that was fair. To bring that down. Our future challenges, there will be contractor costs. We have a five year contract. We typically have five-year contracts that have escalation each year. Expect contract costs to operate paratransit needs are also going to continue to go up as our community needs us more. As our community members grow as our transportation disadvantaged individuals grow, and of course we are seeing that reduction in advertising revenue so we have to make that up somewhere. Then trying to keep that General Fund contribution as much as we can get could become challenging in the future. I don't see that happening for this next year's budget. Anytime we lose any revenue in any of our grant dollars we could be seeing problems there. We have seen grant reductions. We get allocations from both the federal and the state and never really know what they are going to be. We anticipate them being similar each year and they have been. Any number of things can create a change in that. We did see a change in the Department of transportation funding this year. Which was significant. We also have been seeing slight decreases in the transit disadvantaged fund as well. If we continue to see trends like this we are not able to make it up in other clients. We may continue to come back to you with different service model changes like micro transit or producing a service pretty drastically like a Sunday service or something like that. The changes we have made and will talk about those next, have allowed us to keep this our budget flat with the General Fund subsidy. We've been preparing for this for years. We did not need for property tax reform to tell us that we needed to make sure we were being very diligent with our funds report service model changes for the last couple of years. We have done those. Anything beyond what we have done right now could be very painful to the service in general and we've got to kind of be careful about what we do next. Because of the changes we have made we've been able to reduce the fleet. Those buses are now costing around $900,000 per piece the reduced 10-12 buses in the last couple of years that money gets to be funneled back into our operation somewhere they can be used to provide for service. Those are big numbers that we are very proud of that compliment. That helps us out dramatically. Again efficient use of our resources through our software service is now helping dramatically as well. We've also been very successful at gaining grants that we were not expecting to get. We apply for every great opportunity that comes our way. If funding becomes available because some other agency was not able to draw it down the middle he jump on it we have been granted this past few years it's been $1.5 million we will continue to do that we are for well known for being suicidal and snagging those dollars. As long as we continue to do that we may have to make up around anything so we lose if we lose anything. Again one more point we're making sure that the General Fund subsidy is contained as much as possible and that is really very beneficial for what you all have to do with your decisions. So, any questions? >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Yes. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: I have one question and I have a comment on the question I had knowing the charges thank you Bobbie great presentation by the way. I sit on the TPO for disadvantaged board shortcut builds and there's always the opportunity to try to convey to our state legislation points of those dollars for paratransit. And knowing that's always a shortfall. I notice this year they omitted the paratransit in Tallahassee, the opportunity Denny and I went there to try to convey that message to our state officials. I don't know if we were bad luck or what, because now the next year they are not doing it. I know we can talk to them at any point in time. It is the same unofficial to have everybody up there at one time, everybody is expressing their need. Do you see that returning. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: I think you will be happy to note the board is a set on which the Florida public transit administration board includes all of their directors in the state of Florida. That team has been working with the state and the CTD to try to make sure that we continue to have more and more funds in this program. This year it looks like we will have about $4 million. It's very unusual and there is a possibility we can see an increase in that fund. Fingers crossed. They know they have been working with that team a lot to try to make sure that they know the importance of those funds for our state for all of our transit agencies. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: The other question, living on the east side we hear more and more Wally brought it to our attention whether it be TPO or TPR for disadvantaged how certain shopping centers that are used at bus stops within the shopping center and the property owners are eliminating those so we have to put them on the street some of those individuals that are in need of the paratransit can still go in there correct for that you cannot eliminate that. Because a person has a disability. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: Their biggest issue is bigger bus. Or blocking traffic something like that DS are paratransit buses offered snowshoes from. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: They can't stop that last question you hit on it. The changes begin with the federal dollars and I think you said a little over $15 million coming from that. I did read that the federal transit operation budget house resolution 45-22 discussion for this 2026 budget to cut Amtrak, high-speed rail and public transportation by $22.1 billion. That will certainly impact us directly. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: Yes. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: We will already see a State reduction of $1.2 million. That is a concern. We are relying on that money. I am sorry to put you on the spot to say what your plan is. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: The allocations typically cannot this time of year for the federal dollars. For the last couple of years it has been much later. Last year it was almost June before we got it. At any time when the funds are released or everyone knows, we will know what our allocations are. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Those issues are public transportation, high-speed rail and Amtrak that are concerning. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: Right now I don't hear that we have anything to fear right at the moment, typically our allocations are created based on the amount of service that we provide. Which is why I don't always advocate for taking a service away because if I take a service away and I'm actually producing the number of hours or the number of passengers that may be served and that could potentially snowball into less money for us. When we ask you to make a change in micro transit we are asking not only less expensive service to provide but also a way to actually increase those numbers it's a win-win for us but if we have no if we take something away and don't put something back in its place can be detrimental overall in the future. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Did have one other question since starting how long have we had a snack in play in that timeframe know it was a concern of some, that we were taking away from private industry can we coordinate with respect to that. They are such a big company, anything as far as the private industry, thank you. I'm sorry Don. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: That is it you took too much time to ask all of my questions. It's all going to work out. Bobbie first I will just say you've already made service model changes in anticipation of fewer funds. You are to be commended for that. You're heading in the right direction. On page 6 of your presentation it was about $20 million in grants between the federal and state. Maybe a little bit more with the transportation disadvantaged I don't know if that was already included. The question was going to be that if it was produced do you anticipate it being produced he only asked you to anticipate that. We will have to have a plan eventually with all the discussions on finance in the state. The question I'm often asked by our contractor is that they have 300 employees. Why don't the county just do it in half I said because of 300 employees. It would all get retirement medical benefits if they are on the payroll forever. I'm assuming you use a contractor because it is less expensive. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: I think we have looked at that model and it is similar. It is ultimately bringing 300 employees to the County that is not as easy as it seems. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: What we are doing is less expensive than hiring 300 more people. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : Absolutely in fact a lot less liability as well. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: This company does take the liability off our hands as well. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Okay. Is it ever going to be a necessity that we take what may be very limited funds in the future and just use those for taxis and maybe paratransit? >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: We have a lot of regulations that we have to follow. It can be difficult to just narrow it down to maybe one service or another. It is not quite that easy. When we collect federal and state dollars a lot comes with that. Set we are required to provide. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: If we are getting them. The federal and state dollars. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: We may not get as much as we normally do. There is no indication of that at the moment. Yes we would have to look at service changes for sure. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: And you are? >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: Yes. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: if we were to look at model changes, what changes would you recommend. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: What would be the next painful changes. It would probably be next on the list would be Sunday service. We only provide Sunday service in the Daytona area. It's a limited amount of time on Sunday. It is not the full 5 AM i midnight service. When we look at ridership for certain services that is what the one big chunk that would be on the next. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Is that something that would be a good candidate for PO ride. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: It could be. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: How are the numbers there is it folks go to church. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: Yes permanently church and the beachside that's why we do it in Daytona because the workers need to be at work on Sunday in the Daytona area yes it could be. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: On Sunday for instance are missing how many passengers does one plus hold? >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: 30-35 speed do we see them being full or see them at 50% or 20% or 5% or 2%? >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: It depends on the road. Primarily in that area we see pretty full buses but Sunday is definitely not as full as every other day of the week. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Do we have an opportunity to look at those numbers as a board to see if I'm looking here at the only way we will produce or if we take his belt if we have to if the fleet reduction in changing the model. That I can see. Maybe some of those routes don't need a bus and we can do it with a passenger van. A 15 person passenger van put a bicycle rack on the back, never the case. Will we have an opportunity to see that or would you need direction from us. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: We can absolutely bring you an option for vans for the next level of cuts if needed. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: I would like to see that and also some of these longer projects that we have, maybe in the unincorporated county our fuel is going up. Insurance continues to go up, maintenance goes up. These buses go up some of these more rural routes that we do. Are we charging more to offset or compensate or can we. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: Demand for fares doesn't charge a different rate for fares; typically buses are going from maybe none rural to rural. It might be difficult to try to figure out. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Is there maximum mileage I want to see how else we can. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: We can look at different options for short typically when we raise the rates which we just did we lose passengers. For one reason or another. We want to be kind of careful and we also have title VI, so we have to maintain it or do we go for is it reasonable? That takes a lot of planning, a lot of work. All of these changes take a lot of work to really get out and determine what is best. Because you said I would not recommend taking something away because I know in the long term that could be detrimental to our current fund allocations. Typically we've been bringing you options that say this probably is not the most efficient way to provide service here but this is maybe we can get more funding in the long run for it. We are always looking at ways to leverage our grant funds and make the best decisions to reduce our cost or bring in more money. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Understood I think that it is beneficial for us to kind of see that there are five people on a bus we have to scan the other way. If it is possible. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: We look at the ridership numbers all the time which is how we pinpointed over the last couple of years routes that needed to be either eliminated or changed the micro transit based on ridership numbers. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Okay. Do you see a hit on VOride? I know we are saving quite a bit of money with that. What kind of expansions can we look forward to hearing and will that reduce the fleet at any that produced the fleet at the same time. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: We just do these to decide locations on March 1. If there was the next section we would do it could be read aloud the fixed rock is to continue on the beachside at night. We intended to watch those numbers to see if they either increased or decreased then if we needed to duplicate switch those out to micro transit as well. But we really want to run one up and down A1 all night. It is not a lot of savings. There were maybe one or two buses. Other than that. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Is that sun up to sundown. They can be running just one passenger to passengers at night. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: We are dealing with those numbers. We know that is not happening with the next service on the beachside. We know that those are pretty good numbers; they are not as good as some other routes that are on full blast. If we look at levels of decision-making the net service on the beachside right now is not one that I would recommend. But we are watching it and so that is why we maintain that one wealthy person did the micro transit on the mainland for night service. We will keep looking at them. We can always ring you reports on ridership whenever you want to how often you want to look at those things. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Sounds good. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Thank you sir. Bobbie, thank you for the brief thank you for all of the stuff you're doing to save us a dollar here and a dollar there. One of the traps I don't think we should ever get in. I'm not saying you are there. I don't want to spend $11 million to make $23 million to keep this going it is 33% of the budget that's coming out of the general fund understanding that if we cut something out of the general fund you will lose that percentage is probably always going to be the same or we will lose grant money. You seem to be willing to discuss other fares options that Danny brought up, have we ever done the Monte Carlo tiered income fares. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: That would require application paperwork all that kind of stuff for people to apply that is a lot 1900 riders per year to do something like that for force repeat passenger, it could be hundreds of thousands of people that would need to provide us with an application process for eligibility to figure out the tier of their income there is other federal aid that they have if they are low income that they already proven that they are low income. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: We don't have fares for low income except for our transportation disadvantaged program. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: I am trying to come up with an alternative way to make some revenue so figure them all out and come back. I think there are a lot of ways to skin this cat as we start getting into this lack of revenue that we might be in the coming years, we need to pull out all the stops and give the best service we can. In a perfect world our cities would all be bunched together and we can take a bus from Daytona to Port Orange, get out in that city center and be able to walk wherever we need to go. And help the paratransit people as we are able. Maybe that is the way we will go in the future. We get you into the city but we cannot get you around in the city. I would like to try to look at ways to decrease the amount of general fund money we are spending while you can use your best to retain obviously the grant money we get knowing that that is going to go down in the future. And no you are good at that. Do the best you can. I think the numbers that Danny mentioned are the all-night bus route. If you can do that, if we can bring people to church in Daytona how do they get the church in Deland New Smyrna Beach and everywhere else I hate to put it on the back of the churches. You know how many classes I've bought from the first United Methodist Church in Port Orange and tried to sell them also. There's something to be said for allowing nonprofits and the public to take care of that if and when it needs to be. It's a thin line between necessity and convenience. I think we need to really start looking at that. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: Do want to bring up with things that you mentioned reduction in the general fund we do have requirements about the state and federal plans to match a certain amount we will never be able to get away from that for we do a really good job of leveraging it that is why is not 23/23, it is 23/11 because we figured artfully good ways to leverage that. We will probably always have a match requirement. For any money except. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: It might have been 5/10 for a total of 15. Depending on how we go from here. I appreciate you doing everything and coming up with inventive ways. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : These are all great comments and great things to look at, I was going to point out in the Sunday service, I do recall the genesis of that definitely was the hotel and motel Association. Bob Davis, may he rest in peace as he came in with a large group and really pushed to have the service for all of the hotel workers. The fact people are going to church and other things aside if it but the original intent was for all of the hotel workers that they needed it on Sunday. We can still look at that as we have on the other Items and like I said she is really good about we won't have no service let's go to a different service that can help out with that issue. This is very good thank you. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you Bobbie you've done a great job as a manager I've already said you've changed service models but would actually improve service and make it more personal. More efficiently nothing is ever without pickups in the beginning. I think what you are asking us to do is possible if you can get it done as quickly as possible. [Laughter], We will hope there are no big cuts coming up but they are surely coming at some point. >> BOBBIE KING,STAFF: Okay sounds good I will definitely do that. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you very much. Item number six. Council Member and citizen appointments to the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. I have a question for you. I think we need people on this board. We have seven applicants and of those I don't believe it fits into any of the categories. We really have six applicants. None of them were all appointed. >> KARISSA GREEN,CLERK: Yes. If you have any other applicants that could fit into one of the categories send them away and will help them fill out an application. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: I think we have to ask any Council member that has somebody just can't see if they are interested to email Karissa. I think the six that we have we can probably..we nominate. Is there general consensus? >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: I was going to ask if we can make a nomination for all names on the list. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: I do not want to nominate Jake Johansson. If there is a way to not nominate him from that list would be great. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: You are not on the list. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: I still don't start him on the list, I'm just trying to get off a committee folks. I'm good.[Laughter] The motion to approve everybody. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: -Mark Billings, Incumbent - DJ Lebo, Incumbent -Dwight Selby, Incumbent -Susan Clark -Joseph Chance,Amanda Fies, Lauren Valle they are all nominated. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: I make a motion to approve. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: I second the motion. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: All in favor? >> AYE. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you for the teamwork. >> KARISSA GREEN,CLERK: I want to let you know looking at this quickly if they have the fit within the certain categories it looks like one person falls at least one category I can make it work if I can't I will bring it back to you to make an alteration. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Will get you some more companies I hope. Aesthetics is to Item number seven Appointments to the Contractor Licensing and Construction Appeals (CLCA) board you need seven and we have four people please go ahead. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Motion to approve the four people listed. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: [Listing Names] all nominated I cannot make a motion. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: I make a motion to approve all four people. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: I second the motion. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Any questions Danny is out of the room. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Matt made the motion all in favor? >> AYE. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: They are approved. >> KARISSA GREEN,CLERK: Will ask the council for this board. We need applicants as well they can be to consumer representatives they don't have to be within those specific categories they can be any member of the public. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Okay it's a problem. Item number eight is an important Appointment to the Fire Code Board of Appeals. How many do you need? >> KARISSA GREEN,CLERK: There is not a member of the set members to this board. If we appoint the three members that are in the agenda Item we will meet the qualifications minus maybe what may have happened under the CLC board. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: I make a motion to approve those three.[Listing Names] >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: [Listing Names] did you need to tell us something? >> Assistant County Attorney" mission this is an unusual board this ELCA which you just appointed members to actually sits as the fire control Board of appeals have additional members have added to that membership to serve on the specific board these are three of the four categories we need as long as you get two of them we have a quorum. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: We have three on their motion to approve the three members. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: I second the motion. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: We have a motion to appoint all three of the applicants by the Vice Chair Rienhart all in favor? >> AYE. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Any opposed. That one passes 6/0. >> KARISSA GREEN,CLERK: Mr. Chair I think you need Mr. Robins' vote for Item number seven. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: We can go back to Item six Councilman Robins. We nominated and approved all of the applicants. His vote is affirmative for that and is affirmative for Item 7. Contractor Licensing yes. That takes us to Public Participation if Jeff Hester is back? You are Jeff. I'm sorry we ran out of time or you ran out of time in the morning. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: My sincere apologies, I frankly left my speech notes at home. I'm hoping my wife and children will make it. I forgot to wear green today, that's my excuse. My name is Jeff Hester and I'm a resident of Hazen Road. You can probably guess why I'm here. About three weeks ago I knew absolutely nothing about eminent domain. I still know very little about it. I know a whole lot more than I did then. You may tell from my accent and not from Florida originally. I moved here at the end of the world in 2020. We relocated my family with my one-year-old son and my three-year-old daughter. My wife and I are from Mississippi but my family we are Floridians. We intended to raise our families here. I used to say our home was like a little slice of heaven. I still believe it is. I still have hope. I plan on staying there for a very long time. And now not so short that is possible. Our greatest financial investment is our homes for most people at least. That is at risk now. Our equity can be squats. If the lien is not actually overture properties it is my understanding that some people will lose property value not able to recover one cent. That is the cold hard truth that people need to understand. I know we're simply asking you for a letter who knows what we'll do with it. I will pin it myself if you'd like. I'm hoping to make some positive change for our community and regardless of the outcome I think Duke has brought our neighborhood better and stronger together than they ever have been before. Chairman Brower you know I can speak quite a bit my apologies for contacting you guys so much. I would like to express my appreciation for all of your efforts to see this matter heard by the public. Councilman Dempsey US will not intend to disparage anyone. I apologize. I would ask for your support with a simple letter. And hopefully the community will be better suited to face future challenges that we encounter for lack of a better term. Lastly I would like to thank.[Listing Names] for bringing our neighborhood together. You really got the word out he could not be here today due to planned legal procedure and wishing him and his family prayers in a swift recovery. With that I'm just under three minutes. I will spare you guys. Thank you for your time. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you Jeff I think we learned you stay up as late as I do if you have time to have a seat for a while because we are going to discuss it in just a minute. See what the feeling is. John Nicholson. I apologize to John. I missed you on one of the items that we blew right past. >> PUBLIC COMMENT: I was out here anyway and had to go downstairs. John Nicholson Daytona Beach aside I give you all a copy of an article in Sunday's paper I brought up to George Recktenwald three or four months ago. I told him we needed this. In my view I understand my credibility is not there with my city. I want this in my city. As you know I pushed for the idea that Margaritaville was coming to the city of Daytona Beach. We have to be prepared for the city of course and they said no it is not coming. We don't need to widen the LPGA. It will be widened in 40 years with all of those kinds of things. Hoping to avoid that with you all on this. AI is coming, it's already here. It will change things people did not believe the Internet would be as drastic as it is. I don't think there's anybody that does anything now that is not connected to the Internet. This will be as encompassing as we cannot be left behind. I see that someone who is a manager of the hard rock itself made the comment that we have to do Lauderdale ICS as the new Miami Dade County. Nobody expected Miami-Dade County to take New York or San Francisco on. When I grew up there were only 100,000 people in the County of Miami-Dade County there are now only 4 million there are billionaires moving into the community. What are we going to do when those billionaires? I'm serious, we only have three billionaires in the city now in the county. When we get 10-20 or maybe 30 billionaires you're going to need a data center. No location on the river publicly owned, that literally right next door is thrown into the river every single day 4-5 million gallons of treated water. How much does as you know? I don't know what computer from a hole in the wall but anybody who knows Alexa asked her how much water they used up to this date. If it uses anywhere near 3-5 million you're dumping it in this is wastewater that they're talking about. Instead of using it as drinking water or throwing it away, is it for something to enhance our community? Our employment. A lot of things I'm asking you to take a look at seriously take a look at it because Margaritaville did, the widening LPGA is coming, this is coming thank you. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: [Listing Names] >> PUBLIC COMMENT: Council acquired a base in the country, including hopscotch back-and-forth. I got excited to come here about a week ago when I committed to it. Finally my life has come down a little bit from being in construction building my house with my family and everything. I've been kind of going back and forth. I found out yesterday about the Volusia Forever officially now you're kicking past 10 on the road. ANd state that I was going to talk about which is really simple : flooding and overdevelopment. This is my first County Council meeting officially and city Council in Port Orange and Daytona. I hope it resonates here because you guys have a big overwhelming umbrella control. The traffic: nobody here has to hear about traffic anymore. It has become a nightmare. It has become South Florida where I can pretty much see all of the blue guys in the back staring at me. They cannot agree on the red shirts do not hear this week are becoming ridiculous. I grew up here my entire life born and raised 47 years and counting. The overdevelopment and rezoning specifically has been amateur hours, that's a nice way to put it. Where everybody is so eager to please these mysterious developers that are supposed to bring progress prosperity and nothing more than turn down the Daytona, New Smyrna Beach side and the weekend nowadays is a nightmare. Granada into nightmares it is Fort Lauderdale I personally despise Fort Lauderdale, Miami they can keep it. The traffic is insane, the flooding scary. I've just completed my house. I moved in on January 1. I got my first tax bill estimate about three days ago. It is terrifying. The amount of money I will be paying my parents paid for the past 47 years of the property I own I have a small business and Port Orange, it seems very fair-minded we're so worried about these mysterious entities that are coming in to make Volusia County better in all they do is scrape our resources. I tell everybody this story puts 100 citizens in the room, five will be excited about the development, the builder the developer, the attorney the banker, then some other cuckoo things they want a signal the other 25 citizens will say what are you doing to the city County land that we love? All and sing his listen to the 95% and no I'm not supposed to talk about Volusia Forever the 78% that proves it. We live here on my tax bill. If anybody wants to chip in and will be terrifying I want to make sure my voice is heard but again I thought I would keep it simple. Overdevelopment is white I am here. I'm excited to come back in April for the meeting for Volusia Forever. Thank you, council. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you for your comments.with that we will go to closing comments. We will start with the County Manager. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : Yes sir a couple of things. Earlier today the lady that is communion on Marsh Road I think we have to address this the bridge she keeps mentioning we have the inspection report on the bridge there is no 10 ton limit on it. In fact the FDOT issued a sufficiency rating of 96 and a health rating of 99. Out of 100. The bridge is in excellent condition; there is no 10 ton limit on it. Of course there is no County effort or anything to divert anybody there. If there was a weight limit work that needed to be done enforcement that is usually done by the FHP. Not by the county. I just want to let everyone know that that is the issue on that road and the road is built to a standard that would allow heavy farm equipment and therefore trucks of that nature would be on that road. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Do you have any idea whether traffic …is there a logging company out there or something. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : We have not found anything we have looked at, we don't know of any development interest in particular. We do know the people on the outside. I even have the local people but not if they live in that area they can go back to that area and avoid going down through Deland. People have figured out if I pull up on 11 that is one way to get around Deland. And vice versa I don't know of any we checked and we look, musical there was a bit out there that was actually turned into a ski Lake that is no longer in active operation. There are agricultural interests and stuff out there people are using for heavy equipment stuff on those properties. Yes I think it is still a cut through as well. We will look at that person if they are speeding or something going on that is something for the Sheriff's Department we can talk to and see if he can step up and have enforcement for that. The other item we wanted to talk a little bit about we are Mr. Anderson brought up the water quality in the fact we are getting these grants in Deleon Springs. That's a special DEP program our team is poised to go after the next round of grants which will be this coming July. I just want to let everybody know we are on top of that. We also have a whole water quality report that we will probably send out maybe as early as the end of this week to the Council. We can come back once you've had a chance to do just that and talk a little bit further about what the challenges are in this area. We are on top of that and of course we've already gone after grants as you heard with Bobbie, our staff is very well-trained and very cognizant of grants to go after them all the time. DEP is part of the theme equation here. You had a letter on the map in Deleon Springs first the first one that came on therefore that got the attention these others are coming on they will be associated and attention to that. I will say when you get into blue Springs that is a massive basin goes from Deland to Deltona down into DeBerry Orange City DeLeon Springs which was a smaller may be a test area you will have a much bigger area to work with and probably in their also there will be other solutions besides high-end septic tanks you have to look at Sumer insulation and of course like we've been working with DeBerry, and subject to similar projects they will come online as well. You have those other tools. I think we have a larger discussion about what is going to happen there. Hazen Rd if it is the Council's desire that we can certainly send a letter we have been in contact already with some of the Duke energy folks. It was a requirement that they have depicted alternate routes. There is a very good chance I think they will take the state roads because of some of the other factors that will make it easier for them. It is a larger right-of-way, probably easier to fit what they are trying to do. But leaving nothing to chance if the council would like to express a desired route we can come back with a letter that all of you can sign and send it to Duke energy. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: I male a motion for staff to write a letter and bring it back to us to go for the option of the commercial route we would prefer that. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Motion and second for the letter any questions all in favor? >> AYE. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: And he opposed George and doesn't know if you need to add this to it you know the exact location of the substation are they moving that as well. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : I can have an answer that he had has information that is more fortunate to have some information regarding there is an existing if you are familiar there there's a lot of substation right there on the yard that sits on 15 A next to the rail side. >> STAFF: Yes Ben Bartlett County Public Works Director on the left is a map that Duke energy is provided with the alternate route that they are evaluating on the right is a map I made the kind of to clarify and delineate what they are proposing is existing substation is red substation on the south end near the railroad tracks where it meets 15 A there proposing a new substation up off ISB just east of 15 A. The routes they are looking at financially most direct route would be to go the blue line up 15 A, directly there they also looked at alternate routes the green line is obviously what a lot of folks are concerned about it runs along the railroad tracks to Hazen Rd the North potentially going East and Plymouth are gone all the way to Greens Dairy Rd and back south. They also show Rod potentially going a little ways on Plymouth then north through there is not even a right of way through there I would assume they would have to acquire an easement to go through that location. That is what they are evaluating as potential routes. Depending on what the letter we could draft would be to stress this council's desire to use the route along 15 A which is the state road. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Okay good thank you for being prepared with all of the staff I know you are taking for seriously. We approve a letter. We will do what we can do. The utility company doesn't have to ask your permission but we can push what looks like the direct route to us. Thank you. Anyone else? George, did you have more? >> KARISSA GREEN,CLERK: Can you clarify who made the second? >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Councilmember Robins. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : That is it for me. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: County Attorney. >> STAFF: [Listing Names] legislative session ended last Friday we were initially monitoring during your 50 bills over 100 were finally enrolled since the governor of those little over 100 around 23 think in fact the county we are preparing our annual summary of those get them out to you this week and to the staff. That's all I have. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Question. Thank you Mr. Chair Russ can you give us a brief synopsis of what occurred and what is the current status of the court hearing regarding the Senate Bill quantity lawsuits. >> STAFF: The end of February there was judge issued a couple of orders for local governments and one for the private parties and do so essentially the local government sued for all of the matters that the plaintiffs alleged was dismissed with the exception of allowed for the unfunded mandate aspect potentially to proceed forward variable to state a claim going forward on that. I would look at and we think the court does not like to overturn the legislature if there is constitutional grounds and the executive grounds for the legislation. What they do is they separate because they think it is unconstitutional and take that little heart out from the body. The unfunded mandate aspect regards the requirement in the statute as SB 180 two require permanent offices and stuff to stay open for 48 hours after hurricane that is the aspect they are looking at is unfunded from the state that is what the we believe the court would carve out if they found that to be on mandated but the overall substantive part of SB 180 withstand it it allowed the private parties to come forward to restate their claim again to move forward on a couple of claims regarding their own private property because they had a lady in Orange County that was one of the plaintiffs and 1000 friends of Florida to move forward in very limited grounds. I want it to my boss and Paolo and Chris we previously briefed you guys and what we thought a lot of the legal issues could be. It would be a very hard road for the plaintiffs to go with that if you will. The court order kind of affirmed that hard work by your staff and in educating you in any direction that this council took to try get the legislature to change. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Thank you for that for that purpose I will want to bring it up because I want to thank our legal team for giving us wise counsel not only did guys give his precedent on what has occurred in the past and similar types of challenges to the legislature and how they normally calm down I think you guys hit every point as far as what the judge is has already ruled on and what the judge has agreed with everything you outlined for us this pitfalls it is wise council and we took it as a body only wish was all in Volusia cities had done the same because it is unfortunate the waste of taxpayer dollars on something and made the legislature not so much our friends. It should be a lesson for us to continue to listen to work wise counsel and for other cities to also encourage them to take that because sometimes Mark Zuckerberg is part of opinion and legal is not always). >> STAFF: I appreciate that I will let my boss know. I think it is a very good staff. I may be prejudiced to that. I think they do a very good job thank you and let him know. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: That is it for you.? I thought you would introduce your sidekick that wins a lot of trials. >> STAFF: Easement that needs no introduction I didn't think I needed to. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: We will move to council members. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Thank you chair of the bills that were passed that are going to the governor I was pretty excited about the Code Enforcement one body cams for Code Enforcement officers have been asking for that thank you to Representative Bill Partington to get that pushed through. That is what I was told. >> STAFF: I have to check on that. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Did you get that from Facebook? >> STAFF: Passed the House and Senate was never enrolled are slightly different versions which are stripped right in front of the finish line unfortunately. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: You just ruined my day. >> STAFF: I'm so sorry. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: What's going to happen. >> STAFF: It has to go through the process next year. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: You've got to be kidding me. >> STAFF: I think it has to start over again and special speaking it's just ruined my day let's make it the week. You are sucking the life right out of me. So much for that was ready to all right. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: In front of you general Karissa passed out a copy of a potential proclamation normally does Jake we have a process we go through and we haven't heard I will let you know that Lloyd Johnson is the vice mayor of Holly Hill former mayor of Holly Hill city Commissioner Holly Hill city is currently in hospice his daughter had reached out and does not look promising. I know what Freud has brought to this community and what he has done for the devolution county, not just the city of Holly Hill. Amazing men are quite a street that goes with them. I won't get into all of that. Knowing the time frame I would ask if Pat would draft it up thank you Michael Ryan for your staff and it was done today. Therefore, I like to make a motion. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Second. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: My intention as the chair is to once again visit the hospice facility and read it to him and I would like to make arrangements with the city of Holly Hill to do the same. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: I think that's a great idea. I don't know how many people they will allow in if they would and would love to go. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: I will let everybody know. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Please long-term member of the transportation planning organization and he loves the city. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Thus he does he really does in a beautiful family. A motion and the second thank you. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: All in favor? Of the proclamation. >> AYE. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Any opposed to your approved speed not exceeding the seven years in the US Air Force can we get also the background on his military if there's anything we can do and don't have veterans. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Mike is shaking his head right now. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Anything we can do to honor his service as well. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: To be with our veterans group as well. Thank you Mike. Next thing everybody is aware of some incidents that happened on east side of the county I believe one over in Deltona a VCO Deputy José Rivera I think in Deltona unusual incident proclaimed the call the person called 911 VCO responded saying there were individuals in his yard it was a ploy English (should deputy was shot he was released I've been given permission from the sheriff collectively note that he is in our thoughts and prayers because he's back in the hospital with complications from that shooting our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family. South Daytona speech police officer Jake.[Listing Names] was also shot in the line of duty. I understand he is recovering but still in hospital if I'm not mistaken I reached out to chief Paul as well for that. Then we had a Port Orange officer that was shot at. That was 15 individuals. I apologize. No injuries as a result of that is great news. Testament to be very grateful for what we have in law enforcement. Kudos go out to all of our agencies that protect and serve to keep us safe it goes without saying and special thanks to our sheriff for handling the things he does. That is all I had. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: I've got three people on the board. I don't know if you want to wait for your turn or if you want to. >> STAFF: Don't same attorney can never admit when I'm wrong. It turns out the bill was admitted today on your Code Enforcement body cameras. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Thank you for representing Partington. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: They can get things done and they want to do it all right. Councilman Robins. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Just a quick update from District 3. We had our second meeting with the community with the arts community where we are exploring outside funding a couple of donors came through privately. They made up some gaps that needed to be filled. Big shout out to Debbie with the advertising authority. A couple of things we talked about in this meeting near Frederick Cleveland were there when we headed out the chambers at 9:30 AM yesterday morning. This is more directed at the staff I will kind of read and feed from here. Can we get anything with the NSP advertising authority and events or a kiosk in our airport since a lot of people do fly into Daytona. I think there's some things that she mentioned that has been talked about in the past? If that is something we can look at for tourism Southeast Volusia County also something that we talked about was if we have any utilities service bills that go out or send the tax bills to help out the arts community if we can have any if we want to put or see what the cost is typically me a flyer in to promote to promote some of the events in Southeast Volusia County in any of these notices go out an extra piece of paper or what not friends also we talked about additional signs on 95 at 44 you will see Atlantic Center for the arts sign which is pretty much shows them but there's so much more to the arts and culture community I don't know if we can get the state will ever be get a bigger sign that has or can showcase that part of the community and the city. Other than that one last thing, I went to the opening day baseball event towards the Oak Hill sports program, which is now the Indian River Lagoon sports program. A few years ago two or three is ago they started with 17 kids it is one of two 200 in a short time there now utilizing thankful for the echo grants that we awarded or Oak Hill because of that it grew there pulling people from our section there pulling people from Oak Hill overflow from New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater are using Edgewater fields those Edgewater fields need work and know it's been there's been consensus on the Council to improve outdoor recreation they need help with their scoreboards if we can get Brad and her staff to previous reach out to them to see how we can help them possibly with an echo grant support that process of already roofed Joe Mahoney and he was enthusiastic about it. Other than that like the water quality updates that you mention I think that's very helpful especially every year we have this drought period some folks can exploit that as if it is something not natural. It's been happening since the beginning of time. As much data as we can get to put out to her constituents would be great. For that, that is it, thank you. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Thank YOU Mr. Chair if staff delete this book about the bail bond issue originally I was thinking it was a state issue but when she mentioned some other counties that have done some policies to help build some of the fraud it piqued my interest if we can look into it. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: She said it was a change in infanticide. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Didn't quite get it all. If there was something we can do I think bail bonds are state run staff I don't know if there's something we can do. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : We will look into that. I'm not sure how it ties and I do know of course the process of bail bonds because to get them out of jail. I will find out if there's something. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: I didn't know if the scam was happening recently, something we can prevent. Last I haven't is this a community group that is being watched. I want to say thank you for staying through this. I know it can be painful. It can be painful. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Have you filed to run away.[Laughter] >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: I wanted to say thank you for staying through the whole meeting. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: I wish Troy was here. Procedure today is one thing I will say about Troy. He always says if it's important to you it is important to me so we can talk about it. Unfortunately I didn't get that courtesy today. I will ask that we be able to have a workshop so I can get that courtesy. To gag me to not even present the stuff I've been studying for nearly one year I think is wrong. I think it's a disservice to the community. I know it's an election year and no it's not politically correct to talk about Volusia Forever. It is something that needs to be talked about. I think a workshop would be the best place to do it. I understand it is a divided issue in fact there is a bill performed the U.S. House right now talking about the issues with conservation easements it is backed by 11 different US senators and congressmen of Republican is definitely a partisan issue. In Montana Senate Bill 209 this past year seven representatives are all sponsoring it or in favor of it all Republican. Limiting four years Wyoming has the same bill introduced last year eight people all Republicans 26 Republicans this was not my idea to discuss this this is going on throughout the country issues with the conservation easement I'm not talking about doing away with conservation easement that is the furthest thing I love Volusia Forever love what it stands for when to stop the development I get it. Nobody likes to see urban sprawl. I understand protecting the aquifer I get it. You have to ask yourself: what are we protecting for our children or grandchildren? So they can access it someday. I would do it for the turtles and squirrels? That is my concern. Among many other concerns that I don't have time to speak about today and I don't want to bore these guys with it. It's a huge issue for every member to appear in the bill that is right now before the US House of Representatives. This is also supported by the Minnesota corn growers Association supported by the North Dakota corn growers Association. True farmers, we are not talking about little 5 acre backyard farmers real farmers and true farming operations. The people who we say we are really trying to protect the farmers. These are the true farmers. North Dakota corn growers the Minnesota corn growers that are the farmer Sprint Narragansett weight is being implemented. I'm not saying doing more with conservation it's a divided issue. All of these are Republicans. It's a Republican issue with no support from the Democrats. In the house with the Senate. Ask yourself why so divided? All I want to do is talk about it. I'm going to make a motion that we have a workshop on this and we can discuss this. There are a lot of issues and don't know if you heard everything you said today but there are issues within these easements about how we can. It's been said the goal is half the county. To be under these conservation restraints. It's already 37% third of our county. What do we want to do? We cannot even affect hydrology under this. When we have stormwater runoff and we want to stop flooding, what are we going to do? We need to talk about the stop when the aquifer fell some don't want to tap is our only alternative. Are we preserving all of this water just for the turtles? Is it people over at the fish or fish over people I feel like amongst a bunch of Gavin Newsom out here this is not California guys. This is a Republican led state and county. I understand it is a partisan issue but all of these Republicans all of these bills you don't even want to hear what they have to say I wish Troy was here I will make emotions quiver workshop on Volusia Forever so we can discuss all of these issues I'm not saying to do away with Volusia Forever I think it's a great program should keep funding it should keep doing what they're doing they do a great job but all of these restrictions all the minutia you cannot ever access it for a well you cannot but solar on it. We run out of fossil fuels. What are we going to do? What great great -children connected them. It's all that uncomfortable but 200 years from now when it is Mad Max when they're filming Mad Max in Volusia County because we're out of petroleum what are we going to do? That is what we need to discuss. We cannot look this far in front of her face and say everything is cool. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: And I will second your motion but I will do it and give you some caution as a colleague in solving our or lecturing our colleagues is not a good way to get support this is within the parliamentary procedure if you don't like parliamentary procedure changes. But to date we have not had any policy. We've been hearing a lot of the stuff which I would like to hear. We've been hearing it for months and respectfully built policy recommendations have been made. This has all been with all due respect the world is coming to an end. It is not. There are things that we can do going forward. I want to give you respect in doing that. Just keep in mind the same policies that you are arguing against you have voted for during your tenure as I have now you are against them so keep that in mind before we start launching shells over the bow. I want to help you the best I can. I understand where you're coming from. Give us the respect you will have the respect I'd be more than happy to talk about this in a workshop but if you will talk about something bring foreign policy because right now you're putting this council out to dry. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: We have a motion on the floor from Don Dempsey to have a workshop on Volusia Forever on a set date. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: Can I respond to that. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Let's make sure we have a motion for a second by Councilman Robins you can either while we have a bunch of people that want to talk. We are in a debate. Mac if you want to comment. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: I'm not asking you to agree with me but hear me out you never even heard what have to say you shot me down right at the beginning of the meeting you've made up your mind without hearing my side of it. You have not even read. I don't believe you have read the conservation easement. Especially through the eyes of an attorney. I just think not even wanting to hear my side of it is so disrespectful I like what Troy always says if it's important to you it's important to me I've never once snuffed anybody on this dais and said I don't even want to hear what you have to say my mind is made up. I don't know how to talk about respect. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Did what I did there other ways to skin this cat and you're going to see it whether you agree with it or not. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Let's stay in order. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: This is why they call it the sausage making right.[Laughter] Part of it I guess. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Me and Don are great friends. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: While I've enjoyed my soapbox, I enjoyed it but this council will usually have a good strong debate and we can break bread right afterwards. That is what it is about: the debate is not only healthy for us, it is healthy for the public. Otherwise you get accused of rubberstamping everything. I want to support you on what I want to do what I want to clean up this motion because if this motion is way too vague I want to support you think and I made the comment on why I want you to do have your time to be heard I don't want I'm the one that tax social media that most not a fan of it. I don't want the wildfire to go out again in a saintly way looking to kill Volusia Forever. That is not it. I think what Mr. Dempsey wants to do and I think I support him is to let's get in the weeds and start learning about what are the details in these contracts that are pretty thick. You're saying that their federal legislation that is also concerned about this there is movement in the federal world regarding your exact concerns. And the state. I think the approach to this gentleman is more to a workshop to discuss conservation easement contracts. We will go to when this conservation easement contracts trends that are happening throughout the country federally and learn the effects of that and the capabilities of the Council when we negotiate what we can negotiate. I know it is a two-party thing. I think that gets you there Don can we change your motion for that for the reasons I first started with. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: [Unclear Audio] >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Is an educational session it's an educational session on those Items within that. Then you can tell us all that staff can come prepared to give us the background of what's happening. This is not a workshop to overhaul Volusia Forever that may come in the future we never know because things can come up but not to eliminate the program workshop. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: I would keep Volusia Forever. I have nothing against it, it is just like the bond issue. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: I'm just cleaning up the motion I've done before. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: We need to nail down the motion. The motion on the floor was a workshop on Volusia Forever. It was very broad. You're going to amend your motion to make it an educational workshop. You said conservation easements. I think he wants to talk more about more than conservation easements. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: You heard of Jessica comment on it she pointed out issues with that she wants to keep it local control we've all joints a letter 7/0 two separate action by the state I think we need to have a healthy discussion are we really trying to avoid state the action because it is happening in these easements. We are being preempted. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: What nursing literature is not conservation easement is any of the land buying we are doing what the details are in the contracts. It's an educational session. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Okay the second was by Danny Robins in the first motion to have your second on this motion. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Yes. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : I was getting on the train there with what Mr. Santiago was saying. I think we can do a better job if it is more narrow. Basically what you just said you opened it right back up to the whole thing that is what gets the people upset I think if you can narrow it down to the contract of the easements which I think is 90% of the discussion today it's been about easements. In the contract of easements. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: I may have said the wrong thing. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : If you want to go into the rest of it then you opened it up to the entire thing. I note there are concerns. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: We don't have partnerships with easements. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : We do actually have partnerships easements and we have our own. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Do you prefer we change it George. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : I am saying if you want to keep it narrowed to the point you want to make to keep the concern of the community down a little bit I would keep it on one thing at a time if in that discussion maybe some other stuff comes up that you want to further explore maybe you take little bites at the time when you bring the whole thing I think it brings the impression you are trying to overhaul. We can get I think you had a lot of great paperwork and a lot of great stuff to look at the trends. Look at what our contract says about what we are willing to go on with this material in this particular county. It may mean defective that may mean we don't have partners depending on what you guys decide you want in that contractor not because I think the state has certain rules what they want in their we decide this property is very valuable to us and we will keep that right here in our control then maybe there some piece of property or some other thing down the road we do partners if that is what they decide. But it's done on an individual basis I think that's important for furniture number everybody does come here when everything does come here to this body I think a restart start of a conservation easement on the rules and the contract at the national trends maybe I can find out if a partner would come in don't know if they will or not maybe I could see if there is a willing speaker from one of our partners. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: If I can supplement that David, if I can make you wait to get into your core a little bit I don't want to see Volusia Forever done away with or defendant in any way. I want to keep going full steam ahead if you examine the ballot language. There are 2 ways to fund the business either through stock issuance taking on a partner or borrowing which is issuing bonds taken on debt. You can either take on a partner that's how you get your money or you can borrow the money that is how you get your money one of two ways. Undeveloped I don't know I can show it to you it's on the ballot though it does not say partnerships don't fund this for your partnership the ballot says through bonding and the millage only. That is what the people voted for I'm not looking to change that there's nothing on here about it is not Volusia Forever preempted is no closure County with the state of Florida Forever it is Volusia Forever to be funded through the existing millage with the $60 million CAP on the bond they want by debt not to be embedded with any other entity but now we have to be subservient to their wishes we want to fund it the weight the voters put it on the ballot that is what they voted for. Because I want Volusia County and only Volusia County to decide someday we need to put stormwater and that conservation easement to prevent flooding in this neighborhood that should be in our house we should not have the state come from Tallahassee to say. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: I think we get that I think those are topics for the workshop. Can we amend to accept the amended motion based on the direction George gave. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Yes I think those are discussions at the workshop. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: I would like to ask staff the motion I agree with I would like the S the staff to clearly delineate the responsibilities of the borrowers or the grantors for both private county owned property and what our rights are and personal property and the rights of the property owners that are getting into these agreements we keep talking about the agreements as in the county is getting in the agreements. I may be seeing it the wrong way but I see it when we allow our conservation easements with the private citizens in Volusia Forever and a private citizen in the state. If I'm wrong I want clarification on that in the workshop. Thank you. >> GEORGE RECKTENWALD,COUNTY MANAGER : I think we can do that as a way to introduce that is to define what a conservation easement is and what it is not . I think that can be part of what we are going to say in education. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Okay. I think you are right Jake on that and I thought that throughout these discussions when we talk about property rights this is a willing seller program. The seller of the property comes to us and tells us what they want to do and are we going to tell them no now? We will take a vote on this. I'm not comfortable with it because we just told the public you're not going to touch it and will leave it alone now we are bringing it back again. David tried to save it by saying it's an educational program, or conversation. I'm afraid from everything heard it opens everything right back up to where we were. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Mr. Chairman I think we narrowed it back down. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: We did not really read said George and Don just said we can add and talk about these other things. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: I want to make sure there is no divide or miscommunication. The purpose of the workshop is to get education on the easements and understand the trends that are happening nationally. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: George said other things might come up. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: George thinks this council could do anything in the future. That's always the case regardless. This can come up in two months by any individual. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Karissa call the roll. >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: I don't want the public to be misinformed, that is where my comments are. >> MATT REINHART,VICE CHAIR: Yes. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Yes >> DAVID SANTIAGO,DISTRICT 5: Yes. >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: Yes. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Yes. >> TROY KENT,DISTRICT 4: Yes. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Can I vote for Troy? Yes against my better judgment I'm always willing to hear you start this off. I wish Troy was here because he said if it's important to you it's important to me. I think we just think this vote does open up the can of worms again with the public. But the vote passes and who are we on? Don? >> DON DEMPSEY,DISTRICT 1: When I called Ben he was on top of it and prepared. He just did a good job on it and Carol McFarlane she's not here. She did a great job last night at that community meeting up in Pearson. She was right top of she did really well thanks guys. >> JAKE JOHANSSON,AT-LARGE: Thank you sir I was able to go last week to a separate security advisory committee in the state and I learned some pretty interesting tidbits about the cybersecurity part of public safety. I had a brief conversation with Ryan and Mr. Bailey from the IT department. I've come to the conclusion I think that Volusia County might be in better shape than the state clinic comes to cybersecurity. Please notice the feeling I get. And I will continue to go quarterly to these meetings and report back to them the tidbits that I learned. It's pretty important for our county and our cities to stay as plugged in as possible until the statement comes to cybersecurity because they are really not in a great position to push information as quickly as we may need it to take the necessary actions to defend. I don't think you're ever on the offense when it comes to cybersecurity. The good news is I think Volusia County does who is connected to them and how they are connected. He's ready to pull the plug in a heartbeat if people start probing. My job will be to get the information back to the team here and we will work on this advisory committee I am on to make the state the best they can be as well within Tallahassee and outside as a work on they call it the whole state concept. I think that goes all the way down to the cities. A melting that does not mean mandates by their software protection system. We will see how that goes. Other than that we have a few east central board meetings coming up other than that I'm having a great time thank you very much Chairman. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you. I just got two things and one of them we discussed a little bit. I appreciate the fact that I had six of them here. They all came from comments from the public that got dealt with either by the County manager or one of the councilmembers here. I'm really really pleased to see that I just want to give you a little bit more information on a woman that came in about the bail bonds. You will look into it but I want to read what she wrote. It might help you know where to look. She's talking about bail bond cameras and requests for slight alterations of the County site's recent feature. I'm not sure if Michael or anybody knows about her recent addition to our site and bail bonds. You just can't give you a better idea of where she was going. The last thing is the last public comment I'm assuming you are all aware of but this request for a waiver and a variance the. Was that name? With that new news to you? I'm just going to make sure you request that you make sure that Suzanne and George get this from I will not say his name again. It is in Edgewater seeking a waiver of variance fees. >> STAFF: Yes sir for the Council's understanding I don't think.[Listing Names] I don't know if you have any better explanation. I was briefed that that property has had a series of Code Enforcement violations they've been working to resolve. But ultimately resolved to keep some structure-built without permits. In a setback they need a variance they are asking for the Council to not have to pay the fees for their request to be heard. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: It is something you're very familiar with. >> STAFF: Yes sir unfortunately the staff has no authority to waive our fee schedule. It helps to offset our costs from time to time. The Council has taken this issue up that is why they are seeking your help to waive the fees. >> STAFF: I don't have much to add Carol and I have been communicating that's exactly what it is is it they had some code of violations that they take care of now they have to go through a variance process with that fee it is not affordable to them we talked to them about maybe doing a some sort of payment fee. Pay us after the variance in the hole. That still would not work for them this is the only avenue that they would have that would come into the Council and waive the fees. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: While you are here, the last thing I was going to say was were you involved in the Carol discussion? >> STAFF: No. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Carol went when you mentioned her I thought she grabbed you by the use also I just wanted to say thank you to the staff I went and met with the neighborhood and I talked to Carol about a situation in a very rural neighborhood that could change the rural nature of it and was really impressed with how she has handled it and I think Don. >> STAFF: And she went last night to the hearings and it went really well. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Is nice to see things handle the weight they really appreciate if they feel like their neighborhood is in jeopardy. Thank you. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: Ray May I ask you. Have we explored or can we do stuff that happens right with these cases. Have we ever done a lien on the property to get them over the finish line where they can pay this thing off or upon the sale of their property County has made whole for the fees and all of that stuff. >> STAFF: That's a great idea for something for the attorney. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: It can be a payment plan. You will get our money to pay for the staff time. I'm not suggesting that we do that but maybe explore that. >> STAFF: I think Ray has said is offered a payment plan. Maybe try to work that out with them a second time if the property is homestead the lien idea is not feasible. >> STAFF: Their difficulties without us being able to look at other options may be something in escrow for sale that is difficult. >> DANNY ROBINS,DISTRICT 3: It sounds good. >> JEFFREY S. BROWER,CHAIR: Thank you very much with that your return 7:26 PM hope to see you all packed for your next class.[Laughter]