[1. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:16]
>>> I CALL THIS SPECIAL MEETING TO THE ORDER.
AS ALWAYS WE START WITH THE ROLL CALL.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED TODAY BY COMMISSIONER AYSCUE.
>> 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.
>> GO AHEAD AND HAVE A SEAT. WE'RE GOING TO GO RIGHT INTO PUBLIC COMMENT. VICE MAYOR, I SEE YOU PUT A FORM IN. DO YOU WANT TO GO DURING ITEM
>> PERFECT. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, KEEP IN MIND ACCORDING TO OUR RULES FEEL FREE TO FILL OUT A FORM IN THE BACK, WE'LL RECEIVE THAT AND WE'LL GO DURING THE ITEM THAT YOU PUT DOWN ON THE LIST WHICH WILL BE GOOD.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
[4.1 Truth in Millage Statement]
ALL RIGHT SEEING NONE, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO ITEM FOUR, THE TRIM STATEMENT. TRUTH IN MILLAGE STATEMENT, LET'S CALL UP OUR CITY ATTORNEY, MS. BACH.>>> THE TRUTH IN MILLAGE STATEMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024, PRIOR TO ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION WHICH SETS THE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE RATE FOR OPERATING EXPENDITURES, CHAPTER 200.065 SUB FOUR SUB D FLORIDA STATUTES REQUIRES THAT THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT BE PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED; THE TAXING AUTHORITY LEVYING THIS PROPERTY TAX IS THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF FERNANDINA BEACH. THE ROLLED BACK RATE IS 4.8298 MILLS PER $1,000 OF ASSESSED VALUE.
THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE IS 0% OVER THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE.
THE OPERATING MILLAGE RATE TO BE LEVIED IS 4.8298 MILLS PER
$1,000 OF ASSESSED VALUE. >> THANK YOU, MS. BACH.
MOVING ON TO ITEM FIVE THE MILLAGE RATE RESOLUTIONS.
BEFORE I HEAR A MOTION ON THIS, JUST TO REMIND THE PUBLIC WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY, IF COWER IN THE ROOM, LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE HERE WAS HERE LAST WEEK. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE HOW THIS IS WORKING. YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE TWO VOTES.
THESE ARE PROBABLY THE TWO BIGGEST VOTES OF THE YEAR AS A CITY. THE FIRST VOTE IS SETTING OUR TAXING RATE. THAT'S HOW MUCH MONEY WE WILL TAKE FROM THE CITY OF FERNANDINA BEACH THE USE FOR FERNANDINA BEACH ACTIVITIES. THE SECOND VOTE WILL BE NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT VOTE, HOW DO WE SPEND IT.
THE FIRST SETS THE MILLAGE RATE, THE SECOND SETS THE BUDGET.
[5.1 ADOPTION OF FINAL OPERATING MILLAGE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023/2024]
THEY ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT SO WE NEED TO VOTE TWICE, ONE FOR EACH OF THOSE THINGS. UP FIRST WE JUST HEARD THE TRUTH IN MILLAGE STATEMENT. AND I WILL HEAR A MOTION NOW ON ITEM 5.1 WHICH IS THE ADOPTION OF THE FINAL MILLAGE RATE FOR>> SECOND. >> MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? >> IT DOES NOT ADEQUATELY FUND REPAIR OF THE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND I'M NOT VOTING TO ACCEPT IT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE? SEEING NONE, I WILL CLOSE BY SAYING I AM INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THIS COMMISSION.
WE HAVE DONE BIG THINGS. THAT -- AND VERY PROUD.
BEFORE WE VOTE ON THIS, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO GIVE PUBLIC
COMMENT ON THE MILLAGE RATE? >>> THAT PASSES 4-1.
[6.1 ADOPTION OF FINAL FY 2023/2024 BUDGET - RESOLUTION 2023-162 ADOPTING THE FINAL BUDGET FOR THE 2023/2024 FISCAL YEAR, INCLUDING THE FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Synopsis: Adopts the final budget for Fiscal Year 2023/2024.]
WE'RE NOW AT ITEM SIX WHICH IS ADOPTING THE FINAL BUDGET FOR THE 2023-2024 PUBLIC FISCAL YEAR.THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING. DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THIS
>> SECOND. >> I HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND ON THE BUDGET. WE WILL NOW OPEN IT FIRST, I THINK WE SHOULD GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT UNLESS COMMISSIONER ROSS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO FIRST? LET'S CALL UP THE VICE MAYOR TO THE PODIUM TO TALK ABOUT ITEM
SIX. >>> IT'S ON THE 5TH OF SEPTEMBER
[00:05:06]
I CAME AND SPOKE ABOUT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND BASICALLY TALKED ABOUT WHAT THE STATE LAW SAYS AND WHAT'S IN IT AND NOT IN IT. ON THE 6TH OF SEPTEMBER, I SENT YOU ALL AN EMAIL WITH EXERTS FROM THE STATE LAW WITH THE EXCEPTION -- AND MY CONCERN IS THAT THE SEAWALL IS NOT IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN NOR ARE THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE WALK OVERS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE REQUESTED IN THE LEGISLATIVE REQUEST WHICH WERE APPROVED AT THE SAME MEETING.AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT AS SOON AS YOU LOOK AT AMENDING IT BECAUSE WHEN YOU DON'T SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR, HOW THEY WORK IN TALLAHASSEE, COMMITTEES ARE MEETING NOW.
AND TO ME IF I WAS IN TALLAHASSEE IN ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND A CITY WAS REQUESTING SOMETHING WHICH THEY FAILED TO HAVE -- I WOULD LOOK AT IT CLOSELY.
GRANTED THESE ARE YEARS DOWN, IT'S THE SEAWALL.
THE WALKOVERS MIGHT NOT BE. THE WALKOVERS COULD BE FUNDED THIS YEAR. AND SO I WOULD JUST SAY YOU SERIOUSLY LOOK AT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT ISN'T IN THERE WHICH I MENTIONED TOO IS -- IT WAS A TOP PRIORITY. THEY HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT AND WE NEED TO GE THAT MONEY. OTHERWISE ON A POSITIVE NOTE, OVER THE YEARS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN HAS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY. AND IT'S FINALLY A REAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN RTHER THAN A FIVE YEAR EXPENDITURE PLAN.
>> VICE MAYOR, AS ALWAYS THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR WORK TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A STRONG CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
WITH THAT, WE DO HAVE COMMISSIONER ROSS.
>> I'LL BE NOT SUPPORTING THIS BUDGET IN THAT IT INADEQUATELY FUNDS NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE AND RAISES THE SALARIES OF THE CITY COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE ADOPTING THE BUDGET.
AND AS THE PREVIOUS VICE MAYOR POINTED OUT, IT DOESN'T ADEQUATELY ADDRESS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
>> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ROSS.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER COMMENT? ALL RIGHT, I WASN'T LIKE FORCING ANYBODY TO. BUT COMMISSIONER AYSCUE, GO
AHEAD. >> I'LL CHIME IN, I DID GET TO SPEAK ON 5.1, BUT I'LL AGREE WITH YOU, MAYOR.
I THINK THIS COMMISSION DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN RECOGNIZING SOME OF THE CONSTITUENT STRUGGLES AND DOING WHAT WE COULD TO HELP PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF RELIEF IN THE TAXES.
I THINK THIS BUDGET DOES A LOT. I THINK IT'S GOT SOME REALLY GREAT IMPROVEMENTS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW WE CAN IMPROVE EVEN MORE OUR BUDGET PROCESS WHEN OUR NEW CITY MANAGER GETS HERE AND WE BEGIN A NEW BEGINNING AND A NEW CHAPTER AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR FERNANDINA. THAT'S IT.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
WE ARE ABOUT TO PROBABLY CAST THIS IS ARGUABLY THE BIGGEST VOTE OF OUR YEAR. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK ALL YEAR ROUND. IS THERE ANYMORE PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE CAST THE BIGGEST VOTE OF THE YEAR? ALL RIGHT, SEEING NONE, CITY CLERK PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
>> COMMISSIONER AYSCUE. >> YES.
>> VICE MAYOR STURGES. >> YES.
THAT PASSES 5-1. HERE WE ARE ITEM 7 ADJOURNMENT -- OH 4-1, SORRY, WE ARE NOT SIX COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONER ROSS.
IT IS 4-1. ITEM 7 ADJOURNMENT, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYBODY BACK AT OUR 6:00
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.