City of Mexico Beach Meeting Minutes TUESDAY APRIL 8, 2025 - 9:00 AM The City of Mexico Beach City Council met in a regular meeting on Tuesday April 8, 2025, at 9:00 am at the Public Works Building in Mexico Beach. Mayor Wolff and the following Councilmembers were present: Linda Hamilton, Jerry Smith, Jason Adams and Tim Linderman. Also present were City Administrator, Chris Truitt, City Clerk, Tammy Brunson and City Attorney Tim Sloan. I. Call to order: Mayor Wolff called the meeting to order at 9:00 am. Il. Consent Agenda: Minutes for the following council meetings were approved unanimously. February 25, 2025, Regular council meeting. March 11, 2025, Regular council meeting. III. Special Appearances: 1. Tonia Nation with Avcon explains the expansion of the study area to capture more critical areas experiencing flooding. The study includes a 40-acre pond (Basin H) to reduce flooding significantly by upsizing existing swale systems and increasing pipe sizes. The 40-acre pond will be esthetically pleasing with diversionary islands and will help reduce flooding in the overall city. The pond will be gravity-fed to avoid the cost and maintenance of pumps. The study also includes the removal of invasive species and the identification of small, localized drainage projects. The council discusses the need for additional funding sources for parks and public spaces, and the potential for grants and land development code amendments. 2. Katherine Hancock from Florida State University presents the benefits of high-frequency radar for hourly ocean surface current data. The radar system would provide data for Coast Guard search and rescue, coastal resilience, hazardous spills, water quality monitoring, and marine navigation. The system would be installed in Mexico Beach and paired with an existing site in Destin, with minimal maintenance required. The council expresses concern about the radar's impact on the community's aesthetics and the need for more information on specific locations and potential frequency conflicts. IV. Regular Agenda: 1. Gortomoller Engineering CEI services Task Order #1 for the 15th St Bridge was brought to the table. Chris Truitt provides an update on the 15th Street Bridge project, including Gortomoller's task order scope for construction review. Open public comment at 10:01 am. No public comments were made. Closed public comment at 10:01 am. Mr. Linderman motioned, and Mrs. Hamilton seconded to approve Task Order #1, items 11 through 4, for $33,600.00 using State Appropriations funds. Motion passed unanimously. 2. Water Tank Aeration Bid was brought to the table. The water tank aeration system project is discussed, with concerns about the high bid received and the need for a more cost-effective solution. Open public comment at 10:08 am. No public comments were made. Closed public comment at 10:08 am. Elizabeth Moore with Anchor wants to explore alternative designs and cost-saving measures. Mr. Adams motioned, and Mrs. Hamilton seconded to reject all bids and have Anchor look for alternative options. Motion passed unanimously. City of Mexico Beach Meeting Minutes TUESDAY APRIL 8, 2025 - 9:00 AM IV. Regular Agenda Continued: 3. Nanook & 14th St lift station rehab was brought to the table. Chris Truitt presents the low bids from Mainline Construction for the rehabilitation of lift stations on Nanook St for $423,323.63 and 14th Street for $799,495.97, with an overrun cost to the city of $71,039.60. Open public comment at 10:14 am. No public comments were made. Closed public comment at 10:14 am. The council discusses the need to reallocate funds from the infrastructure local option gas tax to cover the overrun. Mrs. Hamilton motioned, and Mr. Linderman seconded to accept the bids from Mainline Construction totaling $1,222,819.60 for the lift station rehabs and authorize the use of the local option gas tax to cover the overrun. Motion passed unanimously. 4. Copy equipment lease with Dex Imaging was brought to the table. Chris Truitt discusses the need to renew a 48-month copier lease, including three new machines to replace the current ones. The attorney recommends approving the lease with changes: end-of-term fair market value, jurisdiction to Bay County, and removal of automatic renewal. Open public comment at 10:25 am. No public comments were made. Closed public comment at 10:25 am. Mr. Linderman motioned, and Mr. Adams seconded to approve the Dex Imaging equipment lease with the recommended changes. Motion passed unanimously. 5. The Mexico Beach Pier was brought to the table. Mr. Smith proposes naming the new pier after former Mayor Al Cathey for his leadership and dedication to the community. Open public comment at 10:37 am. Alex Hogan suggests a community survey to gather input on the pier's name. Bobby Pollock supports naming the pier after Al Cathey, highlighting his contributions to the city. Shelby Bush agrees with a community survey to ensure broad input on the pier's name. John Harrell suggested selling the naming rights. Closed public comment at 10:44 am. The council discusses the timing of the decision and the need for community involvement. Mrs. Hamilton motioned for a dedication plaque to be placed at the pier and allow the community to pick a name once it is built. Motion failed due to lack of a second. Mr. Smith motioned, and Mr. Linderman seconded to name the pier after Al Cathey. Motion passed with a 3-2 vote. No votes were Mayor Wolff and Mrs. Hamilton. V. Citizen Comments: John Harrell from the Special Events Committee announced Gumbo Festival shirts are still available for purchase. He also talked about the 4th of July Fireworks and the 5K race. The committee is concerned about the potential increase in fireworks costs due to tariffs. The council discusses the importance of supporting the special events committee. Shelby Bush apologized to Mr. Smith for her earlier comments. VI. Council Comments: Tim Linderman requests city labor to help install posts and rope for beach walkovers, with the CDC providing materials and augers. Mr. Linderman motioned, and Mrs. Hamilton seconded to allow city employee labor to install post and ropes on the dunes to mark walkovers with the CDC paying for supplies. Motion passed unanimously. The council discusses the need for new signs with the city ordinance and fine amount to protect dunes. Tim Linderman requests an update on the after-action review of the JLAC audit at the next council meeting, review of the dumpster at the boat ramp and cost of a possible Amnesty Day for citizens. Jerry Smith asked who was on call this coming weekend for the forecasted heavy rain event and he asked about when weekend trash pickup would start. City of Mexico Beach Meeting Minutes TUESDAY APRIL 8, 2025 - 9:00 AM VII. Mayors Comments: Mayor Wolff stated there is a pre-audit meeting with James Moore on Thursday. He asked for an update on the boat launch project. Chris Truitt provides an update on the boat launch project, including geotechnical work and engineering details. The council discusses the need to inform the public about potential delays at the boat launch once the project starts. Mayor Wolff proposes stopping comments on the city's Facebook page due to inappropriate content and trolling. The council discusses the legal implications of providing a forum for comments and the potential transition to YouTube for live streams and archives. Chris Truitt confirms the city is already moving some content to YouTube and suggests making the transition official. Mr. Linderman motioned, and Mr. Adams seconded to start the move to YouTube for public meeting broadcast and storage and have no comment posting available. Motion passed unanimously. VIII. Staff Comments: Atkins Realis - Ryan Wiedenman provides updates on the pier project, including the completion ofthe National Marine Fisheries consultation and the upcoming bid process. The council discusses the split of the civic center project to expedite the police and fire project. Ryan Wiedenman mentions the jetties project is out for bid and the financial reconciliation of past projects The council emphasizes the importance of tracking and recovering funds from FEMA for completed projects. City Administrator - Chris Truitt announces the annual extravaganza at Under the Palms Park on April 19, including an Easter egg hunt, hot dogs, drinks, and ice cream. City Attorney - Mr. Sloan had no additional comments. IX. Adjournment: Mr. Linderman and Mr. Adams motioned to adjourn the meeting at 11:31 am. By: Attest: Camm rwmn Mayor, Richard Wolff City Clerk, Tarpmy Brunson