you you you you the to order please join me in silencing your cell phones. Madam City Clerk, please call the roll. Member Hartman. Present. Member Martin. Here. Member McCurk. Here. Chair Cleveland. Here. Thank you very much. And now it's time for public participation. If you have any business or have an interest in letting the CRA understand an issue that you might have, please come forward at this time. You'll be given three minutes. This is a monologue, not a dialogue. You'll be given an opportunity to speak. The green light will come on. You'll have three minutes. At the yellow light, you'll have one minute. And then the red light you'll be done when you come forward your name and address for the record and remember this is not the commission meeting this is the community redevelopment agency meeting anybody for public participation yes ma'am. Good evening my name is Cindy Harris address is 1035 South Glenco I understand that you are redeveloping US1, the West Side Historical District. I may be wrong because I've read all three agendas. That you are also granting the Blue Orange organization to redevelop a building and bringing an ACE hardware on US1. All of that money I feel needs to be redirected redevelop a building and bringing an ACE hardware on US one. All of that money I feel needs to be redirected into fixing the stormwater drainage system. All of this money that is being applied towards these projects were two years after E& right now. And just today I saw where we have started cleaning out a canal for the Turnbull Bay area Just now today and we are two days away from a hurricane and I don't understand why all this money is going to the beautification of the US one the Westside Historical District repainting, repurposing. Yes, it needs it. I grant that. We do need a facelift. But we need this problem fixed first. The residents of New Sermon Abbey are being flooded out of their homes, homes that they lived in probably their entire lives. We're dealing with their livelihoods here. We're dealing with health issues here. We're dealing with people who may not be able to afford to rebuild again and again and again. People may not be able to get insurance on these houses. And here we're throwing millions and millions of dollars on projects that really are not needed at this point. We need to redirect our processes. We need to put a moratorium on not building all development until we get this issue fixed. I propose that we stop, put a moratorium on everything, contact the Army Corps of Engineers, get them down here, see what needs to be done, put in a levy system if we have to, because I know development's gonna happen, but we need to stop right now and redirect our issues, or our focus on the flooding issues so that we can hand draw these tourists in. So we can do the parking that we need. So we can draw people back into our beautiful city. That was once the little secret that we so love and was so beautiful and so that we can, you know, we can share the secret with everybody. But let's do that first. Please, I'm begging you for everybody that's in this room that came to talk today. They're going to tell you the same thing. Please stop flooding us out. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Appreciate your comments. Is there anyone else for public participation? Seeing none, public participation is now closed. We'll move on to new business. I see the new economic development director Samantha Burzaron is in the batter's box. Samantha we're ready for your report, ma'am. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members of this community redevelopment agency. the first item on the agenda this evening is the budget for fiscal year 2425. Oops, sorry, I did this backwards. As we know, the CRA was created in 2015. The area of improvement in the CRA district includes basically the spine of US 1 as well as our historic west side and a portion of the North Causeway up to the bridge. So those are the only areas within the city that we are allowed to expend CRA dollars at this time. So your budget is showing a county tiff of a little over a million dollars and a city tiff of 2.3 million dollars and then a roll over amount of 639,000 to give you a total proposed revenues of 4,000,000,000,000 for the year. Some of the expenses are included here. I show some of the small scale and large scale commercial grants as well as the adoptive reuse opportunity grant program, which is basically for the reuse of some of our existing facilities along US one in the commercial corridor that someone would buy and look to repurpose. And then there are some additional other grants and aids. The second grant that was approved last year for this new Smurty Beach Housing Authority. That's on there, the Live Oak Housing Demolition Project, Septic to Sewer Conversion Project, and also some of our community development block grants. As well as some single home rehabilitation grant programs, Pettis Park Improvement Projects, Public Infrastructure Improvement Project, and the Historic Preservation Grant Program as well. So it gives you a balanced budget with total proposed expenses of $4,000,000,000. With this, I would be looking for a motion to approve unless anyone has any questions. I'd be looking for a motion to approve unless anyone has any questions I'd be happy to answer any questions. And we may. Any of my colleagues have a question or a comment for the economic development coordinator. Samantha just for educational purposes. I want you to explain that we heard someone that thought that we could just spend the money any money any way we wanted and Flooding is certainly a huge deal our city talk for a second about Where this money come from and what it must be spent on if you don't mind certainly I'd be happy to Back in 2014 I'll actually years before that seven years before that The city embarked on what you call a finding and necessity. And there's certain seven criteria that the city has to meet and there are blight signs of blight in proper site design for parcels. Areas that have a little very high open opportunities where there's no one in that business. And those seven criteria were met. The finding of necessity was created. We had to go to the county and they adopted it. So they approve it. And as well as the city commission. And then from that we come up with this plan, which we have adopted. And the county council has to give the city permission to create the CRA district. And it's a very specific map. And I would be happy to sit down with anyone at any time to go over that. And it is also on our website. So from that, when we have that approved back in December of 2014, the county was very restrictive on what we can use our monies for. So even though the grant and the program, the CRA district, it's very quite large. It was very specific that these first 10 years, that the dollars could only be used on projects that are on the CRA in the historic Westside area and US one. So until 2026, we are limited to only using funds in those areas. Some of the areas and some of the projects, so with projects, you can only do what's obviously allowed by Florida statute, what the county allows you to do, and what's in the plan. So when we're looking at projects to do, they have to meet all three of those criteria in order for us to do them. These projects with the commercial improvements and so forth and also housing improvements. Those are all included in the plan as well as infrastructure projects and water to sewer is a big one that we very much recognize in the plan when it was created in 2015. There are also some storm water. There's a caveat though. The CRA cannot pay for projects that have been in our city CIP plan for three years. So if we have identified a plan in our CIP project, it's usually a five year plan, right? So, but the CRA could not be used to pay, those funds cannot be used to pay for those dollars. So if we came up with a new project, as long as it hasn't been in our CIP plan, then we can use CRA dollars. So it's very specific. It's highly regulated by a Florida statute of what we can and cannot do with those dollars. And I know that's a lot of information, but if anyone would ever like to sit down and talk to me about that, I'm available anytime. I'm happy to do it to explain how it works and the law behind it. Thank you ma'am. Appreciate that. Any other follow-up. Thank you, Director Bergeron. Is there a motion for resolution CRA0324 which is the budget? So move. The motion and the second. Madam City Clerk, please call the roll. Member McGurk. Yes. Member Hartman. Yes. Member Martin. Yes. Chair Cleveland. Yes. Let's move on to item number three, the consideration of approval of the CRA Adaptive Use Opportunity of 5050 Match, which is a grant approval not to exceed $250,000 to the Blue Orange Holding Company for an eligible commercial facade exterior property improvement located at 540, North Dixie Freeway. Samantha, we're ready for your report, ma'am. Thank you, sir. On April 13th, 2021, the CRA Board and City Commission approved the budget guidelines, target area, and budget allocations for the CRA commercial facade, exterior property improvement, 5050 matching grant programs. The adaptive reuse opportunity grant program is designed to encourage innovative and value added changes of use of underutilized commercial and industrial properties with commercial frontage along the US one corridor. On April 2024, blue orange holdings LLC purchased the property located at 540 North Dixie Freeway, with plans to redevelop the property for an ACE hardware store. Blue Orange Holdings has been working with the city's building and planning departments on a new site plan, construction drawings, and permitting approvals. The redevelopment of this property will include extensive improvements to the exterior of the building. In addition of a covered outdoor garden serenter, the proposed work will stop the deterioration of the existing building, stabilize the property and upgrade the appearance of the area. The scope of work includes painting, roof repair, awnings, canopies, decorative exterior facade improvements, exterior windows and doors, landscaping around the building, irrigation, parking lot repaving, resealing, restriping, professional design assistance, exterior lighting, patio or decks connected to the building, exterior wall repairs, ADA improvements, fencing, some demolition just to take out and remove some of the parts of the building that are rotted or that are deteriorated or harmed by insects. And then to rebuild those exterior security features, exterior wall and wall repairs. Total costs of the project is estimated to be a little over a million dollars. For which $678,244 are estimated to be the total for the exterior improvements only. So this meets or exceeds the minimum required for this particular grant. The minimum would be $500,000 expense. So that this particular grant is approved by staff. The applicant has provided all of the data and all of the materials required. And also the applicant is in the audience. If anyone has any questions regarding any of the renderings or any of the project itself, be happy to open that up if you like. Thank you. It's done with your report. Yes. Any questions from mispers on the report. We're not on the report, but as we discussed for the applicant. This is Wes McMillan. Yes, ma'am. Miss Lee? Yes, as we briefly discussed, but of course the commission hasn't heard. I had asked if we could have a more fluribian facade on the building, more in terms of the beach town as opposed to, as I'll put it, a gray box that could be in any place, any country, anywhere, and really doesn't reflect our community. And apparently there are several designs which may be available to us that would be more in the Florida vernacular. That's correct and we're definitely open to working with the city on a facade that kind of meets the intent of Nusomerna. A lot of the municipalities that we work with are more not a centric like Nusurna and we love New Samurna and the vibrant community in New Samurna. But similar as I was explaining one of our other hardware stores, if it's something like a mural that kind of ties in the aspects of the community, if we want to go that centric we would be happy to do that, or we could just more or less like a more beachy facade with wood slats or something to that nature. Well, it is, of course, the facade, as I say, it's one thing what you do inside, but it's how we present ourselves to the world. And the other question I have, and thank you very much for working with Ms. Bergeron on something that's more distinctive to our town. Yes, ma'am. And the other one is, I'm a little bit concerned as I understand you're looking at three employees. And are they minimum wage? I mean, the economic data we got seem to imply that there were So so we'll have Staff on side it'll be about 15 employees In our in our documents that referred to I think three, but in any case Could you tell us the average wage? The average wage outside of management will be around $15 an hour. Okay, so. Any other questions for the applicant? Thank you. Yes ma'am. Any other questions? Come on by Commissioner McCormick. Oh yeah, thank you. Thank you, Mayor. So I just want to say that I'm excited about the reuse of this project. Out certainly myself and along a lot of other businesses will be and along US one will be happy to be able to have something like these services you offer instead of going out the Haudepo. I'm working with Planning Department. It will be great for a Ford of Anacura. Look, that's great, but I remember when this was a sports bar named Kudas and And before that, it went even way back before that. So it's been all kinds of things. It's, and so hopefully I'm excited about you guys coming in. And hopefully this is a successful venture for all of us. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you both. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Samantha. Is there a motion to approve the CRE Adaptive Reuse Opportunity 5050 matching grant? So moved. It's a motion. Second. Second. Madam City Clerk, please call the roll. Member Hartman. Yes. Member Mark. Yes. Member McGert. Yes. Chair. Yes. Anything further? Just one number four whenever you get there. I don't want to rush. What is it now? Number four, the reports. Director's report. Ah, sorry. That's all right. All yours. No, no, go right ahead. I just wanted to let you know that you'll be seeing some changes to the CRA pages of our website. There's quite a few items that are required for Florida Statutes, so we're working very closely together with our PIO and we'll be seeing those changes in an upgrade very soon. That's it. Thank you. Glad to have you on board. Thank you so much, Samantha. Any further business? Mr. City Manager, anything further on this? No, sir. Other than just to note, if you're following the agenda with item 3b I asked for that to be removed this evening will deal with that out of future meeting There was just some confusion about the application requirements very good that involves the The like Heritage Museum. Okay, very good. You bet. Without further word, we're adjourned. We'll reconvene in five minutes.