We'll call it Mr. O. This is for the CRA meeting. Vice Chair Lonegan. Here. Board Member Gordon. Here. Board Member Newbold. Here. Board Member Arns and Chair Rosenwald. Here. Okay, so our first excuse me. Our first item is public comments. So this is public comments specifically to any matter relating to this community redevelopment agency. You have up to four minutes, so anybody would like to speak to come up and say your name and address please. Vice mayor, it's a quiet crowd tonight. Okay, we're going to close the public. Okay. We love the microphone around here. What do you mind? Just say your name and address. First, Fisher 37 11 Northeast 13th Avenue. Can we get some clarification? I know I'm not allowed to technically ask you all questions, but just as far as the community redevelopment agency meeting with the consent agenda here, is it just the following up of The agenda items that proceed it is that correct? Yeah, just this right the There's public comments. There's a consent agenda, which is the minutes and then there's a budget public hearing Okay, and then there's reports from us and the executive director. I thought it would be very... You can speak on any item related to the community, read about the agency. I just want to kind of speak with something just regards community on it real quick. Just because I don't see anywhere else in the agenda, maybe I did miss it on public comments. And it's after this meeting. Well, then I am getting out of here. Thank you very much. Okay. Thank you. Any other public comments for the CRA meeting only? At this point, I'll close the public comments and we have consent agenda. Mr. Dudy. So the minutes for July 17, 2024. Motion adopted. Second roll call. Vice Chair Lonegan, former recording. Yes, former member new bold, former orange, chair Rosemold. Yes, at this point we have our budget budget public hearing. The hearing is on the community redevelopment agency tentative budget for fiscal year 2025 advertising for this public hearing appeared in the Sun set in August 27th 2024 Mr. Duty Resolution by title only a resolution the board of commission is the O'Claude Park Community Redevelopment agency CRA adapting intended a budget for the fiscal year October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, Providing for conflict, severability and effective date. Those who adopt. Oh, sorry. That worries. And I really go to our executive director, Mr. Ray DeBarr. Thank you, Board Chair. I'll turn this over to Andrew Thompson. This is an item that he referenced briefly in the earlier presentation. This will cover it in a little bit more detail in order to conform to our usual procedure. Chief Financial Officer Thompson, if you would please. Thank you, Mr. Executive Director, board members. This is the tentative budget hearing for the city's CRA. Just as background this has been advertised in the Sun Sentinel. What we're doing tonight similar we've done before is we'll need to conduct a public hearing and that'll need to adopt a tentative CRA budget. And like many other CRA's throughout the state we do not have tax increment financing. So there is no rate setting tonight with the CRA. The CRA is almost completely funded by transfers from the general fund. So as part of the budget, the citywide budget, a CRA budget was adopted of $854,000. Some of the highlights of that include the $60,000 for incentive grants that were mentioned earlier, the entrepreneurship academy for $20,000, then continued support for the live, like a local, find an Oakland Park program, and then also some flexibility of new strategic initiatives for $75,000. I do want to know if you're comparing the CRA budget of fiscal year 24. As was approved earlier this year, we have the CRA director restored as a position. That had previously been an assistant director position as part of community development. But now the CRA is a standalone department reporting to the city manager. that had previously been an assistant director position as part of community development. But now the CRA is a standalone department reporting to the city manager. So those personnel costs were moved over from planning and community development back over to the CRA. And that's two staff persons. So again, tonight recommending that you conduct a public hearing and thereafter adopt a resolution improving the CRA's budget for fiscal year 25. And then the final budget will be for consideration on September 18. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Thompson. At this point, I'm going to open a public hearing. This is a public hearing specifically on the CRA tentative budget for fiscal year 2025. Anybody who'd like to speak, you have up to four minutes. Just please say your name and address. And it closed the public record and entertain a motion. I'm excused. I'm going to close the public hearing and entertain a motion. Second. And then discussion? discussion yeah real quickly you know we know we don't have to funny but it really gets lost in and we had the loan to grant program and every time we sell some of the downtown property that money goes back into the into the general budget general budget which in fact pays for a lot of this because all that land development they forgave the loans. So a lot of this you know we had to fund this we don't have to funding but a lot of this funding too is now is being really sold this for 2.25 million. So some of that that offsets three or four years of this now. So it's not just coming directly from the general but this actually comes from the county because the county actually paid for those properties and deeded them to the city and when the city sells them we reap the benefits of them and especially with the increase in property values. So it's not just stricken out on the taxpayers. This is actually the county actually helped us with this and it just doesn't happen all the time Doesn't happen every year, but when we do sell some of our property we own downtown That was because of the loan grant program It's like over here the singing suns building that was done with the loan to grant program So when we sell this property the parking lot out here was loan to grant program so We acquired a lot of property from the county, you know, the county paid for it, and we really didn't have turned into a grant. So we never had to pay any payments on the property. So we did get a lot, and I don't know how much that dollar something was, but every time we sell something, it goes up so it actually offsets usets the CRA budget. So I just didn't know if everyone knew. I didn't, you weren't around when we did this load of grant program back, you know, 20 years ago. And it really, it doesn't take, it doesn't help you right away, but in the long run, it really helps offset, you know, what goes on the CRA. Thank you. So that was a comment that wasn't a suggestion for an accountant. That was a comment. Just just because it never gets, it never gets mentioned. The fact that, you know, we, all these properties we bought down here, we didn't have to pay for them. They're, they're sent to for free, just like the jocke of the story is that was done in the park bond. We got that for free. So, you know, we've got a lot of money for the county for free. It's a good reminder we have money coming from affordable housing across the street. Yes. Okay. Thank you. Are there other comments? I just have two comments on the budget. Again, now going back to what I mentioned in the city commission meeting, so that's $75,000. Again, I want us to connect back to, it was a very, I would use the word, but an emotional CRA meeting, I were last year, and I see a reading, what was it about a month ago? So, Mr. Thompson, can you explain a little more? I love this idea, this strategic initiative. Can you explain a little more about the idea of that? What sort of that? This was a practice we started last fiscal year in response to adopting that new strategic plan for the CRA was to make sure that the CRA had the flexibility to address issues as they arose and develop new programs. So it's really an opportunity for the CRA to be responsive to those needs of economic development throughout the budget cycle or throughout the fiscal year. So it does provide essentially an allowance to work on economic development and number of ways and I know speaking with Director Rare she's Working on following up on a lot of those comments and requests from the prior meeting. Thank you semester A bear managerially is Would obviously you supervise mr. Rare so ideas you and she and others have, how would they be, would they brought be brought to the CRA or how would they be? So the next step, one, should you have ideas? Like with any budget, this is only a budget and so once you have ultimately determined what the budget will be, that will provide us the guidance to ensure that we know we can go forward with the program and a plan. Mr. Erra isn't here this evening because we had anticipated that this would be a longer meeting, but she will bring back an update, a CRA update that will encompass our ideas about this specific component if this meets with your approval. And I think in light of the suggestions that we've heard recently and the very successful downtown partners meeting that we had in August, which I know a number of you were able to attend. We're going to let a lot of the decisions about this be driven by what the business community is looking to us for. What we've found and what we've been explaining is that there are a lot of services that we simply haven't the resources to provide, but that are provided from other entities. So we're working on establishing a network so that we don't compete with other agencies and their programming while at the same time like Mr. Thompson just indicated remaining flexible to try to address unique circumstances that might occur here and both Renee Miller are consultant for the CRA and Nesa Herrera our our department had our working on that approach. They're having a follow-up meeting with the department, with the downtown partners this month, in fact, next week. So we'll get more information about that. And former mayor, Jane Bowlin, has been very, very helpful because she herself is a small business owner and has been an executive of the Intrepid Nurse Organization internationally. She speaks to the group both nationally and internationally. So we're really excited about trying to open up our opportunities to continue to empower our small businesses. But we'll bring that back to you as we bring the next CRA update. Thank you. And again, I know it's a CRA, so it's geographic, but we've had some flexibility in the past for the Vassade improvement. I just want to say on the record that I know I know, I, when Miss, when Renee Miller, a year and a half or so, was out west in Westernacle Park, which he's speaking to residents or business owners. Do you recall off end? Yeah, that was primarily business owners, but residents were invited and several did attend. So while we call it downtown, which again has a geographic, that means the downtown here, we know what streets by which streets I just There's we have wonderful business owners not in our downtown and I had the idea I forwarded an idea a year or two ago I can't remember you might remember because there's just two of us. I think it was just the two of us here about a extending or I don't know if it'd be renaming it, but having a west side business partners, but of course, could we just have one? We're not that big of a city. So I just wanna encourage everything that CRA since we're freed, probably from a lot of legal requirements since we're not to funding that we have the flexibility with our budget that we, I totally I totally get we had to start somewhere, but now we are on the move as you, you so said to Mr. Rebier about an hour or two ago. And we just want to make sure we consider our entire geography. We don't want to leave anybody out. The other item I had, no, we've had it coming on. I know we talked about it. I think it was in last year's budget, Mr. Budhoo, you've brought it up a few times. And past meetings was the entrepreneurship academy. So I'm happy to support that. So if we're all supportive of that, then that will be re-enlivened in initiative, Mr. Budhoo, so we can, and for all of us us so we can see what that looks like. So thank you all any other comments? Okay, uh, Rokall Vice Chair Lonegan. Yes. Remember Gordon. Yes. Remember New Bull. Yes. Remember Orange. Yes. And Chair Roosevelt. Yes. Okay, at this point reports from us, reports from board members and your reports from board members. Any reports? Vice Chair. Thank you. Chair. First, I just wanted to say congratulations to Libera Bar, the Gourmet Berger place, San Oakland Park Boulevard about half a block west of Federal Highway. They had the Grand Opening commission new, new bold and I. I can't remember some of the others may have been there also throughout the time, but great place. Initially, we all received the email that said, LaBera for Lauderdale and I sent them an email and they went out and they had a new sign made that's this Oakland Park in Neon now so Excellent and they apologize for that too. So Yeah, a little bit a little bit. So welcome to Oakland Park, right more business here Delicious food delicious burgers. It's kind of a burger bar, fried stuff like that. So I just wanted to say welcome, it was a great ribbon cutting and grand opening. Also, Satellites pinball lounge. I took a walk there about two weeks ago. I love pinball. It's pretty cool. Oh, it is so cool. Yeah. So if there's any pinball lovers out there, they also make some excellent pizzas. It's that surprises you all right. Black Flamingo has agreed to host our Packers group. So anyone who may be a Packer fan and wants to help support one of our local businesses, we will be at Black Flamingo right here on Main Street during the Packer games. The first one is this Friday at 815. I got to tell you their food menus. Great also, great burgers, good stuff to munch on. So anyone who wants to come down, help support our local business, we'll see you at Black Flamingo during the, during the Packer games. And just want to say, Nasa Cesar, they do a great job always connecting with the businesses and actually when I see them connecting with me. And I know you guys see them all the time right when we do the ribbon cuttings and grand openings and you got some great people working. So thank you. Just thank you to everyone who makes that possible. Thank you for chair. Sure. Thank you, Vice Chair. Thank you. Board member Gordon. So to your point, Vice Mayor, yes, we have seen Miss Herrera and Miss the Gonzales, say, Gonzales, around town, everywhere, every ribbon cutting ceremony. We all ended up at a ribbon cutting ceremony a few weeks ago. There's a new place called Oasis. Yes, speaking of new business. They were there, but I'm going to tell you, Mr. ABear, the two of them have really heightened the awareness of the CRA and our business developments and how we engage with our businesses. You couldn't, you could not have had better people than those two individuals. We've always had great people, Dr. Tensley and going back to Caitlin, Caitlin, Caitlin Collier. Yes, it's been just so many people, but I've seen them on the west side. Okay, I had a business owner reach out to me yesterday, and they called her by name. Shall I reach out to Nesa Herrera? And I said absolutely. Do you need her number? So yes, doing an excellent job. I just wanted to ditto that by smear. Thank you. Thank you, Board Member. Board Member Newbold. Thank you. I agree. Miss Herrera and Mr. Gonzalez, they're all over from the west to the east to the north to the south and you've had and I've had business owners tell me personally that's a great group. They're young and you know they were just complimenting on how they come in and just give them ideas regarding business. And I like how they once we heard the issues regarding the downtown businesses, they just took off running by making sure to be more accessible for the businesses to listen to them and find out ways in order to connect them with the resources to help them. So that's definitely I wanted to say that and thank you and thank you to Mr. Thompson for that presentation. Thank you. Board member Ernst. Thank you to Mr. Thompson for that presentation. Thank you board member. Ernst. I get my list. Are you ready? Nothing. And I'm ditto with you tonight, sir. Mr. Ray Barrett. Mr. Ray Barrett reports. I don't have anything to add this evening. Thank you, board chair. Okay, so we're going to adjourn and we're going to