[00:00:05] GOOD EVENING. THE TIME IS NOW 7 PM, AND I'LL CALL [Call To Order ] TO ORDER THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH. WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH AN INVOCATION FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND THEN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. IF ALL THOSE THAT ARE ABLE, PLEASE JOIN ME IN STANDING. LET US PRAY. ALMIGHTY GOD, WE GATHER THIS EVENING THANKFUL FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING THIS COMMUNITY. GUIDE US TO SERVE WITH WISDOM AND HUMILITY FOR THE WELL-BEING OF ALL, AND GIVE US A GRATEFUL HEART, GRATEFUL HEARTS TO RECOGNIZE THE GOOD THAT SURROUNDS US IN ALL THAT WE DO. MAY GRACE AND PEACE BE WITH US ALL. AMEN. WE'LL NOW PAUSE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE. PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. 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. MAY WE HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR KURETSKI. HERE. VICE MAYOR CHOY. HERE. COUNCILOR DELANEY. HERE. COUNCILOR SUNDSTROM. HERE. COUNCILOR GUISINGER. HERE. TOWN MANAGER KITZEROW. HERE. TOWN ATTORNEY BAIRD. HERE. OKAY THIS TONIGHT IS A SPECIAL MEETING, AND I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD MAKE SOME REMARKS AT THE BEGINNING SO THOSE THAT ARE HERE UNDERSTAND, THIS IS A TWICE A YEAR DURING SEPTEMBER, OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS BEGIN OFFICIALLY BY DISCUSSING CONDUCTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET. AND SO, UNLIKE ANY OTHER MEETING, THAT'S THE FIRST ITEM UP. SO, THEN THE MEETING THAT OTHERS MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH IS IT STARTS WITH CITIZEN COMMENTS DOESN'T START UNTIL AFTER THE BUDGET HEARING. SO, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE MAY BE HERE TONIGHT TO MAKE PUBLIC CITIZEN COMMENTS. I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, SET EXPECTATIONS WHY THAT'S DIFFERENT. AND THEN I'LL SAY THIS NOW, AND I'LL REPEAT SOME OF THIS UNDER CITIZEN COMMENTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE BEGIN TAKING CITIZEN COMMENTS THIS EVENING, WE WANT TO PROVIDE SOME CLARIFICATION ON TONIGHT'S MEETING. THE PROPOSED PROJECT AT SUNI SANDS PROPERTY IS NOT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA. I'M AWARE THAT SEVERAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS HAVE PROMOTED TONIGHT'S MEETING AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PROPOSED PROJECT AT SUNI SANDS PROPERTY. THESE POSTS MAY HAVE LEFT THE PUBLIC WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT THE PROJECT WILL BE DISCUSSED THIS EVENING. AND IN FACT, WE DO NOT EXPECT THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, UNTIL, WE DO EXPECT ONE IN THE FUTURE. IT GOES TO OUR PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FIRST. BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA. SO, DEVELOPMENT PROJECT DISCUSSIONS AND APPROVALS WILL REQUIRE CERTAIN PROCEDURES, INCLUDING PROPERLY NOTICED PUBLIC HEARING AGENDAS. THE TOWN WILL PUT OUT NOTICES AND COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING UPCOMING MEETING WHEN AND IF IT GETS SCHEDULED. AND THE CITIZEN COMMENT SECTION OF OUR AGENDA IS OPEN FOR CITIZENS RESIDENTS TO SPEAK ABOUT ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON OUR AGENDA. WE DON'T RESPOND TO THEM DURING THE MEETING, BUT WHEN APPROPRIATE, WE ASK TOWN STAFF TO FOLLOW UP, PROVIDE FOLLOW-UP, YOU KNOW, ON THE QUESTIONS OR ISSUES RAISED. SO, WHILE IT'S PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE FOR COMMENTS TO BE MADE, DEPENDING UPON HOW MANY PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE THEM, AND I'LL ASK WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY LIMIT THE TIME ON THAT TOPIC SINCE IT'S NOT AN AGENDA ITEM. AND I FELT, WE FELT IT'S IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE THIS EXPLANATION SO THAT EVERYBODY HERE HAS APPROPRIATE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT WHAT TONIGHT'S MEETING WILL AND WILL NOT INCLUDE. AND SO, WITH THAT, I WANT TO MOVE ON TO [1. Ordinance 40-26, First Reading, Approving the Fiscal Year 2027 Millage Rate (second reading 9/22/26).] OUR STATUTORILY REQUIRED PUBLIC BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO STAFF. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNCIL. SCOTT REYNOLDS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE TOWN OF JUPITER. THIS EVENING, I JUST WE'LL START WITH WHERE WE, WHERE WE'VE ALREADY BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE [00:05:01] GOING TO BE GOING. ON JUNE 18TH OF THIS YEAR, WE HAD AN OPERATIONS BUDGET WORKSHOP IN WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND, THE WATER AND SEWER, OR I'M SORRY, THE WATER AND STORMWATER FUNDS AND THE FIRE FUND OF THE TOWN. WE ALSO SET THE TRIM RATE AND THE DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS THIS EVENING, WHICH SET FOR THE TRIM RATES OR THE TRIM NOTICES THAT WENT OUT IN JULY ON THE 23RD. FROM THE TRIM WORKSHOP THAT WE HAD. ALSO, AUGUST 13TH, WE HAD A CIP WORKSHOP AND AN UPDATE ON THE OPERATIONS BUDGET BASED ON CHANGES THAT HAD HAPPENED FROM JUNE UNTIL THE AUGUST MEETING. AND THEN TONIGHT, WE'RE AT THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING OF THE BUDGET. AND THEN ULTIMATELY, WE WILL HAVE A SECOND AND FINAL HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 22ND. BUDGETARY HIGHLIGHTS AND ASSUMPTIONS FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. CONTINUING TO STRUCTURE THE BUDGET AND ORGANIZE TO LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS. THAT'S A RECURRING THEME THAT WE HAVE EVERY YEAR. SUPPORTING FIRST-YEAR OPERATIONS WITH A SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER REPLACEMENT MILLAGE FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. NO WATER AND STORMWATER RATE INDEXING IS BEING PROPOSED GOING INTO NEXT YEAR. WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN PUBLIC SAFETY. AGAIN, THE JUPITER FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT WILL GO LIVE OCTOBER 1, 2026. THAT'S A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT MILESTONE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS FOR OVER 3 YEARS. CONTINUING TO INVEST IN THE TOWN EMPLOYEES TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST AND TRYING TO BE COMPETITIVE IN THE AREA MARKET, MEETING AND CONTINUING TO ACHIEVE SERVICE LEVELS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC INFORMATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND MAINTENANCE, FOCUSING ON ORGANIZATIONAL ENHANCEMENT TO IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES BY LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY WHEREVER WE CAN, AND OVERALL EXPENDITURES REFLECTING INVESTMENTS IN FIRE AND POLICE SERVICES, COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. FIRST THING THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS IS THE PROPERTY VALUATION INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS UPCOMING YEAR, OR THIS, I'M SORRY, THIS CURRENT YEAR GOING INTO NEXT YEAR. YOU CAN SEE HERE THE PROPOSED VALUATION IS $19.6 BILLION. THE '26 VALUATION IS $18.4 BILLION, AN INCREASE OF $1.1 BILLION OR ALMOST $1.2 BILLION. AND HOW THAT BREAKS OUT, IT'S A 6.4% INCREASE FROM THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR YOU CAN SEE $134 MILLION, OR 0.73% OF THE OVERALL $6.4, IS DUE TO NEW CONSTRUCTION. AND THEN WE HAD OVERALL VALUATION INCREASE OF 5.67%. NOW, PROPERTY VALUE INCREASES ARE CAPPED AT THE 3% IF YOU'RE HOMESTEADED, AND THAT'S PER THE SAVE OUR HOMES INITIATIVE. ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO POINT OUT, AND WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING IT ALL SUMMER, IS BASED ON THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE TO FUND JFRD, JUPITER PROPERTY OWNERS WILL SAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BEGINNING IN YEAR 1. YOU CAN SEE HERE THE ESTIMATED $35 MILLION FOR THE PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE. THAT ESTIMATE WAS GIVEN TO US 3 YEARS AGO. WE ESCALATED THAT GOING FORWARD. THAT'S, AGAIN, THAT NUMBER, THAT $35 MILLION ACTUALLY CAME FROM PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE. OF WHAT THEY WOULD BE CHARGING IN FY27. WE HAD SET A TARGET OF 25, ACTUALLY, I LOOKED AT, I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT WHAT WE ORIGINALLY PROPOSED BACK IN JANUARY OF 2023. THE ACTUAL BUDGET THAT WE HAD CAME UP WITH WAS $25.9 MILLION FOR FY27. SO, WE ACTUALLY CAME IN UNDER TARGET. SO ADDITIONAL SAVINGS, BUT $10 MILLION SAVINGS IN THE FIRST YEAR. THE COUNCIL AND STAFF SHOULD BE PROUD OF THEMSELVES. THEY'VE ACTUALLY, WE'VE WORKED VERY HARD FOR THIS OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS. BUT FOR THE CITIZENS THEMSELVES, A $10 MILLION SAVINGS GOING INTO NEXT YEAR. OVER TO THE RIGHT WANT TO BREAK OUT THE, THE MILLAGE SO YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL MILLAGE THAT'S BEING PROPOSED OF 3.5886. IT HAS 2 SEPARATE COMPONENTS TO IT. WHICH IS A PORTION OF IT IS THE FUND, THE GENERAL FUND OPERATING, AND IT'S CIP 2.3894. AND THEN THE PORTION THAT IS BEING CARVED OUT FOR THE FUND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT 1.1992. YOU WON'T SEE THOSE AS SEPARATE LINE ITEMS ON YOUR TRIM NOTICE. IT'S ONE MILLAGE RATE THAT YOU'LL SEE ON YOUR TRIM NOTICE, AND IT'S THE 3.5886. SO, THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE COMPARED [00:10:02] TO THE ROLLBACK RATE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE STATUTORILY NEED TO SPEAK TO EACH YEAR. THE ESTIMATED TAXES TO BE COLLECTED UNDER THE PROPOSED RATE OF 3.5886 JUST OVER $70 MILLION. AT THE ROLLBACK RATE, IT'S 2.2705. THE FY27 ROLLBACK RATE IS CALCULATED FROM THE 2026 RATE THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE JFRD. SO, THIS YEAR YOU'RE SEEING A LARGE INCREASE OF OVER $25 MILLION COMPARED TO THE ROLLBACK RATE. THAT'S AN ANOMALY. AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THIS YEAR 1 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JUPITER FIRE RESCUE. NORMALLY WHAT YOU WOULD SEE THERE GOING, LOOKING AT THE ROLLBACK RATE, A COUPLE MILLION-DOLLAR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ROLLBACK RATE AND THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE. BUT BECAUSE OF THAT INCREASE IN VALUES AND ALSO WHAT WE'RE DOING TO IMPLEMENT THE JFRD JUST OVER $25 MILLION FOR THIS ONE-YEAR ANOMALY. ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO POINT OUT EVERYBODY'S RECEIVED THEIR TAX NOTICE, THEIR TRIM NOTICE IN THE, IN THE MAIL. WANTED TO KIND OF BREAK OUT PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE, WHAT THEY SAW IN THE FY26 COLUMN, WHICH IS THE GRAY COLUMN THAT YOU CAN SEE THERE. YOU CAN SEE IN THE YELLOW COLUMN WHERE IT SAYS NUMBER 2, THERE'S A 0 THERE. THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT YOU WOULD CALL LIKE THE ROLLBACK COLUMN, OR IF EVERYTHING STAYED STATIC. BUT THERE'S A 0 THERE FOR THE PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE PORTION. AND THEN OF COURSE COLUMN 3 IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS EVENING IF YOU, IF WE ADOPT WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED. SO, TRANSLATING THAT OVER TO THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE OF THE TABLE HERE. YOU CAN SEE THE PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE SERVICE IN FY26 WAS $543.30. THIS IS ACTUALLY AN AVERAGE HOME IN JUPITER THAT WE PICKED TO DO THE VALUE. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE TOWN OPERATING FOR FY26 IS $752.51 IN '26. IT ESCALATES UP TO THE UH, $1,163.14 WHICH INCLUDES THE FIRE PORTION AND THE TOWN OPERATING PORTION OF THE MILLAGE, THE FULL MILLAGE. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A NON-AD VALOREM ASSESSMENT PORTION THERE IN '27 OF $93. SO, IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE TOTAL COLUMN, YOU CAN SEE IN FY26, THIS RESIDENT WOULD HAVE PAID $1,295.81. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IN '27 BASED ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET $1,256.14, A SAVINGS FOR THIS RESIDENT OF $39.67. SO, WE KIND OF WANTED TO KIND OF BREAK DOWN THE TRIM. YOU CAN SEE THE NON-AD VALOREM ASSESSMENT PORTION IS AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE TAX BILL OR THE TAX NOTICE, AND THEN EACH ONE OF THE, THE DEFAULTING ITEMS HERE I THINK THE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ALSO GOING ONLINE AND USING THE ONLINE CALCULATOR TO LOOK AT WHAT THEIR INDIVIDUAL SAVINGS WOULD BE COMPARED TO JUPITER OR THE PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE. BUT WANTED TO KIND OF SHOW THIS, WORKED WITH OUR COMMUNITY RELATIONS TEAM TO PUT THIS TOGETHER TO HELP FURTHER EXPLAIN WHAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING ON THEIR TAX NOTICE. JUMPING STRAIGHT INTO THE FY27 BUDGET OVERVIEW. EXPENDITURES OF $3.7 MILLION BUDGET IS A DECREASE OVERALL FUNDS FROM '26. PROJECTIONS ASSUME A 5% SALARY ADJUSTMENT FOR NON-UNION EMPLOYEES. THERE'S TOWN INSURANCE COSTS PROPERTY LIABILITY INSURANCE INCREASES DUE TO NEW BUILDINGS BEING ADDED AND INCREASES IN PROPERTY AND LIABILITY. NO INCREASES IN THE HEALTH AND BENEFIT COSTS FOR EMPLOYEES. THAT'S LIKE I BELIEVE THE 6TH YEAR THAT WE'RE DOING THAT. FIRST YEAR OF FIRE FUND OPERATIONS, $25.5 MILLION. OPERATIONS ON TARGET FROM THE 2023 PROJECTION. AGAIN, I DID THAT THIS WEEKEND, WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THE JANUARY '23 PRESENTATION TO SEE WHAT THAT NUMBER WAS. SO, WE ARE ACTUALLY UNDER TARGET. THE REVENUES FOR THE GENERAL FUND, OVERALL INCREASE OF $4 MILLION WHEN COMPARED TO '26. WITHOUT INCLUDING THE $17.7 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE USAGE FOR THE JFRD. INCREASE IN ASSESSED VALUES RESULTS IN A $2.1 MILLION INCREASE IN AD VALOREM REVENUE. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUES INCREASED BY $21,715. INCREASE OF $233,000 IN CHARGES FOR SERVICE, PRIMARILY DUE TO SOLID WASTE SURCHARGE REVENUE AND ALSO THE COST ALLOCATIONS FROM THE DIFFERENT ENTERPRISE FUNDS. INCREASE OF $1.3 MILLION IN INTEREST EARNINGS. WE'RE WE'VE, WE HAD BEEN SUSPECTING [00:15:02] THAT THAT LINE ACTUALLY WOULD DECREASE, BUT WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT BASED ON OUR PROJECTIONS, THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE AN INCREASE OVER THIS YEAR. AND THEN NO USE OF RESERVES ARE NEEDED GOING INTO FY '27. THE PROPOSED EXPENDITURES WE BREAK OUT THE ACTUAL INCREASES BY THE LARGER LINE ITEMS IN THE BUDGET. SO, YOU CAN SEE PREDOMINANTLY THE INCREASES ARE IN SALARY AND BENEFITS. YOU ALSO SEE SOME DECREASES HERE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE TRANSFER TO THE CAPITAL. THERE WAS A MAJOR DECREASE IN THE TRANSFER TO CAPITAL GOING INTO FY27. JUPITER FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS, AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO BE OPERATIONAL OCTOBER 1, '26. THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED IS AD VALOREM DOLLARS, $21.6 MILLION. THE MILLAGE IS 1.1992. THAT PORTION OF THE MILLAGE THAT WILL BE USED TO GENERATE THAT $21.6 MILLION. TRANSPORT FEES OF $1.5 MILLION. NON-AD VALOREM ASSESSMENT FEES OF $1.9 MILLION, JUST OVER 1.9. THE FIRE PREVENTION REVENUE FEES, $250,000. AND ANNUAL INSPECTION FEES OF $100,000. TOTAL FIRE FUNDING FOR FY27 $25.4 OR $25.5 MILLION BASED ON THE PALM BEACH COUNTY COUNTYWIDE MILLAGE. THIS WAS ANOTHER DISCUSSION FROM 3 YEARS AGO. I'M LOOKING BACKWARDS. I DID A LOT OF THAT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. BUT LOOKING BACKWARDS INTO WHAT THE COUNTYWIDE MILLAGE WOULD BE THAT OTHERS PAY JUST OUTSIDE OF THE JUPITER JURISDICTION, THEY PAY 3.4581. THAT WOULD COST $64 MILLION IF, IF WE WERE TO PAY THAT MILLAGE HERE IN THE TOWN OF JUPITER BASED ON THE TAXABLE VALUE THIS, THIS YEAR. $64 MILLION. I NEEDED TO SAY THAT AGAIN, IN FY27. THAT'S A 30, $39 MILLION SAVINGS IN THE FIRST YEAR. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AT LENGTH WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT GOING TO FIRE RESCUE. ABOUT THE COUNTYWIDE MILLAGE AND WHAT THAT COULD MEAN TO THE TAXPAYERS OF JUPITER. SO BASED ON PALM BEACH COUNTY'S BUDGET, TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER ALREADY, THEY GAVE US AN ESTIMATE OF $35 MILLION. SO AGAIN, FIRST-YEAR SAVINGS SPECIFICALLY IS $10 MILLION. THERE IS SOME DEBT SERVICE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AS WELL. THERE'S A DEBT ISSUANCE SHOULD BE COMING BEFORE THE COUNCIL IN DECEMBER OF '26. IT'S TO FUND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 2 FIRE STATIONS, AND ACTUALLY IT'S GOING TO RETIRE THE COMMERCIAL PAPER THAT WE UTILIZE TO BUILD THE STATIONS, PLUS $2 MILLION TO FUND THE STATION 11 RENOVATIONS. THIS WILL REPLACE THE SHORT-TERM COMMERCIAL PAPER LOAN THAT WAS APPROVED BACK IN 2025, ANTICIPATED AT COMPETITIVE RATE. DUE TO THE TOWN'S STRONG CREDIT RATING AND DEBT TO BE FUNDED THROUGH THE NON-AD VALOREM ASSESSMENT REVENUES. THE WATER FUND, NO RATE INDEXING AGAIN. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT THROUGHOUT THE WORKSHOPS IN THE SUMMER. NO RATE INDEXING IS BEING REQUIRED. WE HAVE A 5% SALARY INCREASE THROUGHOUT ALL FUNDS, INCLUDING THE WATER FUND. THERE'S BEEN A REDUCTION IN THE DEBT SERVICE COST. UTILITY SERVICES DECREASED DUE TO UPDATING OF FP&L ESTIMATES. THERE'S $929,000 DESIGNATED TO RETAINED EARNINGS AND ESTIMATED $7.9 MILLION GOING OVER TO OUR R&R RESERVES FOR CAPITAL FUNDING. THE STORMWATER FUND, AGAIN, NO RATE INDEXING BEING REQUIRED, $580,000. DESIGNATED FROM RETAINED EARNINGS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. FISCAL YEAR '27 PROJECTED AVAILABLE R&R, RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT CONTRIBUTIONS, OF $502,000. STORMWATER EXPENSES, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT OUTSIDE OF SALARY INCREASES, THERE'S A PURCHASE OF A NEW VAC TRUCK FOR $435,000. IT'S GOING TO BE A COST-SHARED ITEM BETWEEN WATER AND STORMWATER. THE JUPITER RIVER ESTATES NON-AVALANCHE ASSESSMENT, YOU CAN SEE IT'S VERY MINIMAL THIS YEAR, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S NO TRIMMING OCCURRING. THE BUILDING FUND PERMIT REVENUES ESTIMATED SHOWS A $350,000 INCREASE. PERMIT RATE STUDY IS CURRENTLY BEING COMPLETED. HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS WE WILL HAVE THAT COMPLETED. INTEREST EARNINGS, THERE'S A DECREASE, AND THE REASON YOU'RE SEEING A DECREASE IN INTEREST EARNING IN THE BUILDING FUND IS, AS YOU KNOW, WE PURCHASED THE BUILDING FOR $9 MILLION THIS SUMMER, SO WE'VE REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF CASH, SO THE INTEREST EARNINGS ARE GOING DOWN. SLIGHT USE [00:20:02] OF RETAINED EARNINGS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, AND THERE HAS BEEN INCREASES IN DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSES, INCREASE OF $77,000 IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, AND ALSO THERE'S AN INCREASE IN THE COST ALLOCATION TO THE GENERAL FUND. THAT'S PRIMARILY DUE TO CODE COMPLIANCE, RUNNING MORE BUILDING-TYPE COMPLIANCE ISSUES. THE HEALTH INSURANCE FUND, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE FUND. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR DESIGNATED RETAINED EARNINGS OF $10 MILLION IN THAT FUND. THERE'S NO INCREASES BEING PROPOSED FOR THE PREMIUMS GOING INTO '27 MAINTAINING THE 90/10 PREMIUM COST SPLIT BETWEEN EMPLOYEES AND THE TOWN. CLAIMS COST PROJECTED TO SLIGHTLY INCREASE IN '27, WHICH WILL BE OFFSET BY PREMIUM REVENUES. AND WE BROUGHT ON, JUST REMEMBER THIS, WE BROUGHT ON 96 NEW FIRE POSITIONS. FUND BALANCE GOAL STILL TO REMAIN AT $10 MILLION. AND IT SHOULD BE MAINTAINED. WE'LL BE REEVALUATING AND REVISING THE GOALS IN LATE '27 AND GOING INTO '28, SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THIS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS THIS SUMMER, LOOKING AT THE RESERVE BALANCES BASED ON THE ADDITIONAL BODIES THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT ON FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. CIP FUNDING, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. YOU CAN SEE THERE'S BEEN A FEW UPDATES SINCE THE WORKSHOP. WE FUNDED THE SPLASH PAD PROJECT WITHOUT THE USE OF TOWN RESERVES. WE ADDED AEDS TO THE PARKS OPERATING. WE TOOK IT OUT OF THE CIP. THERE WAS SOME FUNDING THAT WAS IN THERE FOR THE AEDS AND STOPPED THE BLEED. ALSO, WE REDUCED STORMWATER ASSET MAINTENANCE DUE TO AVAILABILITY OF CARRYFORWARD DOLLARS, AND WE ADDED THE A1A BEACH SHOWER FUNDING IN FY27 DUE TO STATE APPROPRIATIONS. ONE OF THE EXERCISES THAT WE DID DURING THE WORKSHOP WAS WE TALKED ABOUT PAUSING OF CERTAIN PROJECTS DUE TO AMENDMENT 3 AND WHAT MAY OCCUR IN NOVEMBER. WE PAUSED $25.4 MILLION IN CAPITAL PROJECTS UNTIL THE OUTCOME OF AMENDMENT 3 IS KNOWN. PAUSED PROJECTS AND THEIR FUNDING WILL REMAIN IN THE PROPOSED CIP UNTIL THE ADDITIONAL WORKSHOP IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER BASED ON THE OUTCOME OF AMENDMENT 3. SO, THEY'RE STILL IN THERE, THE FUNDING'S THERE, IT'S JUST STAFF IS NOT GOING TO PROCEED FORWARD AND BRING FORWARD ANY PROJECTS OR ANY CONTRACTS OR ANYTHING THAT REALLY, OR ANYTHING TO DO WITH THOSE PROJECTS UNTIL WE KNOW THAT OUTCOME AND WE HAVE THAT WORKSHOP. SO, IN SUMMARY, STAFF SEEKS APPROVAL ON FIRST READING OF THE PROPOSED OPERATING MILLAGE RATE OF 3.5886 THROUGH ORDINANCE 40-26. ALSO SEEK APPROVAL ON FIRST READING OF THE PROPOSED 2027 THROUGH 2031 COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM THROUGH ORDINANCE 41-26. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE OPERATING BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND OR THE RESOLUTION 109-26 THAT WILL BE VOTED ON IN THE SECOND AND FINAL HEARING ON DECEMBER 26TH. WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER THOSE AS WELL. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, MAYOR. WELL, JUST, JUST THE FIRST QUESTION. I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT JUST TO CLARIFY IT FOR ALL OF US. SO, YOUR PRESENTATION COVERED AGENDA ITEMS 1, 2, AND 3 COMBINED, CORRECT? CORRECT. AND NOW WE ASK QUESTIONS AND WE TAKE ACTION ON THEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGENDA 1, 2, 3. SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE FIRST ORDINANCE? 40, WELL, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PRESENTATION MATERIALS? I JUST WANTED TO ASK ON THE BUDGET OVERVIEW, PAGE 08, UNDER JUPITER RIVER ESTATES ON NON-AD VALOREM, IS THAT CHARGED TO ALL RESIDENTS OR JUST JUPITER RIVER ESTATES? JUPITER RIVER ESTATES IS RECEIVING THE BENEFIT OF THE MANGROVE TRIMMING? CORRECT. BUT DO ALL RESIDENTS PAY THAT OR JUST JUPITER RIVER ESTATES? THE RESIDENTS IN THAT LOCATION DO. THAT'S IT. WANTED TO BE SURE. THANK YOU. HEY, THAT WAS A SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICT SET UP. IT WAS DONE THROUGH THE NON-AD VALOREM ASSESSMENT PROCESS, RIGHT? SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID FOR THE FIRE, BUT IT WAS JUST FOR THAT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, RIGHT? IS THAT CONSIDERED A SPECIAL DISTRICT, OR NO? NO. OKAY. NO. NOT CONSIDERED A SPECIAL DISTRICT, BUT IT'S NOT THE ENTIRETY OF JUPITER RIVER ESTATES, RIGHT? YEAH, JUST THOSE THAT WERE ESTABLISHED WHEN WE ESTABLISHED THAT AS REALLY BEING PART OF, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CALL IT, BUT IT IS A GROUP. YEAH. BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT CONTRACT ENDS? BECAUSE I KNOW WITH THE DIALOGUE THAT WAS HERE LAST [00:25:01] MONTH, THE COST IS GOING DOWN, I SEE. I'M BEING TOLD 8 MORE YEARS ON THE CONTRACT. OKAY. BUT COUNCIL HAS A DECISION TO MAKE WHETHER WE PROCEED, AND THAT'S REALLY NOT A TONIGHT AGENDA ITEM, BUT THAT, THAT'S AN OPEN ITEM. OKAY, THANK YOU. COUNCILOR GUISINGER, DID YOU HAVE, YEAH, ONE QUESTION ON PAGE 8 RELATIVE TO THE PROPERTY LIABILITY INSURANCE. I UNDERSTAND FROM A HEALTH STANDPOINT, HEALTH INSURANCE, WE'RE SELF-FUNDED. FOR PROPERTY LIABILITY, DO WE SHOP THAT TO GET A GOOD BID ON THAT? WE DO. IN FACT, WE HAVE A BROKER THAT HELPS US WITH THAT. OKAY, SO THAT'S THE RESULT OF THE BROKER, WHAT WE GET, THE BEST DEAL? CORRECT. OKAY. AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS ON PAGE 18. ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED AT THE CIP WORKSHOP WAS NOT ONLY THE AEDS TO THE PARKS, BUT ALSO THE STOP THE BLEED. DOES THAT INCLUDE THE STOP THE BLEED KITS ALSO? YES, SIR. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAUGHT, I DID SAY, I DID MENTION THAT IT WASN'T ON THE SLIDE, BUT IT WAS THE AEDS AND STOP THE BLEED. YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT. COUNCILOR DELANEY, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO QUESTIONS. COUNCILOR SUNDSTROM? OKAY, SEEING NONE ON QUESTIONS I JUST WANT TO SAY AS WE GET INTO ASKING FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ORDINANCE 4026, FIRST READING, APPROVING THE MILLAGE RATE, I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING THAT TONIGHT, AND THAT'S, IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE UNANIMOUS TONIGHT. BUT I JUST WANT TO SHARE MY, WHAT THE BASIS FOR THAT. AND I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME, BUT AND IT'S ABOUT THE TOWN OF JUPITER PROPERTY TAX DISPARITIES FROM THE NON-AD VALOREM FIRE TAX. SO, WE EMBARKED ON A JOURNEY TO CREATE OUR NEW JUPITER FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER A SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY TAX SAVINGS TO ALL JUPITER PROPERTY OWNERS. WE'RE DOING JUST THAT BY THE $10 MILLION PROPERTY SAVINGS IN YEAR 1 OF JUPITER FIRE RESCUE OPERATIONS. LOOKING BACK, AS, AS A FINANCE DIRECTOR DID, I DID AS WELL. WE HAD COMMITTED, WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO MAKE, SAVE AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM OF $5.5 MILLION IS THE NUMBER THAT WE HAD, WE HAD USED WHEN WE MADE THE DECISION. AND BLESSED TO BE AT THIS POINT TO BE HAVING A BUDGET BEFORE US THAT DELIVERS MUCH MORE THAN THAT $10 MILLION. SO, BUT THE ORIGINAL INTENTION WAS TO DELIVER EVERY PROPERTY OWNER A PROPORTIONATE FAIR SHARE FOUNDED UPON A REDUCED OVERALL PROPERTY AD VALOREM TAX MILLAGE RATE, THE SAME FOR EVERYONE. THERE WERE PERIODIC DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE USE OF THE NON-AD VALOREM FIRE TAX TO OFFSET SOME SMALL PORTION OF AD VALOREM TAX ASSESSMENTS, AND I CONSISTENTLY AND WITHOUT EXCEPTION ASSERTED THAT I WOULD NOT AGREE TO SUCH PROPERTY TAXATION WITHOUT FIRST UNDERSTANDING ANY TAXATION INEQUITIES THAT WOULD BE CREATED. SO, AFTER EVALUATING TRIM NOTICES FOR 365 RESIDENTIAL UNITS AND 33 COMMERCIAL PARCEL PROPERTIES I WILL UNDERSTAND THE NEW PROPERTY TAXATION INEQUITIES. AND WHEN I USE THE TERM PROPERTY TAXES, NOW IT'S A COMBINATION OF AD VALOREM AND NON-AD VALOREM, BUT IT'S STILL PROPERTY TAXES. SO FIRST, LOOKING AT COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, I LIKE TO BASELINE AND SEE HOW INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES AND PROPERTIES ARE IMPACTED AND HOMES AND WHATEVER. SO, I LOOKED AT THE TAX BASE FOR 33 PARCELS. THIS IS $351 MILLION IN TAX BASE. THE TOWN OF JUPITER PROPERTY TAXES ARE $1.35 MILLION FROM THIS SUBSET. SO, THIS, THIS REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAMPLE SIZE. IT'S ABOUT 4% OF PROPERTY TAXES, BUT IT'S A GRAB OF ONES I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. SO, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE TOWN OF JUPITER PROPERTY TAXES IN FISCAL YEAR '27 VERSUS '26 TO SEE WHAT THE DELTA WAS, THE FIRST THING FOR COMMERCIAL IS I HAD TO ADJUST FOR PROPERTY VALUATION CHANGES BECAUSE THEY WERE VERY DIFFERENT BETWEEN, AND SO I ADJUSTED FOR THAT. SO, THE AVERAGE SAVINGS WAS 7.2%. BUT THERE WAS A WIDESPREAD, IN YEAR-OVER-YEAR, CHANGES [00:30:02] IN PROPERTY TAXES RANGING FROM A TAX SAVINGS OF 12.7% TO A TAX INCREASE OF 2%. NOW, GAS STATIONS APPEARED TO BE THE GREATEST BENEFICIARIES FROM THE NON-AD VALOREM TAXATION APPROACH. THE 12.7% WAS A GAS STATION. THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE. BIG BOX RETAIL STORES HAD AN ACTUAL INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES, 2%, THEREBY RECEIVING NO FINANCIAL BENEFIT FROM THE JFRD DECISION. AGAIN, AVERAGE-WISE, IT WAS 7.2%, BUT BIG DISPARITY. SO, THEN I LOOKED AT RESIDENTIAL UNITS, AND I LOOKED AT 13 INDIVIDUALLY OWNED UNITS AND THEN 352 APARTMENTS. THE $364,000 IN TAXES JUST TO GET A FEELING FOR WHAT THOSE REPRESENTED. SO FIRST, FOR THE 13 INDIVIDUALLY OWNED RESIDENTIAL UNITS, THE DELTA FROM '27 VERSUS '26 WAS AN AVERAGE SAVINGS OF 5.9%. AND ONCE AGAIN, THERE WAS A WIDESPREAD IN YEAR-OVER-YEAR CHANGES IN PROPERTY TAXES RANGING FROM A TAX SAVINGS OF 13.1% TO JUST 1.3%. NON-HOMESTEADED CONDOMINIUM UNITS APPEARED TO BE THE GREATEST BENEFICIARIES FROM THE NON-AD VALOREM TAXATION APPROACH. LONGTIME HOMESTEADED SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE UNITS RECEIVED THE LOWEST AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL BENEFIT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE JFRD DECISION. THEN LOOKED AT THE 352 RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUM APARTMENT UNITS, WHICH BY THE WAY WAS BARCELONA, THE AVERAGE PROPERTY TAX SAVINGS WAS 10.9%. SO, IF I DO, I THEN DID IT IN AN ILLUSTRATIVE COMPARISON. A NON-HOMESTEADED APARTMENT IN BARCELONA VERSUS A HOMESTEADED SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE AND IT JUST KIND OF FELL INTO MY LAP BECAUSE I HAD 2 THAT WERE ALMOST IDENTICAL APPRAISALS, TAXABLE VALUES, EXCUSE ME. OKAY, ONE WAS $264,975 AND THE OTHER WAS $264,546. SO, IT'S A NEGLIGIBLE 0.2% DIFFERENCE. SO, I JUST KIND OF LOOKED AT THE 2 OF THEM. PROPERTY SAVINGS OR $120 FOR THE APARTMENT AND $14 FOR THE SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE. SO NON-AD VALOREM AGAIN LEADS TO DISPARITIES. SO, THE PROPERTY TAX DISPARITIES ARE SO WIDESPREAD AND UNFAIR THAT I CAN'T SUPPORT THE UNIQUE TAX ASSESSMENT CALCULATION APPROACH CREATED BY THE TOWN'S AD VALOREM TAXATION CONSULTANT. AND I PERCEIVE, AND HAVE FOR A LONG TIME, THAT THE FINANCIAL CONSULTANT HAD AN APPARENT BIAS TO SECURE HIGHER NON-AD VALOREM TAXES FROM SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE PROPERTY OWNERS. AND I SUPPORT THAT PERCEPTION BECAUSE GARAGE, PORCH, AND BALCONY AREAS FOR TOWNHOUSES AND, TOWNHOUSES AND CONDOMINIUMS ARE EXEMPTED FROM NON-AD VALOREM FIRE TAXES, BUT NOT SO ON HOUSES. AND I'VE SHARED THIS BEFORE. UNDER-ROOF OUTDOOR RESTAURANT AND EATING AREAS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO ANY NON-AD VALOREM FIRE TAX, BUT A HOUSE PORCH IS. AND THEN GASOLINE STATION DISPENSING AREAS ON THE CANOPY ROOFS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO ANY NON-AD VALOREM FIRE TAX, BUT HOUSE PORCHES AND GARAGE SPACES ARE. SO, I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING THIS. NOW I'M ABLE TO KIND OF ARTICULATE HOW IT'S IMPACTED. YOU KNOW, THE MOBILE GAS STATION ON INDIANTOWN ROAD HAS A LOWER NON-AD VALOREM FIRE TAX FEE THAN THE PROPERTY OWNER FOR THE HOUSE THAT I USED TO ILLUSTRATE THE TAXATION INEQUITIES BETWEEN A HOUSE AND APARTMENT. BY THE WAY, IT'S A RETIRED SCHOOL TEACHER THAT LIVES IN THAT HOUSE. YOU KNOW, I TRY TO ALWAYS PUT IN PERSPECTIVE NOT ONLY THE SITUATION BUT THE HOUSE. SO, YOU KNOW, IS THAT LOGICAL TO ANYBODY? YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT TO ME, RIGHT? IT'S NOT TO ME THAT THE GAS STATION HAS LESS FIRE RISK WITH DISPENSING OF GAS, NOR THAT IT WOULDN'T BE MORE THAN A HOUSE. AND THEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT OUTDOOR SEATING AREAS WHERE YOU COULD HAVE SMOKING OR WHATEVER, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A PORCH, ISN'T TAXED, BUT A HOUSE, ONLY A SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE IS TAXED. SO, YOU KNOW, WE RAISED THAT. AND I KNOW WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS NOW, BUT MY COLLEAGUES COULD IN FACT COMMIT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT AND CHANGE IT FOR NEXT YEAR BECAUSE IT IS WHAT IT IS. BUT IF YOU RECALL, WHEN IT CAME TO US, WE COULD [00:35:01] NOT GIVE ANY POLICY INPUT. WE, WE WENT ON THE DISCOVERY MODE OF WHAT, HOW IT WAS, YOU KNOW. AND SO, I WAS RECENTLY TOLD THAT NON-AD VALOREM FIRE TAX WAS A DECIDED POLICY BY 3-2 TOWN COUNCIL ACTION. AND I ACCEPT THAT. BUT WHILE THAT MAY BE THE CASE, THIS YEAR'S OVERALL TOTAL PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT AMOUNT IS SUBJECT TO UNANIMOUS TOWN COUNCIL DECISION. AND SO TONIGHT I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT WHAT THE FULL MILLAGE AND NON-AD VALOREM FEE BECAUSE IT, IT CREATES INEQUITIES. AND SO, WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, I'LL TAKE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ORDINANCE 4026. MAYOR, BEFORE I MAKE A MOTION IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD BE WILLING, IF MY COLLEAGUES AGREE, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT IN THE FUTURE. SO, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME DISCREPANCIES, BUT THIS YEAR WE DIDN'T, I DON'T THINK WE HAD TIME. IT WAS, IT WAS THE MOST, THE FAIREST OPTION THAT WAS IN FRONT OF US, BUT I'D BE WILLING TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. SO, MAYOR, IF I MAY, FOR THE RECORD, THERE WERE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE BUDGET ITEMS. AND I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ORDINANCE 4046 OF THE FIRST READING OF THE TOWN'S 2027 MILLAGE RATE. I'LL SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. I'D ASK TOWN ATTORNEY TO READ ORDINANCE 40-26. ORDINANCE 4026, AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF JUPITER, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A MILLAGE RATE TO BE LEVIED BY THE TOWN OF JUPITER ON TAXABLE REAL AND TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY WITHIN THE TOWN FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 2026 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2027, STATING THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE, STATING THE PERCENT BY WHICH THE MILLAGE RATE EXCEEDS, IF ANY, THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE, AND LEVYING AN AD VALOREM TAXES ON ALL TAXABLE REAL AND TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY IN THE TOWN OF JUPITER FOR THE SAID FISCAL YEAR. WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR OF ORDINANCE 40-26 SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? NAY. THE MOTION CARRIES 4 TO 1 WITH MAYOR KURETSKI. MAYOR, BEFORE YOU GO ON, COULD I, DIDN'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE COMMENTS. I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE RATIONALE ON ALL OF THE APARTMENTS, THE CONDOS, THE TOWNHOMES. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST, BECAUSE I AGREE THAT THE CONSULTANT WASN'T QUITE WHERE WE ALL NEED TO HEAR WHAT SHE WAS COMING WITH. I THINK A WORKSHOP WITH THE PROPERTY APPRAISERS TO UNDERSTAND HOW EACH OF THESE PROPERTIES ARE BEING TAXED, BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S GOING TO GO BACK TO THE DEVELOPER AT THE TIME, TOWNHOME, CONDO, SO FORTH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE COMFORTABLE WHEN IT COMES BACK TO US. I, I AGREE THAT YOUR RATIONALE IS THERE. BARCELONA IS A RENTAL, SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE THAT WAS GOING, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE INPUT FROM THE PROPERTY APPRAISER TO HELP GUIDE US. WELL, THAT WASN'T A PROPERTY APPRAISER, THAT'S REALLY THE TOWN FINANCIAL CONSULTANT THAT DEFINED THE PARAMETERS. BUT DID SHE NOT GET THE DATA FROM THE TAX RECORDS? BUT SHE DEFINED LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, TOWNHOMES HAVE GARAGES AND PORCHES. BUT SHE DEFINED THAT A TOWNHOME WOULD NOT INCLUDE THE GARAGES AND PORCHES. SO THAT WAS A GIVEN. THAT'S NOT THE PROPERTY APPRAISER. BUT LET ME SUGGEST, I THINK WE WILL BE HAVING, HAVE TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS IF THERE'S A MAJORITY. THERE HASN'T BEEN UNTIL NOW. BUT I WANTED TO JUST, I PARTICULARLY WANTED TO SHARE THIS TONIGHT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S PARTICULARLY MEANINGFUL IN A SPECIAL WAY, IS THAT WHICH IS STUNNING TO ME IS I TALKED ABOUT DISPARITIES, AND EVERYBODY MAY HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT WHETHER IT'S A DISPARITY OR NOT. SOME MIGHT SAY, WELL, GEE, I WANTED THE APARTMENTS TO GET A HIGHER, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST SAYING IT'S A DISPARITY, DISPARITY FROM WHEN I MADE THE COUNCIL DECISION AS AN INDIVIDUAL. I THOUGHT EVERYBODY WAS GOING TO GET THE SAME. SOMEBODY THAT HAS HIGHER TAXABLE BASE IS GOING TO GET PROPORTIONALLY HIGHER, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS FAIR, BUT I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT RANGE. BUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS IS WHY, AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS. SO. THANK YOU FOR ACTUALLY AT LEAST BRINGING IT BACK FOR A COMMENT, BECAUSE WITH AMENDMENT 3, IF WE GO INTO THE WORLD OF NON-AD VALOREM, OH MY GOSH, YOU SEE HOW I DON'T THINK ANYBODY UP HERE HAD EXPECTED THAT THOSE DISPARITIES EXISTED. WE WERE ALL AWARE IT WASN'T A PERFECT WORLD. YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T COMPLETELY FAIR, BUT IT WAS FAIRER THAN IT WAS JUST A STRAIGHT RATE. SO, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THAT STAFF WAS DEALING WITH, I THINK ONE YEAR IS OKAY. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT IT, WHETHER WE DO, YOU KNOW, GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION OR NOT, OR TWEAK IT. BUT I'M WILLING TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. UNDERSTAND. MY ONLY POINT WAS, [00:40:01] I JUST WANT TO SAY, BECAUSE TO ME, I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. I THOUGHT ABOUT, OH MY GOSH, IF AMENDMENT 3 PASSES, EVERYBODY STARTS GOING INTO NON-AD VALOREM, THE DISPARITIES. OH MY GOSH. I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN APPETITE FOR THAT HERE. AND I DIDN'T SAY THERE WAS. I DIDN'T SAY THERE WAS. I'M JUST SAYING, YEAH, THAT FOR FIRE IS A LOW PERCENTAGE. WE DIDN'T DO THAT. IT WAS A LOW PERCENTAGE, BUT THAT LOW PERCENTAGE HAD SIGNIFICANT DISPARITIES. SO, IF WE WERE TO INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE, WELL, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT ONE IF IT COMES UP. SO, LET'S SEE, BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING A LOT OF THINGS ON HOLD WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN NOVEMBER. SO, LET'S JUST KIND OF TAKE A BREATH AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND REVISIT IT DOWN THE ROAD. THERE'S ALWAYS A BALANCING ACT. WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER $2 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND RECURRING EXPENSE. SO THAT'S WHAT COVERS, THERE ARE 2 APPROVED METHODS. NEITHER ONE IS PERFECT. THE OTHER ONE IS MORE UNFAIR. THIS IS THE MORE, FAIR OPTION. THERE ARE A LOT OF TOUGH CHOICES BEFORE US AND COMING FORWARD, AND WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO BALANCE THEM. OKAY MOVING [2. Ordinance 41-26, First Reading, Approving the Fiscal Year 2027-2031 Community Investment Program (second reading 9/22/26). ] ON TO THE SECOND ITEM, ORDINANCE 41-26. I'LL TAKE A MOTION AND A SECOND. MOTION TO APPROVE ORDINANCE 41-26 ON FIRST READING. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING THIS ONE EITHER DUE TO SOME ISSUES THAT I'M STILL PURSUING WITH STAFF, BUT I DON'T SUSPECT IT'S NEEDED TO GET TO A CONSENSUS. I'D ASK TOWN ATTORNEY TO READ ORDINANCE 4126. ORDINANCE 4126, AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL, TOWN OF JUPITER, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE TOWN'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO UPDATE THE 5-YEAR COMMUNITY INVESTMENT PROGRAM INCLUDED WITHIN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ELEMENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF LAWS IN CONFLICT, PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WE HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND ON ORDINANCE 4126. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. NAY, EXCUSE ME, OPPOSED, NAY. THE MOTION CARRIES 4 TO 1 WITH MAYOR [3. Review of the Town of Jupiter's Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget and Pay Plan. ] KURETSKI DISSENTING. AND THEN ITEM 3, AGENDA ITEM 3, THERE IS NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN. SO, [CITIZEN COMMENTS ] WITH THAT, I WILL MOVE TO CITIZEN COMMENTS. HOW MANY CITIZEN COMMENTS DO WE HAVE? SIR, WE HAVE 12. 12. HOW MANY ARE ON CITIZENS? 12. 12. OKAY, I'M GOING TO ASK AGAIN, I'LL JUST KIND OF READ WHAT I HAD READ EARLIER THAT THE PROPOSED PROJECT AT SUNI SANDS IS NOT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA. WE'RE AWARE THAT SEVERAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS HAVE PROMOTED IT AS IT WAS ON AND COULD HAVE BEEN INTERPRETED AS IT WAS ON THE AGENDA. WE DO EXPECT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS IN THE FUTURE, BUT IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT. THERE IS A PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MEETING THAT HAPPENS BEFORE IT EVER COMES TO US. NO. OKAY, NO, THERE ISN'T. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. DEVELOPMENT PROJECT DISCUSSIONS AND APPROVALS REQUIRE CERTAIN PROCEDURES, INCLUDING PROPERLY NOTICED PUBLIC HEARING AGENDAS. WE WILL PUT OUT SUCH NOTICES AND COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING ANY UPCOMING MEETINGS WHEN AND IF THEY'RE SCHEDULED. AGAIN, THE CITIZEN COMMENT SECTION OF OUR AGENDA CAN BE USED TO SPEAK ABOUT ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA. WE DON'T RESPOND TO THEM DURING THE MEETING, BUT WE ASK STAFF TO FOLLOW UP AND WHERE APPROPRIATE GET BACK WITH THE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. I'M GOING TO ASK THAT WHEN WE, EACH PERSON IS CALLED UP THAT SUBMITTED THE CARD TO STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD PRIOR TO ADDRESSING COUNCIL. AND THERE IS A 3-MINUTE LIMIT ON EACH PERSON, AND I'M TRYING TO BE, I ALWAYS TRY TO BE FLEXIBLE ON THAT, BUT WE DO HAVE AN AGENDA TO GET TO. SO, I'D ASK EVERYBODY, WHEN YOU START, THERE IS A, YOU COULD SEE A CLOCK AS YOU'RE ADDRESSING US, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A BUZZER THAT GOES OFF WHEN THE TIME'S UP. SO, WITH THAT, I'D ASK OUR TOWN CLERK TO BEGIN CALLING UP THE PUBLIC COMMENTS. YES, SIR. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS VIVIAN MCLEAN BUNCE, FOLLOWED BY CHERYL SNYDER. TESTING, TESTING. GOOD EVENING. [00:45:02] FOR THE RECORD, VIVIAN MCLEAN BUNCE, PRESIDENT OF THE JUPITER INLET FOUNDATION. FOLLOWING UP ON OUR LETTER SENT TO COUNCIL DATED 9/4/26, I'M HERE TO MAKE ONE POINT VERY CLEAR. THIS IS NOT SIMPLY A REQUEST FOR 17 BOAT SLIPS. IT IS A REQUEST TO PLACE A 17-SLIP MARINA THROUGH A SIGNIFICANT AND FLOURISHING SEAGRASS HABITAT IN THE SUNI SANDS ESTUARY. THE QUESTION BEFORE COUNCIL IS WHETHER THAT PROPOSAL IS CONSISTENT WITH THE TOWN'S OWN POLICIES COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND PRECEDENT. WE BELIEVE THE ANSWER IS NO. FIRST, THERE IS NO USE BY RIGHT FOR A MARINE FACILITY AT SUNI SANDS UNDER SECTION 27-2626A OF THE TOWN CODE. A DOCK WITH MORE THAN 2 SLIPS IS A MARINE FACILITY, AND A MARINE FACILITY REQUIRES A SPECIAL EXCEPTION. THAT REQUIREMENT EXISTED WHEN THIS PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED IN 2013. SO, THE ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL IS NOT WHETHER THE APPLICANT HAS A RIGHT TO BUILD THIS MARINA, THEY DO NOT. THE ISSUE IS WHETHER COUNCIL SHOULD GRANT AN EXCEPTION TO THE TOWN'S OWN RULES. SECOND, THE TOWN'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OBJECT, OBJECTIVE 1.3 CALLS FOR PROTECTION OF COASTAL WILDLIFE, FISHERIES, AND HABITAT, AND FOR MINIMIZING DEVELOPMENT IMPACT. OBJECTIVE 1.5 CALLS FOR PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF MARINE NATURAL SYSTEMS AND THE FUNCTIONS AND VALUE THEY PROVIDE. THESE POLICIES MATTER, ESPECIALLY HERE WHEN THE PROPOSED MARINA WOULD DIRECTLY IMPACT AN EXISTING SEAGRASS HABITAT. THIRD, COUNCIL HAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED A RELEVANT PRECEDENT. IN 2020, THE PELICAN CLUB SOUGHT APPROVAL FOR ONE ADDITIONAL SLIP, BRINGING ITS MARINA TO 4 SLIPS. THE REQUEST WAS DENIED. TOWN STAFF RECOMMENDED DENIAL, AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO RECOMMEND DENIAL. THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS WERE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR. SO, I ASKED COUNCIL THIS SIMPLE QUESTION: IF 4 SLIPS WERE INCONSISTENT WITH THE TOWN'S ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES IN THAT LOCATION, HOW CAN 17 SLIPS THROUGH AN EVEN LARGER AND MORE VULNERABLE SEAGRASS AREA BE CONSISTENT WITH THE SAME POLICIES? THE TOWN HAS SAID IT WANTS TO PROTECT NATURAL AREAS, SEAGRASS. THE TOWN'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SAYS DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS SHOULD BE MINIMIZED. AND THE TOWN HAS PREVIOUSLY DENIED A SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER MARINA REQUEST WHERE SEAGRASS PROTECTION WAS A CONCERN. THE POLICIES CANNOT MEAN ONE THING IN ONE CASE AND SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT IN ANOTHER. COUNCIL HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO APPLY THE TOWN'S STANDARDS CONSISTENTLY. THIS IS ABOUT MORE THAN THIS ONE APPLICATION. IT IS ABOUT WHETHER THE TOWN WILL STAND BEHIND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS IT HAS ADOPTED AND WORKED VERY HARD TO FOSTER. GREAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN THE HEALTH OF THE SEAGRASS BED ONLY BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF THE TOWN AND JIF HAVE TAKEN TO PROTECT IT. THEREFORE, JIF RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS COUNCIL TO FOLLOW ITS OWN POLICIES, FOLLOW ITS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, FOLLOW ITS PRECEDENT, AND DENY THE REQUESTED SPECIAL EXCEPTION FOR THE 17 SLIP MARINA. MARINA. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHERYL SNYDER, FOLLOWED BY GABRI MCGLYNN. IF YOU'LL MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT ROW WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED. CHERYL SCHNEIDER, JUPITER INLET FOUNDATION. FOR MANY YEARS, THE JUPITER INLET FOUNDATION AND THE TOWN HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO FOSTER AND PROTECT THE SEAGRASS BEDS WITHIN JUPITER, INCLUDING THOSE ALONG THE INLET. TIME AND AGAIN, THE TOWN HAS RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE SEAGRASS HABITATS AND HAS TAKEN STEPS TO ENSURE THEIR CONTINUED HEALTH. BUT JIF BELIEVES THAT GREATER ACTION IS NECESSARY NOW. AS PART OF ITS SUNI SANDS PLAN, THE APPLICANT HAS REQUESTED CHANGES TO THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP THAT WOULD PLACE ONE-THIRD OF THE SHORELINE UNDER A CONSERVATION DESIGNATION AND THE REMAINING 2/3 UNDER THE MORE INTENSE INLET VILLAGE FLEX. IN OTHER WORDS, ONLY A SMALL EDGE OF THE SUNI SAND SEAGRASS HABITAT, THE PART ADJACENT TO SQUARE GROUPER, WOULD BE SAFEGUARDED UNDER THE CONSERVATION DESIGNATION, WHILE THE MAJORITY WOULD BE EXPOSED TO THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE DAMAGE FROM A HIGH-INTENSITY USE CLASSIFICATION. THIS IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. THE FUTURE LAND USE ELEMENT REQUIRES THAT FUTURE LAND USE PATTERNS PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF THE TOWN AND CONSIDER NATURAL RESOURCES. POLICY 1.2.4 STATES THAT EXISTING LAND USES WHICH ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH NATURAL RESOURCES SHALL BE ELIMINATED UPON REDEVELOPMENT. THE COASTAL MANAGEMENT ELEMENT ALSO REQUIRES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT ON COASTAL WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES POPULATIONS. IN THE PAST, PROJECTS AFFECTING SEAGRASS HABITAT HAVE COME BEFORE COUNCIL [00:50:01] ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS THROUGH THE SPECIAL EXCEPTION PROCESS. IN OUR VIEW, THIS IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE. THE SEAGRASS HABITAT IN FRONT OF SUNI SANDS CONTAINS SOME OF THE LARGEST REMAINING BEDS IN JUPITER. GIVEN THE TOWN'S STATED GOAL TO PROTECT SEAGRASS, ITS EFFORTS TO FOSTER THE SUNI SANDS SEAGRASS HABITAT, AND ITS PREVIOUS DENIAL TO EXPAND THE MARINA IN AN ADJACENT SEAGRASS AREA, JIF BELIEVES IT'S TIME FOR COUNCIL TO ESTABLISH, ESTABLISH PERMANENT PROTECTION FOR THIS AREA. AS A FIRST STEP, JIF URGES COUNCIL TO REJECT THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST TO CHANGE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUNI SANDS SHORELINE TO INLET VILLAGE FLEX. INSTEAD, COUNCIL SHOULD DESIGNATE THE ENTIRE SHORELINE AS CONSERVATION AND SETTLE THE QUESTION OF SEAGRASS PROTECTION IN THIS AREA ONCE AND FOR ALL. JIF UNDERSTANDS THAT THE TOWN WOULD NEED TO TAKE ADDITIONAL STEPS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SUCH A CHANGE. WE'D BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS TO DISCUSS OUR IDEAS FOR ADDRESSING THESE CHALLENGES. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GABRI MCFLYNN, FOLLOWED BY ASHLEY DENNIS AND SERGEI KELLY. WE HAVE 2 PODIUMS. PLEASE UTILIZE BOTH. HELLO, MY NAME IS GABRI. I'M A FREEDIVER AND WILDLIFE ADVOCATE BASED HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA. SO, THIS KIND OF THING IS EXCEPTIONALLY CLOSE TO MY HEART WHEN I AM CONSTANTLY DIVING AND SWIMMING WITH TONS OF ANIMALS SUCH AS THE GREEN SEA TURTLE AND THE FLORIDA MANATEE, WHICH BOTH HAVE A HABITAT AND ALSO IT IS BREEDING GROUNDS FOR THOSE TYPES OF ANIMALS TO BE SWIMMING THROUGH SUNI SANDS PROPERTY. AND NOT ONLY WILL THIS MARINA, NOT JUST A BOAT SLIP LIKE VIVIAN SAID THIS MARINA CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGES TO THE SEAGRASS BED THERE. IT ALSO IS IN THE HABITAT FOR CRITICALLY ENDANGERED AND FEDERALLY PROTECTED ANIMALS, SUCH AS, LIKE I SAID, THE GREEN SEA TURTLE AND THE MANATEE. THOSE ARE FEDERALLY PROTECTED AND ENDANGERED ANIMALS. AND LIKE SAID BEFORE, THIS SEAGRASS BED IS ONE OF THE ONLY THAT ARE LEFT IN JUPITER. THERE'S NOT VERY MUCH MORE WHERE THEY CAN GO. SO, IF THIS IS RUINED, WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO GO? SO NOT ONLY IS THAT A PROBLEM, BUT THERE'S ALSO A PROBLEM ON A HISTORIC LEVEL. IT'S BEEN FOUND WHERE THE SUNI SANDS IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF JUPITER'S 3 MOST UNDISTURBED AMERICAN INDIAN MOUNDS, AS WELL AS AFTER FINDING OVER 03,500 PIECES OF ANCIENT CERAMICS THERE, WHICH HAVE TO DO WITH NATIVE AMERICANS. AND THE DEVELOPMENT MAINLY DIDN'T GO THROUGH, NOT FULLY, BUT MAINLY BEFORE, BECAUSE IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE'S AN ANCIENT SHELL MIDDEN WITH EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT NATIVE AMERICAN BURIAL GROUNDS THERE. SO NOT ONLY IS THIS SUBSTANTIALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE MARINE HABITAT THERE, IT'S ALSO HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT. AND WE JUST DON'T NEED MARINAS. WE DON'T NEED HOTELS. WE DON'T NEED BUILDINGS ANYMORE IN JUPITER. WE NEED SEAGRASS BEDS, PRESERVED HISTORIC SITES, AND GRASSY FIELDS. KEEP FLORIDA WILD. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ASHLEY DENNIS, FOLLOWED BY SERGEI KELLY AND ZACHARY BURR. AND AGAIN, I'D ASK EACH SPEAKER TO STATE YOUR NAME, AND WE TRY TO WRITE DOWN THE NAME. I KNOW WE CAN GET IT LATER, BUT IF YOU'D REPEAT THE NAME SO WE CAN, FOR THOSE OF US THAT TAKE NOTES ABOUT IT, AND THEN YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD. HELLO EVERYBODY. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS ASHLEY. TODAY I'M HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE SUNI SANDS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT. WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT COMES 17 DOCK SLIPS, WHICH WE'VE YOU KNOW, HEARD WITH EACH PEOPLE, WITH EACH PERSON COMING UP. WITH THE 17 DOCK SLIPS, THIS AREA IS ONLY ZONED FOR UP TO 2. OUR TAX DOLLARS WERE USED TO RESTORE THE SEAGRASS IN THIS VERY AREA, AND INTRODUCING 17 NEW BOAT DOCKS TO THE AREA IS GOING TO INTRODUCE POLLUTION, COMPROMISING AND KILLING THE SEAGRASS, AND THIS WILL HAVE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON THE WILDLIFE. THIS AREA IS LOVED BY MANY DIVERS AND JUPITER RESIDENTS FOR DIVERSE MARINE LIFE. MARINE AND WILDLIFE CONTINUE TO DECLINE WHILE FLORIDA CONTINUES TO BUILD. JUPITER DOES NOT NEED ANOTHER HIGH-RISE ON THE WATER AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR PROTECTED MARINE LIFE, WHICH INCLUDES MANATEES AND SEA TURTLES. PLEASE SAY NO TO THE SUNI SANDS DEVELOPMENT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SERGEI KELLY, FOLLOWED BY ZACHARY BURR AND KARYN KIDDER. SERGEI KELLY, ZACHARY BURR, AND KARYN KIDDER. PERFECT. GREAT TO BE HERE. AND OBVIOUSLY, AS EVERYONE HAS SAID, PLEASE DENY THE SUNI SANDS DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES, WHAT IS THE NATURE OF JUPITER? WHAT IS JUPITER? IF WE CONTINUE DOWN THE SAME PATH AS MAYBE THE LAST 5 YEARS FOR THE NEXT 50, WILL IT STILL BE JUPITER? I WOULD SAY NO. WE ALREADY HAVE AREAS LIKE DELRAY FOR THEIR SOFT BARS THAT ARE [00:55:02] BECOMING CLOSER TO FORT LAUDERDALE. FURTHERMORE, JUPITER IS NOT AT ALL WHAT IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO, 30 YEARS AGO. AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS EITHER REMEMBER THAT OR KNOW WHAT IT USED TO BE LIKE. AND IT'S CERTAINLY CHANGED. BUT AT SOME POINT, IT WILL NOT BE JUPITER IF IT KEEPS BUILDING AND BUILDING AND BUILDING. I WOULD SAY NO TO ESPECIALLY THE 17 SLIPS THAT WOULD HAVE A HUGE IMPACT. THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. SAY NO TO SUNI SANDS AND THE DEVELOPER CHARLES MODICA. FURTHERMORE, WE KNOW THE ECOLOGICAL EFFECT ISN'T JUST IN THAT AREA, ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT ON THE SPLIT PART OF THE 10.5 ACRES AND THEN THE WETLAND AND THE WATER PART. IT'LL HAVE MUCH GREATER IMPACT INTO LOXAHATCHEE, INTO THE INDIAN RIVER, INTO THE INTRACOASTAL. SO, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT AT THAT SAME SITE. FURTHERMORE, THE TOWN HAS ALREADY SETTLED AS WAS MENTIONED ABOUT THE JUPITER FOUNDATION, WHAT COULD BE THERE. SO, IT SHOULD BE A CASE CLOSED. AND OBVIOUSLY WE SEE MANY PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT SPEAKING PREEMPTIVELY BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE ARE CONCERNS ACROSS THE STATE, INCLUDING JUPITER, WHERE DEVELOPMENTS SEEM TO COME IN, THEY GET APPROVED MAYBE PRETTY QUICK, AND THERE'S ONLY A FEW COMMENTS, OR IT'S AT THE LAST MINUTE. SO, I THINK HAVING PEOPLE HERE BEFORE IT EVEN GETS BROUGHT, BROUGHT TO THE PLANNING IS CRITICAL, AND I THINK IT'S HAPPENING MORE ACROSS FLORIDA. IF YOU LOOK AT JUST THE GOOGLE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THIS, LOOK UP A SATELLITE TIME-LAPSE THROUGH GOOGLE AND JUST PUT IT OVER JUPITER AND SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM 1984 TO NOW. AND IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD. IT'S CHANGED COMPLETELY. FURTHERMORE, THE AREA HAS ALREADY DENIED, AT LEAST IN JUPITER FARMS, THE SCHOOL OVER THERE BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT WOULD NOT ONLY TAKE AWAY RURAL AND WILD LAND, BUT BECAUSE THE LOCALITY DID NOT WANT IT AND THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT WANTED IT WERE OUT OF TOWN, WHICH IS A RECURRING PATTERN. SO AGAIN, WITH THAT DENIAL, AS WELL AS THE DENIAL OF THE AI DATA CENTER BY PALM BEACH COUNTY, WITH MANY PEOPLE FROM JUPITER GOING TO THAT MEETING AND SPEAKING OUT AGAINST IT AS WELL, IT IS CLEAR WHERE THE TONE OF RECKLESS DEVELOPMENT SITS IN THIS PART OF FLORIDA. FURTHERMORE, WE DO THANK YOU FOR AT LEAST WHAT THE CURRENT SETTLEMENT FOR THE 4.5 ACRES, WHICH SHOULD BECOME A PARK, AND DON'T LET THE DEVELOPER TRY TO DICTATE WHAT CAN HAPPEN AT THAT PARK, EITHER HOURS OR ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL PEOPLE AND ALL WILDLIFE. FURTHERMORE, IF THEY WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT'S WITHIN THE CODE, THAT'S SMALLER, THAT'S SIMILAR TO THE FORMER STUFF THAT WAS THERE, THAT'S FINE. NO ONE'S SAYING ABSOLUTELY NO DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE'RE SAYING DON'T CHANGE THE WHOLE NATURE OF THE AREA. NO TO 17 DOCK SLIPS. AND FURTHERMORE, WE WANT TO KEEP JUPITER BECAUSE THE NEXT GENERATION, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS FOR THE NEXT 40 TO 60 YEARS OUT, AND IT'S GOING TO BE COMPLETELY GONE IF THIS IS APPROVED. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ZACHARY BURR, FOLLOWED BY KAREN KIDDER AND WILLIAM KIMBALL. HI, I'M ZACHARY BURR, AND I'M FROM 164 TUSCAN CIRCLE, JUPITER, FLORIDA 33458. I WANTED TO COME UP AND PRESENT SOME PICTURE EVIDENCE OF GREEN SEA TURTLE ACTIVITY AND MANATEES IN THE SUNI SANDS AREA WHERE THE MARINA WOULD BE BUILT. SO, I JUST WANTED IMAGES TO BACK UP WHAT EVERYONE'S SAYING. SO, I JUST FILMED IT WITH DRONE OVER SEVERAL DIFFERENT DATES OVER THE LAST YEAR. AND IF NEED BE, I CAN BE CONTACTED TO GATHER MORE EVIDENCE OF HEAVY GREEN SEA TURTLE ACTIVITY, THE JUVENILES FEEDING THERE, AS WELL AS SOME MANATEES. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KAREN KIDDER, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM KIMBALL. AND ELIZABETH MURRAY. HELLO AGAIN, MY NAME IS KIERAN KIDDER. LIVE HERE IN JUPITER AND INLET WATER CIRCLE. I'M A VERY AVID ANGLER, AND I LIVE HERE IN JUPITER BECAUSE OF FISHING AND THE WHOLE BOATING LIFE AND JUST TO BE AROUND THE OCEAN AND MAINTAINING AND JUST PRESERVING THE SEAGRASS AND JUST EVERYTHING THAT IS JUPITER. IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. AND JUST THIS WHOLE DEVELOPMENT, POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT, WE JUST DO NOT, WE HAVE SO MANY MARINAS ALREADY. WE DO NOT NEED THIS TO SEE THIS DESTRUCTION OF THIS HABITAT. IT'S SO CRITICAL FOR THE MARINE LIFE. I'VE NOTICED, YOU KNOW, FISHING HERE, LIVING HERE FOR 25 YEARS, THINGS HAVE DECLINED. THE SNOOK FISHING IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT USED IN THE INLET DURING THE SUMMER POST THE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION. AND I JUST SEE THAT BEING EXACERBATED WITH A POTENTIAL MARINA AND MORE DESTRUCTION AND JUST YOU KNOW, JUST THE SEA LIFE JUST NOT HAVING AN ADEQUATE PLACE TO LIVE AND JUST CONTINUING THE DECLINE. AND I JUST DO NOT WANT TO SEE IT. WE DON'T NEED MORE MARINAS. WE DON'T NEED MORE RESTAURANTS. YOU KNOW SENSIBLE DEVELOPMENT THERE. IT'S, YOU KNOW, I'M OKAY WITH THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, NO RESTAURANTS, NO MARINAS. JUST NEED TO KEEP JUPITER. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, AND PLEASE DENY THIS. THANK [01:00:02] YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS WILLIAM KIMBALL, FOLLOWED BY ELIZABETH MURRAY AND CAITLIN WOOD. I WANT TO BE THE ODD MAN OUT OVER HERE ON THIS LITTLE PODIUM. WILLIAM KIMBALL, A LIFELONG JUPITER AND JUNO RESIDENT. I WAS HERE WHEN THIS THING PRETTY MUCH STARTED AT SUNI SANDS, WHEN THE SUNI SANDS RESIDENTS WERE STILL IN THERE. AND IT STILL PUZZLES ME WHY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CRA THAT WAS IN PLACE, THAT ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS IN THE CRA IS THAT ELDERLY HOUSING AND FACILITIES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF THAT, BUT THEY JUST KICKED THEM OUT OF THERE QUICKLY. WIPED OUT EVERY MOBILE HOME IN THERE AND SAID, SEE YOU. AND NOW IT'S JUST SAT THERE VACANT EVER SINCE. AND YOU COULD HAVE HAD THE, I'D SAY, DECENCY TO HAVE SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S ALLOW THEM TO LIVE IN THERE IN THEIR GOLDEN AGE INSTEAD OF KICKING THEM OUT. THERE ARE VETERANS IN THERE. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THERE THAT WERE AMAZING PEOPLE. AND IT WAS JUST, SEE YOU. SO NOW YOU'RE GOING TO GO AND KICK THEM OUT, BUT THEN THE NEXT KICK OUT IS GOING TO BE THE SEA TURTLES, THE SNOOK, THE MANATEES, THE OTHER CREATURES THAT ARE NATIVE TO THAT AREA AND THAT SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN THERE. AND I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY NO TO THAT. BUT BEYOND THAT, INSTEAD OF JUST RAISING OUR FISTS AND SAYING NO, NO, NO, NO, HOW ABOUT ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT COULD BE THERE? SOMETHING THAT IF YOU'RE WATCHING ONLINE OR OBVIOUSLY THERE IN THE CROWD, HOW ABOUT A COMMUNITY GATHERING AREA? HOW ABOUT AN AREA WHERE WE COULD HAVE A GREEN MARKET, AN AREA WHERE PEOPLE COULD GET GATHER WITH THEIR CHILDREN, THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY, LOOK OUT AT THE LIGHTHOUSE AND HAVE MUSICAL EVENTS THERE, AND THEN RAISE FUNDS THAT COULD PUT BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY, MAYBE RAISE FUNDS TO GIVE MORE TO THE JUPITER INLET FOUNDATION, AND JUST MAKE A DIFFERENCE INSTEAD OF JUST, NO, NO, NO, DON'T DO THIS. HOW ABOUT WHAT COULD WE DO WITH IT? WHAT COULD BE A LEGACY WHERE YOU COULD STAND UP AND ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE? AND THEN BEYOND THAT, I'VE SURFED AND LIVED HERE MY WHOLE LIFE AND BEEN IN THE OCEAN SINCE I WAS 5 YEARS OLD HERE. MY DAD TOOK ME IN IT WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GUY. AND I'VE SEEN SINCE FROM THAT TIME TILL NOW WHERE I'LL GO OUT ON REEFS AND THEY'RE GONE. THEY'RE NOT EVEN, THERE'S NOT EVEN A FISH IN THERE. THERE'S NOTHING THERE. IT'S JUST HISTORY. AND THEN THAT AREA RIGHT THERE, THAT SEAGRASS IS SO SERIOUS FOR THOSE CREATURES, FOR THEIR HABITAT, FOR THEIR SPAWNING, WHATEVER IT IS THEY NEED. THAT ALONE, LOOKING AT A MARINA, IT'S LIKE WE HAVE ENOUGH MARINAS, WE HAVE ENOUGH CONCRETE, WE HAVE ENOUGH THINGS PUT IN HERE IN PLACE THAT WHY DON'T WE STAND UP AS HUMANS AND ANCESTORS AND SAY TO OURSELVES, ARE WE BEING GOOD ANCESTORS AS WE SIT HERE AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME? BECAUSE THAT'S THE QUESTION YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF. ALL THE REST OF THE STUFF IS RUST AND DUST THAT SURROUNDS US. BUT ARE YOU BEING A GOOD ANCESTOR? AND CAN PEOPLE 100 YEARS FROM NOW GO, WOW, THOSE INDIVIDUALS, THOSE WOMEN, MEN, CHILDREN THAT EVEN STOOD UP, WENT FOR IT. THEY SAVED SOMETHING. THEY SAVED THESE CREATURES AND SPECIES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN WIPED OUT IN THAT AREA BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED IN SOMETHING, THAT THEY LOOKED TO THE FUTURE. SO THAT'S MY WORDS TO YOU TONIGHT IS, ARE YOU BEING A GOOD ANCESTOR? AND BE ONE. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ELIZABETH MURRAY, FOLLOWED BY CAITLIN WOOD AND JAKE HELLO, MY NAME IS ELIZABETH MURRAY. OH, I FORGOT WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. 100 PARADISE HARBOR BOULEVARD, NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA 33408. I CAN'T TOP THAT. THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL. AND THE PART ABOUT BEING A GOOD ANCESTOR IS SO IMPORTANT. AND ALSO, BEING A GOOD, WHAT'S THE OPPOSITE OF AN ANCESTOR? BEING A GOOD PERSON FROM THE PAST. THEY FOUGHT FOR ALL OF THIS DEVELOPMENT TO BE SLOWED DOWN. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE RESTORING THE EVERGLADES. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, WE'RE GOING FOR THE TURTLES. IT'S LIKE PART OF MY SPEECH WAS GOING TO BE, THEY'RE COMING FOR THE TURTLES. WE HAD THE CRAZY HAPPY TURTLE DANCERS COMING FOR THE TURTLES AND NOW THEY WANT TO TEAR THIS UP, YOU KNOW, PUT IN 17 MORE BOAT SLIPS AND DESTROY THE HABITAT THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR, THE GOOD ANCESTORS. ALSO, I WANTED TO NOTE, THANK YOU FOR THE PRAYER BEFORE, THE WELL-BEING OF ALL, RECOGNIZING THE GOOD THAT'S ALL AROUND US. SO WHY WOULD WE ALLOW SOMEONE TO GO IN AND DESTROY THAT? WE'RE PRAYING FOR THE BEAUTY AND THE GOOD THAT SURROUNDS US, AND INSTEAD WE'RE GOING TO PUT IN BOAT SLIPS AND, YOU KNOW, MARINAS AND MORE STUFF THAT WE DON'T NEED THAT'S GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DESTROY WHAT WE JUST PRAYED FOR. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. AND I GREW UP IN FLORIDA MY WHOLE LIFE. I WATCHED IT START IN MIAMI AND [01:05:01] THEN THROUGH FORT LAUDERDALE AND THEN PALM BEACH GARDENS WHERE THEY BUILT ALL OUT WEST. YOU KNOW, MACARTHUR WOULD BE CRYING ABOUT THAT. SO, I'M JUST SAD ABOUT ALL THIS. AND LIKE, THE OLDER I GET, THE MORE DEVELOPMENT I SEE. EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND, THERE'S ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT ON THE CORNER OF DONALD ROSS AND US-1. THEN FURTHER DOWN SOUTH IN US-1, YOU GOT THAT, THE OTHER BIG THING ON BLUE HERON OR WHATEVER. IT'S JUST OUT OF HAND. SO, THE, AND ALSO PIGGYBACKING ON THE BUDGET MEETING, I HEARD THE WORD RECURRING THEME AND THAT WE SHOULD LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS. I DON'T THINK PUTTING A 17-SLIP BOAT DOCK LETS US LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS. IT'S JUST MORE, YOU KNOW, DESTRUCTION AND MORE MONEY BEING SPENT ON THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT. YEAH, SO BASICALLY, IT'S ABOUT NOT DESTROYING WHAT'S BEAUTIFUL HERE. AND BY THE WAY, I USED TO WORK AT JUPITER MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH MR. BURNS, WHO RECENTLY PASSED AWAY IN A DIVING ACCIDENT. HE'D BE AT THIS MEETING IF HE COULD BECAUSE HE ALSO BELIEVED IN PRESERVING WHAT WE LOVE. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CAITLYN WOOD, FOLLOWED BY JAKE REEVES AND EMILY RYAN. GOOD EVENING, CAITLYN WOOD, 6398 LESLIE STREET. I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS. I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS WAS A SUNI SANDS MEETING. WE ALL FILLED OUT NON-AGENDA ITEMS BUT WE'RE ALL SICK AND TIRED OF BEING REACTIVE, AND WE'VE CHOSEN TO BE PROACTIVE TONIGHT, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS BEFORE IT COMES TO THE COUNCILS' YES, SO, WE'RE ALL AWARE THAT THE DEVELOPER HAS SUBMITTED A SPECIAL EXEMPTION TO CONSTRUCT THE 17-SLIP MARINA EXTENDING FROM THE SHORELINE OF THE SUNI SANDS PROPERTY INTO THE WATERWAY. AS THE JUPITER INLET FOUNDATION STATED, THERE'S NO EXISTING USE BY RIGHT FOR A MARINE FACILITY AND ON THIS PROPERTY, AND TO APPROVE SUCH A REQUESTED EXEMPTION WOULD BE DIRECTLY CONTRARY TO THE TOWN'S PRIORITIES. THE TOWN HAS, WITHIN ITS PUBLISHED STRATEGIC PLAN THAT I LOOKED AT THIS AFTERNOON, A PRIORITY TO MAINTAIN JUPITER AS A DISTINCTIVE COASTAL COMMUNITY WITH OPEN AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS. AND ONE OF THE INITIATIVES UNDER THAT PRIORITY INCLUDES PROTECTING LOCAL SEAGRASS AND THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER, ENHANCING THE NATURAL VEGETATION AND PROMOTION OF BLUE WATER SYSTEMS. THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED 17-SLIP MARINA WOULD BE DIRECTLY IN THE AREA OF AN EXISTING SEAGRASS BED, WHICH IS ONE OF ONLY 6 SUCH SEAGRASS BEDS THAT IS MONITORED ON A BIMONTHLY BASIS BY THE WILD PINE LABORATORY AT THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER DISTRICT. THIS SPECIFIC SITE IS KNOWN AS THE INLET SITE, WHICH CODE INL, AND THIS SITE HAS BEEN MONITORED SINCE 2012. TAKING DIRECTLY FROM A DISTRICT REPORT IN 2021 FROM THE WILD PINE LABORATORY, THIS SITE IS AMONG THE LARGEST OF THE MONITORING SITES AT APPROXIMATELY 4.37 ACRES AND IS LOCATED ON A SHALLOW AREA INSIDE THE JUPITER INLET. THIS SITE HAS ALSO BEEN THE FOCUS OF MANY LONG-TERM SEAGRASS STUDIES AND MONITORING BY OTHER AGENCIES, AS WELL AS HAVING THE DESIGNATION AS A JOHNSON'S SEAGRASS HABITAT SINCE 1992. THIS AREA IS VERY POPULAR WITH SWIMMERS AND PADDLEBOARDERS WHO COME TO SEE THE GREEN SEA TURTLES AND MANATEES THAT EVERYONE HAS MENTIONED. AND THE REASON THAT SEAGRASS IS SUCH A CONCERN FOR MYSELF AND MANY OTHER JUPITER RESIDENTS IS BECAUSE THESE SEAGRASSES SUPPORT MANY ECOLOGICALLY BUT ALSO ECONOMICALLY VITAL FUNCTIONS. THEY'RE NURSERY HABITATS FOR SPECIES OF FISH AND SHELLFISH. THEY'RE FOOD FOR LARGE CHARISMATIC ANIMALS. THEY ALSO HELP MITIGATE WAVE ENERGY AND STABILIZE SUSPENDED SEDIMENTS AND SEQUESTER ATMOSPHERIC CARBON. ALL OF THESE THINGS WE SHOULD ALL CARE ABOUT. IT IS WELL ESTABLISHED THAT THE TYPE OF COASTAL DEVELOPMENT AND INTENSIVE BOAT USAGE PROPOSED BY THE APPLICANT ARE DETRIMENTAL TO SEAGRASSES. FROM THAT SAME REPORT FROM THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER DISTRICT, IT STATES ALTERED HYDROLOGY, NUTRIENT-LADEN TERRESTRIAL RUNOFF, EXPANDING DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING SEAWALLS AND MARINE DOCKS, DREDGING AND CHANNELIZATION, AND INCREASED BOATING TRAFFIC AND RECREATIONAL USE ARE ALL THREATS TO SEAGRASSES' PERSISTENCE. SO, WHEN THIS DOES COME TO THE TOWN TO MAKE A DECISION, I URGE YOU TO REMAIN TRUE TO YOUR PRIORITIES AND POLICIES AND DENY THE MARINA. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER JAKE REEVES, FOLLOWED BY EMILY RYAN. HEY THERE, EVERYBODY. COUNCIL THIS IS A LOT EASIER ONLINE, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME. FIRST AGAIN, JAKE REEVES, 164 VERO, ST. JUPITER, FLORIDA 33458. FIRST WANTED TO READ A PIECE OF SCRIPTURE THAT IS 2 GENESIS 02:15. IT IS, FOR THE LORD GOD [01:10:02] TOOK THE MAN AND PUT HIM IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN TO WORK IT AND TAKE CARE OF IT. I WANTED TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, AS WELL AS JUPITER INLET FOUNDATION, MR. KIMBALL, ANYBODY THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED WITH PROTECTING AGAINST SUNI SANDS. I AM NOT AS SMART AS PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY HERE. I GREW UP HERE IN JUPITER, DID THE GAMUT OF JUPITER SCHOOLS. I KIND OF WANT TO TAKE YOU GUYS THROUGH A DAY IN MY LIFE, KIND OF AS A 10, 11-YEAR-OLD KID WHO GREW UP HERE. I GREW UP, WE WOULD HOP IN MY MOM'S OLD TOYOTA SEQUOIA LOAD UP THE SURFBOARDS, GO TO THE INLET. BACK THEN, THE INLET WORKED. WE COULD SURF THAT BREAK IN THE AFTERNOON. YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE WIND WOULD GET ON, WE COULDN'T SURF ANYMORE, SO WE WOULD WALK DOWN THE INLET, DOWN, DOWN DU BOIS, DOWN MINIMALLY PAVED PATHS, DOWN, YOU KNOW, PINE STRAW. WE WOULD GO DOWN THERE AND FISH BY DU BOIS AND LOOK AT THOSE WATERS, AND IT WAS, IT WAS PLENTIFUL. WE WOULD FISH MUCH LIKE THE GENTLEMAN EARLIER SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD CATCH FISH LEFT AND RIGHT. WE WOULD BE PULLING THEM OUT OF THERE. AND NOW I REMEMBER EVEN WHEN WE WOULD DRIVE TO THE INLET, WE WOULD DRIVE OVER INDIANTOWN ROAD AND LOOK AT THESE TALL PINE TREES WAVING AROUND RIGHT ON THAT NORTH SIDE OF INDIANTOWN ROAD BRIDGE WHERE THERE'S NOW LODGING, RIGHT? AND THIS, AGAIN, MARINA, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S MARINA AND HOTEL. THEY'RE PROPOSING LODGING AS WELL. I THINK WE HAVE PLENTY OF THAT IN THE AREA. THIS, THIS PIECE OF LAND IS KIND OF SPECIAL FOR ME. I WOULD GO ON MY MORNING PADDLES, AGAIN, FISHING, FISHING AS A KID IN THIS AREA. AND IT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT AND VITAL FOR ECOSYSTEM AND, AND FOR OUR WATERWAYS IN THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER, LIKE SERGEI SAID, TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT ITSELF. YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING TO DO ALL THIS DREDGING BECAUSE THE INLET ISN'T, ISN'T RIGHT. THERE'S PROBLEMS IN THE JUPITER NARROWS WITH, YOU KNOW, TOO MUCH BOATS CREATING ALL THIS SEDIMENT LOSS AND ALL THIS EROSION, IT'S CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THE RIVER. SO, I JUST WANT TO URGE THE COUNCIL, PLEASE, WE CAN'T HAVE THIS DEVELOPMENT HERE. WE CAN'T DO THIS. I KNOW PEOPLE IN THE MARINE INDUSTRY AS WELL WHO WOULD, YOU KNOW, FINANCIALLY BENEFIT FROM HAVING A MARINA, AND THEY'RE WORKING IN MARINE SERVICES, AND THEY DON'T WANT THIS HERE. WE DON'T WANT THIS HERE AS A TOWN. EVEN PERSONALLY, I KIND OF WAS UP IN THE AIR IF I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THIS. I HAD A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE, MICHAEL GAZIANO. HE UNFORTUNATELY LOST HIS LIFE IN THE MARINA RIGHT BY SQUARE GROUPER. AND I GO AND I SEE HIS BENCH. SORRY IF I CRY. AND I GO AND I SIT AT DU BOIS AND I SIT ON HIS BENCH AND I THINK ABOUT ALL THE GREAT TIMES WE HAD FISHING IN THESE WATERS. AND WE CAN'T HAVE THAT HERE. PLEASE STOP THIS DEVELOPMENT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS EMILY RYAN, FOLLOWED BY CAITLIN LIANGO. WELL, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS EMILY RYAN AND I LIVE IN JUPITER FARMS. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO ME THIS EVENING. JUPITER HAS A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART. IT HAS A SPECIAL PLACE IN EVERYONE WHO'S HERE IS HEARTS. THAT'S WHY THEY'RE TAKING THE TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY, TIMES WHERE THEY'RE TIRED, TIMES WHERE THEY'RE HUNGRY, TO BE HERE. I SEE FISHERMEN, SURFERS, PADDLES, PADDLEBOARDERS, DIVERS, AND THIS COMMUNITY IS STRONG, AND THIS COMMUNITY IS WHAT MAKES ME FEEL SUPPORTED. THIS COMMUNITY AND ITS WILD SPACES HAVE DONE SO MUCH FOR MY MENTAL HEALTH. SEEING MANATEES AFTER WORK, GETTING TO GO SNORKELING AND JUST ENJOY EVERYTHING THIS PLACE HAS TO OFFER. I TALK TO MY 87-YEAR-OLD LANDLORD AND HE TELLS ME A LOT ABOUT WHAT THIS PLACE USED TO LOOK LIKE. IT INSPIRES ME EVERY SINGLE DAY TO BRING THIS PLACE AND MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT I'M PROUD TO PASS DOWN TO CHILDREN. AS I'M SEEING THIS DEVELOPMENT MORE AND MORE, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO IMAGINE A WORLD THAT I COULD BRING CHILDREN TO ENJOY THE SAME THINGS THAT I CAN ENJOY. AND BEHIND ME, BEHIND EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT'S SPOKEN HERE TODAY, IS TENS AND THOUSANDS OF MORE PEOPLE THAT COULDN'T MAKE IT HERE. I HEARD STORIES ABOUT THE HISTORICAL CELESTIAL RAILROAD AND HOW THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR HISTORY. I HEAR ABOUT THE STORIES OF TRAPPER NELSON AND HOW HE WOULD COME INTO TOWN AND EAT THESE LARGE PORTIONS OF PIE, AND WHOEVER HE'S WITH JUST CUT A LITTLE SLICE FOR THEM BECAUSE HE WAS LIVING OFF THE LAND, OUT ON THIS VERY LAND, IN THIS VERY COMMUNITY. AND FOR ME, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ADD MORE DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS ARE NOT PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE IN THIS ROOM. THEY'RE NOT THE PEOPLE WHO, WHEN I RUN INTO AT A PUBLIC AND HAVE THIS UNEXPECTED FAMILY REUNION, THAT I'M TALKING TO. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE ONLY A FEW MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR THAT [01:15:01] EXPLOIT THIS PLACE FOR MONEY. THEY'RE THE GREEDY. I DO NOT WANT TO SEE JUPITER BECOME A PLAYGROUND FOR THE GREEDY. I WANTED TO SEE IT BECOME A COMMUNITY. I WANT TO SEE MORE MANATEES. I WANT TO SEE MORE GREEN SEA TURTLES. AND I WANT TO SHARE THAT WITH THE NEXT GENERATION. IT BREAKS MY HEART TO THINK THAT A MARINA COULD COME INTO THIS PROPERTY GIVEN THE INDIGENOUS NATIVE AMERICAN EVIDENCE THAT WE HAVE. THE HISTORICAL RESOURCES SOCIETY DID NOT, SUGGESTED PROTECTING ALL 10 ACRES. AND YEAH, WE VOTED NO, AND I RESPECT THIS PROCESS, BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH WHAT'S LEFT. I HAVE A DREAM FOR FLORIDA WHERE WE COULD CONNECT ALL OUR WILD SPACES, AND WE CAN MAKE THIS PLACE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PROUD TO PASS DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION. AND I JUST HOPE YOU LISTEN TO EVERYONE THAT'S HERE TODAY WHO REALLY CARES ABOUT THIS PLACE. I TRULY CARE ABOUT THIS PLACE, AND THIS SEAGRASS IS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL OF US. WE'RE ALREADY ASKING IT TO WITHSTAND HUMAN POLLUTION, BOATING TRAFFIC. LET'S NOT BE GREEDY. LET'S NOT KEEP PRESSING THIS, AND LET'S PROTECT WHAT WE HAVE. THANK YOU. OUR LAST SPEAKER IS CAITLIN LONGO. HELLO, I'M CAITLIN LONGO. OUR LAWS RECOGNIZE THAT KILLING ENDANGERED ANIMALS IS MURDER, RECOGNIZING HARMING NATIVE PLANTS AND LAND IS ILLEGAL. RECOGNIZES NEGLECTING ANIMALS OR HUMANS IS ILLEGAL AND CAN LEAD TO DEATH. RECOGNIZES THAT INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS CAN BE IMPLICIT IN MURDER, EVEN IF THEY ARE THE ONES WHO AREN'T ACTIVELY TAKING THE LIVES. OUR LAWS REFLECT OUR MORAL UNDERSTANDING THAT MURDER IS WRONG AND CAN BE DONE IMPLICITLY. OUR SCIENCE RECOGNIZES THAT ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION CAUSES HARM TO BOTH HUMANS AND ANIMALS. WHEN IT'S UNDER THE PRETEXT OF, PRETENSE OF CONTRACTING DEVELOPMENT, SUDDENLY, THE MORALS WE'VE USED TO CREATE OUR LAWS AND DETERMINE WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG DON'T PERTAIN. DESTROYING FLORIDA'S ESTUARIES KILLS MARINE WILDLIFE, POISONS THE WATER WITH TOXIC SLIME, AND LEAVES COASTAL TOWNS WIDE OPEN TO SEVERE STORM DAMAGE. I COUNTED AT LEAST 13 MARINAS THAT ARE IN JUPITER AND IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS. 60% OF THE COUNTY'S BROADER RECORDED SHORELINE LENGTHS FEATURED HARDENED OR HUMAN-ALTERED STABILIZATION. FURTHERMORE, ROUGHLY 71.5% OF ITS OCEANS, BEACHES HERE IN JUPITER ARE DESIGNATED AS CRITICALLY ERODED BY THE STATE. THERE'S NO WORLD THAT EXISTS WHERE WE NEED THIS MARINA MORE THAN WE NEED OUR WATERS PRESERVED AND HANDLED PROPERLY. AND IF THERE WERE, IT WOULD BE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST OF THINGS THAT WOULD HELP THE CITIZENS OF JUPITER AND ITS WILDLIFE. THE ONLY PEOPLE THIS MARINA HELPS IS THE CONTRACTORS AND WHOEVER ON THIS PANEL TODAY ALLOWS IT TO HAPPEN. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. WELL, THANK YOU. WE ALL LISTENED INTENTLY. I KNOW I WROTE NOTES ON EVERYTHING YOU ALL SAID, SO WE'LL TAKE IT INTO CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO QUICKLY ADD, THIS MEETING HAS BEEN GOING FOR SOME TIME. WE HAVE A CONSENT AGENDA. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF REGULAR BUSINESS. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'LL GO. BUT WE ARE AVAILABLE AFTER THIS MEETING IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO US OR MEET US. I KNOW WE ALL CARE ABOUT THIS PROPERTY. JUST KNOW THAT WE ARE AVAILABLE. PLEASE REACH OUT, AND WE GET THE CONTACT CARDS THAT OUR CLERK GIVES TO US FOR ALL OF YOU THAT SPOKE SO WE COULD LEARN A BIT MORE ABOUT YOU AND REACH OUT TO YOU AS WELL. SO PLEASE KNOW WE'RE HERE. I'LL GLADLY STAY AFTER IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO MEET OR TALK. THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU. OKAY [4. August 13, 2026, Town Council Workshop Minutes and August 18, 2026, Town Council Meeting Minutes. ] COUNCIL, MOVING ON. DID YOU NEED TO GO? COUNCILOR GUISINGER, DO YOU NEED TO GO? OKAY. WE, COUNCIL, WE HAVE BEFORE US THE MINUTES OF 2 MEETINGS. THE AUGUST 13TH TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP THE AUGUST 18TH TOWN COUNCIL, AND THERE ARE SOME CORRECTIONS ON THE DAIS. IF THERE'S NO OTHER CHANGES, I'D ASK FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AND WORKSHOP AND MEETING MINUTES AS AMENDED. SO, MOVED. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. MOTION [CONSENT AGENDA ] CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. WAS THERE ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WISHED TO PULL A CONSENT AGENDA ITEM? NO, SIR. SEEING NONE, ANY MEMBER ON THE DAIS? YES, I'D LIKE TO PULL NUMBER 9. NUMBER 9. OKAY I'LL TAKE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE AMENDED AGENDA OF 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, AND 11. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. [9. Resolution 89-26, Approving a Contract with B&Z Construction for Daniels Way Water Quality Improvements (S2402) in the amount of $704,142. ] [01:20:01] MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM 9, PULLED BY THE VICE MAYOR. DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? YOU WANT A PRESENTATION? WHAT IS IT? NO, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A HOUSEKEEPING CORRECTION ON PAGE 9. THE CORPORATE BUSINESS HAS BEEN THERE'S A TYPO. RIGHT NOW, IT SHOWS ON PAGE 9, THIS UNDER THE BEEPER, THEN IT IS 153361. IN THE NOTES IT SHOWS 153361, SO IT JUST NEEDS A CORRECTION. THEY PUT IN AN EXTRA DIGIT FOR THEIR BUSINESS LICENSE. PAGE 9. OKAY, LET ME MAKE SURE I GET THAT CLEAR HERE. OH, IT'S PAGE 23. I APOLOGIZE, IT'S NUMBER 9, PAGE 23. OKAY, THIS IS AGENDA ITEM 9, RIGHT? YEP. CAN YOU REFERENCE WHAT THE DOCUMENT IS? BECAUSE, SAY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE IT NUMBERED IN, IT'S RESOLUTION 8926. WHAT'S THAT? IT'S THE RESOLUTION ATTACHMENT. YEP, FROM THE BACKUP. YEAH, WHICH ATTACHMENT IS IT? YEAH RESOLUTION 8926. THE RESOLUTION. RIGHT, TRYING TO QUICKLY FIND IT HERE. THAT ONE ONLY HAS 10 PAGES. PAGE 22. WAIT A MINUTE. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE C IT'S JUST THEIR BUSINESS LICENSE NUMBER WAS TRANSPOSED INCORRECTLY ON THEIR SUBMISSION? THE BUSINESS LICENSE NUMBER. CORRECT. OKAY. STAFF CLEAR ON THAT? YOU GOT IT? OKAY. SHE'S CLEAR. OKAY. YEP. JUST A TYPO. OKAY. I'LL TAKE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE IT AS AMENDED. I'LL MAKE MOTION THAT WE APPROVE IT AS AMENDED. SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. AYE. THE [TOWN ATTORNEY ] MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. MOVING ON TO REPORTS. TOWN ATTORNEY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THAT ALL DIRECTORS FOR THE LAKEWOOD COMMERCIAL ASSOCIATION HAVE NOW BEEN APPOINTED. AN ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING WAS HELD LAST THURSDAY, AND ANOTHER MEETING WILL BE HELD THIS THURSDAY. THOSE DIRECTORS HAVE A LOT OF WORK IN FRONT OF THEM, BUT THEY ARE ALSO GOING TO BE RETAINING AN ATTORNEY AND A PROPERTY MANAGER, OBTAINING INSURANCE FOR THE DIRECTORS, AND GETTING THE CORPORATION BACK UP AND RUNNING. I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, PULTE BASICALLY LEFT THAT CORPORATION IN SHAMBLES. AND THERE ARE 2 FINAL JUDGMENTS AGAINST THAT CORPORATION FOR, ONE FOR LANDSCAPING AND ONE FOR, AS PART OF A COST-SHARING AGREEMENT THEY HAVE WITH SONOMA ISLES. AND SO, WE WILL HAVE TO, THAT CORPORATION, ONCE THEY GET THEIR ATTORNEY IN MOTION, THEY HAVE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AND A HOST OF OTHER ISSUES. SO ALTHOUGH IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT PULTE DIDN'T PROPERLY TURN OVER THE ASSOCIATION, WE ARE ON THE PATH OF RECONSTITUTING THAT ORGANIZATION AND GETTING IT TO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS SO THAT THE ISSUES HAVING TO DO WITH THE TITLE OF THE PROPERTY ON THE 9-ACRE PROPERTY CAN BE RESOLVED. TOWN CAN STILL MOVE FORWARD WITH A CLOSING ON THE PROPERTY ONCE THOSE ISSUES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED. IS THERE ANY BENEFIT, OR MAYBE IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED, IN HAVING CONVERSATION WITH PULTE SINCE THEY LEFT IT IN SHAMBLES? NOT FOR THE TOWN, SINCE THE TOWN IS NOT THE ATTORNEY FOR THE LAKEWOOD COMMERCIAL ASSOCIATION. I'M QUITE CONFIDENT WE'LL BE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH PULTE. OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE. ANY OTHER UPDATES? I'D LIKE TO ASK ONE QUESTION FROM THE ATTORNEY. ANY ESTIMATE ON WHEN THIS MIGHT BE RESOLVED AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE SALE OF THE PROPERTY? THERE'S AN EXTENSION ON THE CONTRACT AT THE END OF THE MONTH SEPTEMBER 30TH. I WOULD EXPECT I EXPECT THAT THE CONTRACT WILL BE EXTENDED AT THE END OF THE MONTH, BUT IN TERMS OF RESOLVING THE ISSUES, THIS CORPORATION HAS A LOT OF WORK TO DO. SO THE CONTRACT COMES BACK TO US THE NEXT AGENDA, [01:25:02] OR IS IT SIGNED BY, NO, THERE'S A PROVISION IN THE CONTRACT THAT ALLOWS FOR THE PARTIES TO EXTEND THE CONTRACT DATE. WELL, I'M SURE YOU'LL LET US KNOW WHAT CHANGES ARE MADE WHEN IT'S EXTENDED. IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES, I WILL BRING IT BACK. [TOWN MANAGER ] I UNDERSTAND. ANY OTHER REPORTS? NO, THANK YOU, MAYOR. TOWN MANAGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS FOR ME. FIRST OF ALL, TOMORROW MORNING AT 10 AM, JUPITER POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL HOLD ITS ANNUAL REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY FOR MAJOR EDWARD HUMPHREYS AND POLICE OFFICER FIRST CLASS BRUCE ST. LAURENT AT THE POLICE MEMORIAL LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AS YOU'RE AWARE, MAJOR HUMPHREYS AND PFC ST. LAURENT BOTH GAVE THEIR LIVES IN SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND ON FRIDAY, THE TOWN WILL HOLD ITS INAUGURAL SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY. THIS NEW CEREMONY WILL ALLOW US A TIME TO REMEMBER THE LIVES LOST, HONOR THOSE WHO ANSWERED THE CALL TO SERVE, AND REFLECT ON THE DAY OUR NATION HAS PLEDGED NEVER TO FORGET. THIS EVENT WILL BEGIN AT 8:30 AM AND BE HELD HERE ON THE MUNICIPAL CAMPUS IN FRONT OF TOWN HALL. AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE CELEBRATING SIGNIFICANT WORK ANNIVERSARIES THIS MONTH. MATTHEW SMITH, WHO IS THE UTILITIES COMPLIANCE AND OPERATIONS MANAGER, IS CELEBRATING 5 YEARS WITH TOWN. POLICE OFFICERS RILEY SCHNEIDER AND LUCA JUREK ARE BOTH CELEBRATING 10 YEARS, AND SERGEANT BRANDON RHODES OF THE JUPITER POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WITH THE TOWN FOR 20, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT, FOR 20 YEARS. I THINK I HIRED HIM. AND SO, AND THEN CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICER JOE LENTIL IS CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF SERVICE. SO KUDOS TO ALL OF THOSE. FEW NEW MEMBERS OF CLUB 20. AND CERTAINLY, WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK OF OUR, OF OUR EMPLOYEES. AND [TOWN COUNCIL – LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMENTS ] THAT'S MY REPORT, MAYOR. GREAT, THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR? YES, JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL OF THE CITIZENS WHO CAME. THEIR COMMENTS WERE VERY VALID AND WELL TAKEN. LAST WEEK, COUNCILOR GUISINGER AND MYSELF ATTENDED THE HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING. AGAIN, IT WAS ANOTHER POSITIVE MEETING. EVERYONE CAME, THEY WERE HAPPY, GLAD TO SEE THE PARK MOVING ALONG, TALKING ABOUT THEIR FALL FESTIVAL THAT'S COMING UP AND HALLOWEEN. SO IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO HEAR FROM THE RESIDENTS THEMSELVES. SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR SHOWING UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE RESIDENTS MOTIVATED AND JUST, YOU KNOW, KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH US AND LETTING US KNOW THEIR FEELINGS ON MOST THINGS THAT WE DO, ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT SITUATIONS LIKE SUNI SANDS. AND DID I HEAR OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR SAY FISCAL YEAR 2027, $35 MILLION IN SAVINGS FROM PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE? DID I HEAR THAT CORRECTLY? IF YOU LOOK AT THE MILLAGE RATE, YEAH, DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS THE MILLAGE RATE? I'M NOT SURPRISED, BUT IT'S LIKE, YEAH, WE CAME IN A LITTLE UNDER, SO THAT'S JUST GREAT NEWS. AND THAT'S IT. COUNCILOR SUNDSTROM. JUST GRATEFUL FOR THE RESIDENTS, LOOKING FORWARD TO FIRE RESCUE STARTING SOON, AND THAT'S ALL. IN ADDITION TO WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE SAID, WHICH I AGREE WITH, I'D LIKE TO AT LEAST MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE ART COMMITTEE ON OCTOBER 2ND IS HOLDING THEIR NEXT EXHIBITION. IT'S CALLED, THIS YEAR'S THEME IS IT'S ALIVE. IT'S SORT OF LIKE AN AUTUMN HALLOWEEN TYPE THEME. SO ON OCTOBER 2ND, THEY'RE HAVING A, A KICKOFF TYPE GALLERY EVENT WHERE I'D LIKE TO INVITE COUNCIL TO ATTEND IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE. THAT'S OCTOBER 2ND IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM OVER HERE, COMMUNITY CENTER, EXCUSE ME, STARTING AT 6 PM. THANK YOU. IS THAT IT? JUST A FEW QUICK ITEMS. NUMBER ONE I ALSO LIKEWISE WANT TO SAY, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE PUBLIC IN ATTENDANCE WAS AWARE THIS WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA, BECAUSE I CERTAINLY SAW SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS THAT SUGGESTED IT WAS ON THE AGENDA. SO AGAIN, GLAD, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY LAST THING WE WANT IS PEOPLE TO COME WITH THE WRONG EXPECTATIONS. IT DOES SEEM THAT THOSE THAT WERE HERE I KNEW IT WASN'T, SO I'M DELIGHTED ABOUT THAT. THE 3 MORE QUICK ITEMS I WANTED TO SAY, IT'S INTERESTING, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE BEEN PONDERING ABOUT AMENDMENT 3 AND HOW IT'S GOING TO BASICALLY CHANGE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS THEY ARE TODAY. BUT I JUST WANT TO SHARE ONE [01:30:02] OF THE THINGS, ONE, AND EVERYONE MAY, EVERY ONE OF US BRINGS SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN A PERSPECTIVE, AND IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO EVOLVE. I BELIEVE THAT I HAVE A UNIQUE AMENDMENT 3 PERSPECTIVE THAT I WANTED TO SHARE. I VOTED, THE ONLY ONE ON THE DAIS, TO ANNEX INTO THE TOWN OF JUPITER, KNOWING AND ACCEPTING A HIGHER AD VALOREM TAX RATE. BUT DID SO VALUING THE HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICES THAT WE RECEIVE. NO, NO, I'M, YOU KNOW, YOU CHUCKLE, BUT I JUST LOVE THAT. IT'S REALLY A PERSPECTIVE. I'M GOING TO, YOU KNOW, EACH ONE OF US, THAT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER, AND I MIGHT STILL HAVE IT BURIED SOMEWHERE, BUT ON OUR CUL-DE-SAC ON BREEZEWOOD COURT, I HAD A WELCOME JUPITER POLICE SIGN THAT WAS ON SPOTLIGHT WHEN AT 12:01, JUST LIKE WITH FIRE RESCUE, AT 12:01 ON THAT FIRST DAY AFTER BEING OFFICIALLY ANNEXED, JUPITER POLICE DEPARTMENT TOOK OVER. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MIKE FILELLO'S WIFE HAD CALLED POLICE ONE TIME AND HAD TO GO OUT TO LONGSHORE DRIVE TO DIRECT THEM INTO WHERE WE LIVED, RIGHT? I KNOW TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED DIFFERENTLY, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL OF SERVICE IS SO DIFFERENT. I REALLY JUST WANT TO SUGGEST THAT, LIKE, BECAUSE I'M, I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR AMENDMENT 3, BUT I THINK I CAN AT LEAST, AND I'M NOT SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE UNIQUE, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO, I'M GOING TO START USING THAT POINT BECAUSE I KNOW I WAS GOING TO PAY A PREMIUM, BUT I CHOSE TO BE IN A MUNICIPALITY THAT HAS PREVIOUS LEVEL OF SERVICE. SO I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE TO GET A, BECOME A FREELOADER. OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF THE SHORES DIDN'T VOTE TO ANNEX IN, WE'D HAVE STILL BEEN THERE AND WE WOULD HAVE BEEN, AND I USE THE TERM AND PEOPLE MAYBE CAN GET OFFENDED BY IT, BUT I FEEL LIKE I'D HAVE BEEN A FREELOADER BECAUSE I STILL WOULD HAVE BENEFITED FROM SOME OF THE JUPITER SERVICES, RIGHT? WHICH IS WHY ALL OF US MOVED HERE, RIGHT? BUT I JUST THOUGHT IT'S KIND OF UNIQUE, BUT I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THAT PERSPECTIVE. AND I'M GLAD THAT I HAVE IT TO OFFER. BECAUSE WE WERE GIVEN A CHOICE. I WANT OUR, I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE OUR LOCAL STATE REPRESENTATIVES UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE WANT THE CHOICE AND IN FACT MAKE IT FOR THE HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICE. AND I BELIEVE I SHOULD BE PAYING TAXES FOR THAT. AND THEN WE GOT AN EMAIL ON JUPITER RIVER ESTATES, AND THIS ISN'T A TIME PER SE FOR DISCUSSION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUES HEARING IT, MY FEEDBACK TO THE TOWN MANAGER IS, YOU KNOW, I, AND THAT WAS WHERE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT PURSUING NOW DREDGING. I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO GO TO THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER DISTRICT, RIGHT? I THINK IT'S A BETTER CONNECTION WITH THEM. YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO, IF, FOR THOSE THAT WOULDN'T KNOW, DON'T KNOW THIS, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE, WOULD HAVE BEEN PARTICIPANT, PARTICIPANTS WITH US WHEN WE MADE THE DIFFICULT DECISION, YOU KNOW, TO PAY ENTIRELY FOR THE INITIAL, YOU KNOW, VEGETATIVE CLEARING. AND BUT, AND I, IN FACT, WHEN THEY BACKED OUT, BECAUSE INITIALLY WHEN THAT PROJECT CAME FORTH, WE WERE HOPING IT WAS GOING TO BE FUNDED BY 2 GOVERNMENTS, AND I IN FACT WENT TO A BOARD MEETING TO KIND OF SEE IF I COULD GET THEM TO DO IT RIGHT. AND THEY, THEY INDICATED NO, WHICH WAS THEIR PREROGATIVE. BUT I WOULD JUST SUGGEST, IF, YOU KNOW, THIS INDIVIDUAL, AND I APPRECIATE THE PERSON, HIS EFFORTS TO MAKE PROGRESS AND BETTER HIS COMMUNITY, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S NOT FAIR FOR US, FOR HIM TO EXPECT THE TOWN SHOULD LEAD THIS. AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE THINKS THE SAME WAY, BUT I JUST THINK, LET THEM WORK ON JUPITER, THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER DISTRICT, AND IF THEY MAKE HEAD ROADS IN THERE, WELL THEN MAYBE WE WOULD PARTICIPATE. BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S AN AWKWARD ASK, AND I THINK IT WAS KIND OF, IT WASN'T CLEAR, MR. KITZEROW, WHETHER THE STAFF WOULD HAVE KIND OF FEELING LIKE NOBODY ELSE STEPPING UP, LIKE SOMEHOW, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK ON THAT. AND I THINK THAT'S AN UNFAIR BURDEN ON OUR STAFF. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE'LL PASS THAT ALONG. THANK YOU. DOES EVERYBODY AGREE TO THAT? I AGREE. YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A BIG ASK. IT'S A BIG ASK, RIGHT? AND THEY NEED TO MAKE THE ROUNDS AND SEE WHERE THEY CAN DRUM UP SUPPORT. THANK YOU. AND IT IS LASTLY BEFORE I ADJOURN THE MEETING I DID SAY, AND I THINK YOU ALL KNOW, THAT THE MILLAGE RATE THAT WE ADOPT ON SECOND READING HAS TO BE UNANIMOUS. SO, AND I'M [01:35:02] NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THE FULL MILLAGE RATE. SO WE'LL GET TO IT, NOT A DISCUSSION NOW, BUT ON SECOND READING. AND TIME IS NOW 8:35, AND I'LL ADJOURN THE MEETING. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.