Good. Okay. Okay. Let's call this uh Lakeland Shore City Council meeting on November 6, 2025 at approximately 6:30 um to order. Kim, would you take roll call, please? >> Council member Schroer >> here. >> Council member Zan Miller >> here. >> Council member >> here. Council member Ericson >> here. >> Here. Join me in the pledge of allegiance. I >> pledge allegiance >> to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands nation indivisible and justice for all. I'm assuming there's no discussion about the agenda and therefore can I have a motion to adopt it? >> I'll make the motion to adopt the agenda. >> I'll second it. >> All those in favor? >> I >> I. Moving on to number two, the consent agenda. Um, is there any discussion concerning the consent agenda? Is that any further discussion? Then, uh, can we have a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> I'll make the motion to approve the consent agenda. >> I'll second the motion. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Moving on to three, the public comment. Is there anybody that in the public that wishes to make a comment here tonight? Uh, moving to number four, unfinished and new business, consideration of resolution number 2025-06, the 2026 operating budget for the lower St. Croy Valley Fire Department. Um, I guess I would like to have just a little bit of background. You know, we thought we had approved this uh last and it needs to be done by all five towns that are part of the uh part of the fire department, but uh Tim, since you're seem to be the one, right, you seem to be the one that uh is uh sending out the emails on it. Uh can you tell us a little bit the I mean something happened in Afton which prohibited us just sticking with the original agreement I assume. Is that correct? >> Yes. So >> can you enlighten us as to what it was that happened? >> Yeah. So basically we had three big increases to the budget and realize that everything's getting more expensive especially like um uh lawyers fees, accountant audits are way higher than they have been and we've kept the budget under the 5% for a long time. So the one of the big increases was we pay our fire the old fire chief uh for the market and the metro pretty a pretty low amount. So to replace him we we have to compete with the metro area. So one of the budget increases was to get the um a higher pay for the new cheap when we hire one. The second one, the second big one that was with recruitment and retention and the amount of um firefighters that we have that are been here for I'll just say 20 plus years and who can retire whenever they want. Um and and we only have a small pool of that we can draw from for members because they have to be within a certain distance of the fire department. So, we were trying to get duty pay year round and then we cut it back some. Um, >> cut it back just a weekend >> to just the weekends basically because of Aptton. Um, >> but that duty pay had to do with paying them for being on call. >> Yes. Okay. >> But the the also the other benefit is people are going to respond to the calls and people that need the you know the emergency services there'll be somebody there. We don't want to have a community. We're like, well, I called and 45 minutes later they, you know, so we need people to, you know, that at least gave people the incentive to sign up. We would have guaranteed people to respond to calls. >> That was the one that put that on the motion there. And that's what happened next. So that was duty pay. We want we're going to go 247 all year long. So then we'd have four guys commit or four members commit to doing a shift or whatever four hour stent, you know, not not all of them would be filled. So then then it was covered. So then we're looking at trying to help keep people active and on that way, you know, it ain't the same people that are there all the time are making the calls. So now we're just strictly weekends and holidays for that. Yes. And again, like Tim said, not every shift would be, you know, signed up covered, although people would still respond, but so the cost wouldn't have been would have been. >> And I Yeah, I did the numbers. So it was right now it's costing we have 6,500 people in the valley. Can't remember how many households, but I divided out evenly. It adds $45 per household. If we would have done it all year long, it would have added another $45 per household, which >> So, it's a small amount. >> Yeah. >> Um and then >> and we're trying to keep keep members around. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. And then the other the third mo the third increase um was um building maintenance, capital improvements. >> We have we we we just paid off the building two years ago. Um, so it's like 20ome years old and we have a very small amount of money set aside for improvements. Um, we did have more money there, but then we got a new roof put on which cost um >> 225,000. >> Yeah. Was that after the like 10,000 we got from insurance, but it was like 220. So that was very expensive and that that took a lot of money. Um, so we need a few things like the generator for one that we still haven't bought. Um but we were after we paid off the building, we were going to roll over into then setting money aside then to um >> long-term improvements, >> long-term improvements, capital improvements. And Afton asked us if they could get a break. So we got busy. It's been two years. when we when you know the other four cities were okay with it and approved the budget, Afton took offense to the amount of money that we wanted for future improvements. So they want to control that. So like I said, we have a very small amount of money in there for a 20ome year old building that's worth over a million dollars and there's a lot of things that need to get repaired. So those are the three big increases that really push us over the 5%. But realize again all the other expenses are going up just like everything else for all the other cities. So um again so then Aftton threw a fuss about that. We brought it down to hardly anything. Um and that's what they approved. So that's that's what we go with. So I think most of the other cities already have approved it. I think we're one of the last ones um the new budget. So that was it. >> So this is less than what we approved the last time. >> Yeah. So this dropped down I I don't know maybe% 20 12 or 15%. >> Yeah about we wanted to have get 35,000. Okay. So you know realize that I think that we were spending or the paying the building was about 100,000 a year um broken out to the different cities percentage wise. Um so we wanted to go back at 35,000 you know which would have been you looking at a 65% decrease. um took moving forward. But again, like I said, Afton wanted to break. So instead of doing 35,000, Afton approved $9,000 for capital improvements, which it doesn't make any sense. So >> which I assume is not just not just their share, but it's the total >> the total. Yeah. 9,000. >> Yeah. Um I it in if you let's just say it was 9,000 in 25 years we would be able to replace the roof again at $220,000. So there's you know you get a 20 20 20 year roof 25 year roof it would take us 24 years to get the $9,000 you know without interest or increasing of cost or whatnot. So obviously the $9,000 isn't enough. So but again we're we're kind of handcuffed there on that one. all the other four cities were very grateful, you know, we're very appreciative of the work that the members do and they provide the service and whatnot. So, um it is what it is. Moving forward this year, we had to reduce it and that's why we have to get a new approval. >> Well, that seems like a good explanation. Uh uh is there any further discussion? In that case, can I hear a motion to uh approve the resolution number 2025-06, the 2026 operating budget for the Florida St. Croy Fire Department? Well, I'll make a motion to approve resolution number 2025-06 for the proposed 2026 operating budget for the lower St. Croy Valley Fire Protection District. >> I'll second the motion. >> All those in favor? I Moving on to 4B, consideration of resolution number 2025-07, the 2026 final budget. Is there any discussion concerning that or any changes that anybody wants to make or >> since apparently there is none. Well, um, real quick, >> this would have been we since the the fire department budget decreased, you've updated that in the budget. >> No, this is the same as your preliminary because in talking to Neil, it would only reduce your levy by $1,000. >> Okay. >> So, it wasn't necessary. >> Yep. Okay. >> Okay. Um, we're dealing with this resolution number 2025, city budget for 2026. Um, is is there any discussion concerning that budget? And I have a motion to uh approve this uh resolution adopting the final city budget for 2026. >> Motion to approve the 2026 final budget. >> I'll second it. Favor. >> I Moving on to 4 C consideration resolution number 2025-8 the 2026 final