- Present:
- Chairperson Linda Hudson; Commissioner Arnold Gaines; Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson; Commissioner Thomas Perona; Commissioner Curtis Johnson, Jr.
- Staff Present:
-
- City Clerk Linda Cox
- City Manager Nicholas Mimms
- City Attorney Tanya Earley
Motion was made by Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson, seconded by Commissioner Arnold Gaines to approve of the Minutes from April 12, 2022, FPRA Regular Meeting.
- AYE:
- Chairperson Linda Hudson, Commissioner Arnold Gaines, Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson, Commissioner Thomas Perona, Commissioner Curtis Johnson, Jr.
Passed
Any person who wishes to comment on any subject on this agenda may be heard at this time. Please limit your comments to three (3) minutes or less, as directed by the Chairperson, as this section of the Agenda is limited to fifteen minutes. The FPRA Board will not be able to take any official actions under Comments from the Public. Speakers will address the Chairperson, Commissioners, and the Public with respect. Inappropriate language will not be tolerated.
Mr. Will Armstead, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club, gave a presentation on the Lighthouse Teen Development Center, a 12,000 sq ft clubhouse and community center located on 6 acres in Lincoln Park. The programs will focus on older students with high school graduation, workforce readiness training and jobs. Larry Lee Jr. advised that the land was purchased at $240,000 and funds were raised in 90 days with assistance from the community. Guettler & Sons have offered to do all survey work and excavation work at no cost; Steve Lacosse has done all the drawing and Tod Mowery has done the rendering and a video of the completed building.
Chairwoman Hudson inquired if they have $2 million in the bank solely for this project?
Commissioner Perona asked if they had the allocated funds for an increase in cost of operation of this facility, maintenance and increase of personnel.
Commissioner Curtis Johnson Jr. questioned the different programs that would be available at the facility.
Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson questioned the logistical aspects of the building and the cost of building the facility. He also advised that it's located near the FPRA border, and they could possibly help with the moratorium on impact fees.
Mr. Armstead stated they have $1 million dollars in the bank and 2 donors have pledged the remaining $1 million. The board of directors is taking care of making sure that there will be revenue support for the increase in cost of operations. There will be a lot of learning opportunities such as financial literacy, trades programs for workforce, smart girls, and several others with future partners. They will also be building a golf course in the back of the facility to offer a golf program and golf etiquette. The total cost of the project will be about six million dollars; the building alone will be over four million dollars.
Commissioner Gaines advised that this is a great opportunity that goes along with "One Fort Pierce " and it can be a selling point for businesses that want to come into the area.
Mr. Armstead asked that the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency consider a contribution of $500,000.00 towards the project.
Nick Mimms, City Manager, advised that they will be bringing a project-based budget to the Board next month after the General Fund budget is discussed on July 11, 2022.
Regarding the utilization of the space, so far, they have had the Black Health Panel, LPAD summer kickoff, Basketball Tournaments and multiple classes with different partners in the community. Such classes include basic computer classes, entrepreneur classes, credit repair workshops, parenting classes, and soon a grant writing class. They will also have a program "Catch a Whale" similar to Shark Tank on TV, which will have a group of business advisors that will be willing to invest in these businesses. INC will also be holding the Juneteenth Freedom Block Party.
Phase one of the rehabilitation of the center has been completed, which includes taking possession and preparing the facility for utilization. Multiple rooms have all been repainted and refreshed; currently they are in the second phase of rehabilitation of the center.
Commissioner Gaines commented that they have done a great job with the building.
Commissioner Curtis Johnson, stated that he has personally been able to use different aspects of the facility and INC has done a great job.
Chairwoman Hudson asked for an update on Highwaymen's license plate sales.
Ms. Moore-Wells, stated that she does not have the exact number on license plate sale, but she advised that the City of Fort Pierce has received the Highwayman grant from the state; they are currently certifying the budget due to some price increases and reviewing contracts. Once completed it will be signed and sent back for RFP to be advertised for a general contractor to oversee the project.
Commissioner Gaines advised that they could advertise the Highwayman license plate at one of the many Juneteenth events this weekend.
Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson asked what the dates for the lease agreement were.
Ms. Moore Wells said she would coordinate with Ms. Gardener to advertise the Highwaymen license plate at the Juneteenth events this weekend. She confirmed that the lease of the building will end August 2022.
Motion was made by Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson, seconded by Commissioner Curtis Johnson, Jr. to advertise an RFP 2022-021 City of Fort Pierce Florida Highwaymen Museum.
- AYE:
- Chairperson Linda Hudson, Commissioner Arnold Gaines, Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson, Commissioner Thomas Perona, Commissioner Curtis Johnson, Jr.
Passed
Nick Mimms, City Manager, stated that Mr. Andrews and his team will come back to the board with specific dollar amounts for parking lot.
Commissioners Jeremiah Johnson and Perona like the idea of a permanent parking lot.
Commissioner Curtis Johnson asked if there was a potential for contamination due to the old system.
Commissioner Perona asked what the building was previously used for.
Ms. Harnage stated that the $6500 includes all necessary pre-construction activities and contamination testing. She confirmed that the accessory building were being used as bathrooms.
Motion was made by Commissioner Thomas Perona, seconded by Commissioner Curtis Johnson, Jr. to Approve proposal to demolish the dilapidated structure behind Old St. Anastasia School in the amount of $6,454.00.
- AYE:
- Chairperson Linda Hudson, Commissioner Arnold Gaines, Commissioner Jeremiah Johnson, Commissioner Thomas Perona, Commissioner Curtis Johnson, Jr.
Passed
| ________________________________ CITY CLERK |
__________________________________ CHAIRPERSON |