Minutes for CRA Advisory Committee

CITY OF FORT PIERCE
CRA ADVISORY COMMITTEE

CRA Advisory Committee Minutes

OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE FORT PIERCE CRA ADVISORY COMMITTEE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2025, IN FORT PIERCE 2ND FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM, 100 NORTH US HIGHWAY 1, FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA.

CALL TO ORDER

ROLL CALL

Present:

Hoyt Murphy, Jr.; Michael Brown, Jr.; Phil Thompson; Amanda Geller; Ed Becht; Brandon Nobile

Absent:

Al Johnson; Daniel Lee

Staff Present:

Sara Delgado, Redevelopment Specialist
Awilda Colon, Redevelopment Assistant
Miriam Garcia, Redevelopment Specialist
Jessica Williams, Redevelopment Specialist

Motion was made by Ed Becht, and seconded by Hoyt Murphy, Jr. to approve the absences.

AYE:: Amanda Geller, Brandon Nobile, Ed Becht, Hoyt Murphy, Jr., Michael Brown, Jr., Phil Thompson

Passed

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Motion was made by Brandon Nobile, and seconded by Amanda Geller to approve the minutes as submitted.

AYE:: Amanda Geller, Brandon Nobile, Ed Becht, Hoyt Murphy, Jr., Michael Brown, Jr., Phil Thompson

Passed

Approval of the Minutes from the January 8, 2025 Meeting

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PUBLIC COMMENT

Any person who wishes to comment on any subject on this agenda may be heard at this time. Please limit your comments to five (5) minutes or less, as directed by the Chairperson. The CRA Advisory Committee will not be able to take any official actions under Comments from the Public. Speakers will address the Chairperson, committee Members, and the Public with respect. Inappropriate language will not be tolerated.

OLD BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

Commercial Façade Grant Application Recommendations

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Motion was made by Michael Brown, Jr., and seconded by Brandon Nobile to approve the submitted applications for presentation to the FPRA Board, with the recommendation for approval and release of grant funds.

AYE:: Amanda Geller, Hoyt Murphy, Jr., Michael Brown, Jr., Phil Thompson
NAY:: Brandon Nobile
Other:: Ed Becht (ABSTAIN)

Passed

Redevelopment Specialist Miriam Garcia presented the Commercial Facade Grant applications, which were reviewed and ranked by evaluators. These applications were then submitted to the CRA Advisory Committee for approval before being forwarded to the FPRA Board for final funding approval. The Commercial Facade Grant program reimburses 50% of expenditures up to $25,000. The CRA Advisory Committee reviewed the submissions and approved the following applications:

McCain Sales of FL, Inc., 2912 Orange Avenue, $21,394 (Total Cost: $42,787)
Peacock Temple LLC, 200 N. US Hwy 1, $25,000 (Total Cost: $60,699)
Fort Pierce Inlet Beach Resort, 100 S. Ocean Drive, $14,270 (Total Cost: $28,540)
Southern Comfort Health LLC, 305 S. 7th Street, $3,800 (Total Cost: $7,600)

The CRA Advisory Committee was informed that they will now serve as the evaluators for submitted applications. The Committee requested that the eligibility and evaluation criteria be provided to help them prepare for reviewing future applications.

NOTE: CRA Advisory Committee board member, Edward Becht, abstained from voting due to conflict of interest.

Discussion to Change the Meeting Frequency and Meeting Date

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Motion was made by Ed Becht, and seconded by Amanda Geller to change the meeting date to the last Wednesday of each month while keeping the meeting frequency the same.

AYE:: Amanda Geller, Brandon Nobile, Ed Becht, Hoyt Murphy, Jr., Michael Brown, Jr., Phil Thompson

Passed

Redevelopment Specialist Sara Delgado recommended rescheduling the meetings to the last Wednesday of each month, starting March 26, 2025. She also suggested changing the frequency of the meetings. The CRA Advisory Committee agreed to move the meeting date to the last Wednesday of each month, but decided to maintain the current monthly meeting frequency.

STAFF AND COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMENTS

Review the February FPRA Programs & Activities Summary

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Demo of Blighted and Abandoned Residential and Commercial Structures Presentation

Motion was made by Ed Becht, and seconded by Brandon Nobile to approve the recommendation submitted by Chair Phil Thompson, titled "Demo of Blighted & Abandoned Residential and Commercial Properties," to the board, with an amendment to request that the FPRA Board approve a new line item in next year's budget specifically for the demolition of approved abandoned residential and commercial properties.

AYE:: Brandon Nobile, Ed Becht, Hoyt Murphy, Jr., Michael Brown, Jr., Phil Thompson
NAY:: Amanda Geller

Passed

Chair Phil Thompson presented a recommendation to the FPRA Board titled, "The City of Fort Pierce CRA - Demo of Blighted & Abandoned Residential Structures Presentation." The purpose of this presentation is to inform the FPRA board about the increasing number of abandoned properties contributing to blight across several districts within the redevelopment area. The recommendation was later amended to also include commercial properties.
Ed Becht requested an amendment to the motion, proposing that the FPRA Board create a new budget line item specifically for addressing both residential and commercial abandoned properties, and to allocate funds for their demolition.

This proposal aligns with FPRA Goal #22:
The Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency shall identify and demolish decrepit or unsafe structures that contribute to blight and pose safety and health risks to visitors and residents in the Redevelopment Area.

Vetting Services for Potential Developer Reassignments for Kings Landing

Hoyt Murphy advised the committee that Commissioners had a recent discussion requesting assistance in vetting potential developers for Kings Landing and other FPRA projects. Mr. Murphy advised that the CRA Advisory Committee members have the combined skill sets to vet potential developers and provide recommendations to the FPRA board about their qualifications.

Motion was made by Ed Becht, and seconded by Michael Brown, Jr. to offer the services of the CRA Advisory Committee to the FPRA board in vetting any and all developer of FPRA projects.

AYE:: Amanda Geller, Brandon Nobile, Ed Becht, Hoyt Murphy, Jr., Michael Brown, Jr., Phil Thompson

Passed

ADJOURNMENT