4970 CITY HALL BLVD  
NORTH PORT, FL 34286  
City of North Port  
Meeting Minutes  
City Commission Workshop  
CITY COMMISSIONERS  
Alice White, Mayor  
Phil Stokes, Vice Mayor  
Pete Emrich, Commissioner  
Barbara Langdon, Commissioner  
Debbie McDowell, Commissioner  
APPOINTED OFFICIALS  
Jerome Fletcher, City Manager  
Amber L. Slayton, City Attorney  
Heather Faust, City Clerk  
Monday, February 26, 2024  
9:00 AM  
City Commission Chambers  
CALL TO ORDER  
Mayor White called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.  
ROLL CALL  
5 - Commissioner Pete Emrich, Commissioner Debbie McDowell, Mayor Alice White,  
Vice Mayor Philip Stokes and Commissioner Barbara Langdon  
Present:  
Also Present;  
City Manager Jerome Fletcher, City Attorney Amber Slayton, Fire Chief Scott Titus,  
Police Chief Todd Garrison, Senior Budget Analyst Heidi Hallas, Deputy City Manager  
Jason Yarborough, Deputy City Attorney Michael Golen, Assistant City Clerk Matthew  
Powell, and Board Specialist II Micheal Bodmer  
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Police Chief Garrison.  
1. PUBLIC COMMENT:  
Tom Linz: spoke in favor of Item No. 24-0347.  
Lee Gines: spoke in favor of Item No. 24-0347.  
Joseph Majorino: spoke in favor of Item No. 24-0347.  
2. GENERAL BUSINESS:  
24-0283  
Discussion and Possible Direction Regarding the Processes and  
Procedures for Adoption of the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC)  
Rewrite (Requested by Commissioner McDowell).  
Mayor White announced the item.  
Mr. Fletcher introduced the item and spoke to Commission request to place the item on  
the March 5, 2024 agenda.  
Commissioner McDowell spoke to the item.  
There was no public comment.  
24-0347  
Discussion Regarding the New Police Department Headquarters Project  
- Options for Cost and Size, Including Funding Challenges.  
Mayor White announced the item.  
Mr. Fletcher introduced the item and provided a presentation including prior direction,  
land purchase, Emergency Operation Center (EOC), history and future, project timeline,  
police department (PD) snapshot, and funding history.  
Aaron Jacobson, Schenkel Shultz, and Dean Roberts, McClaren, Wilson  
& Lawrie  
Architects provided presentation regarding overview, staff organization and  
a
deployment, current and future staff projections, space needs assessment, budget  
summary, site plan, exterior design, new construction prototype site, prevailing  
questions, additional project elements, future growth options, lobby example, exterior  
impact, current needs, and funding sources.  
Commission questions and discussion took place regarding existing square footage,  
EOC costs and location, fire station location, Florida Building Code requirements, utility  
hookup costs, staff recommendations, leasing options, funding, crime statistics, critical  
facility requirements, efficiency impacts, lease back option, 911 services, current PD  
building options, staggering development options, covered parking needs, planning  
timeline and options, storage and spacing requirements, and future discussion timeline.  
Mr. Powell read the following eComment into the record:  
Bobby Schotte: Expressed support of Item No. 24-0347.  
In Person:  
Mike Morales: Expressed support of Item No. 24-0347.  
Recess was taken from 10:24 a.m. to 10:34 a.m.  
24-0341  
Discussion and Possible Direction Regarding Potential Referendum  
Language to Amend Section 1.02(b) of the Charter of the City of North  
Port Related to the City's Authority to Issue General Obligation and  
Revenue Bonds.  
Mayor White announced the item.  
Mr. Fletcher introduced the item and provided  
a
presentation regarding overview,  
general obligation bonds, current debt, other debt instruments, strong economic  
indicators, sample millage impacts, general fund growth, bond referendum language,  
growth paying for growth, developers and pro rata share, history of low impact fee  
percentages, and March 5, 2024 decision points.  
Commission questions and discussion took place regarding funding options, surtax  
project reallocation, bond process, general impact fund use, assessment, referendum  
placement and deadline, and impact fees  
There was consensus to direct the City Attorney to conduct a legal analysis on  
the usage of government impact fees and how it relates to the North Port Police  
Department Station.  
Commission questions and discussion continued regarding increased millage, timeline  
for building construction, phased approach vs lump sum, funding shortfalls, and primary  
election vs. general election referendum question, annual cost to citizens, and payback  
options.  
There was consensus to direct Staff to look into the possibility of an August  
referendum.  
Commission questions and discussion continued regarding current millage rate  
increase, prior impact fee study, and permissive referendum  
There was consensus to pursue the $122 million North Port Police Department  
Headquarters, subject to change pending future information provided.  
Recess was taken from 12:07 p.m. to 12:17 p.m.  
Mr. Fletcher provided additional introduction and spoke to agenda backup material.  
Commission questions and discussion continued regarding Charter Review Advisory  
Board recommendation and review, permissive referendum for charter amendment,  
Ms. Slayton spoke to general vs special election, permissive referendum, Charter  
Review Advisory Board review, bond counsel input, and timeline.  
There was consensus to direct staff to review permissive referendums and/or  
send to the Charter Review Advisory Board for review, with legal review being  
provided to Commission.  
Commission questions and discussion took place regarding draft language including  
dollar amount, and complex language.  
Ms. Slayton spoke to the draft proposed charter amendment language and ballot  
question restrictions.  
Commission questions and discussion continued regarding Engineering News-Record  
(ENR), general obligation vs revenue bonds, language stating "but not limited to", super  
majority requirement, and imminent infrastructure failure.  
Ms. Slayton spoke to interpretation of Imminent infrastructure failure.  
Commission questions and discussion continued regarding authority, language  
modifications, $28 million threshold, county model, and next steps.  
There was consensus to direct staff to update the draft language to include who  
is given the authority to issue permissible debt.  
Consensus was requested to remove "but not limited to” in section 2(a)(ii).  
Consensus was requested for the Engineering News-Record (ENR) construction cost  
index to be every 3 years averaged opposed to every year.  
Consensus was requested to direct staff to include “no general obligation debt must be  
approved by the majority of the voters.”  
Ms. Slayton and staff responded to questions regarding general obligation debt  
issuance and revenue bonds.  
Consensus was requested to direct staff to add language that general obligation debt  
must be approved by the voters.  
Ms. Slayton spoke to draft language regarding general obligation debts.  
Commission questions and discussion took place regarding clarity of language, and  
legally sound language.  
Consensus was requested to change the “may” in the last sentence of section 2(b)(i) to  
“shall”.  
Ms. Slayton spoke to the use of "may" vs "shall".  
3. PUBLIC COMMENT:  
Ms. Powell read the following eComment into the record:  
Jasmine Bowman spoke to government funding.  
4. ADJOURNMENT:  
Mayor White adjourned the meeting at 1:17 p.m.  
City of North Port, Florida  
By:  
_________________________________________  
Alice White, Mayor  
Attest: _________________________________________  
Heather Faust, City Clerk