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HomeMy Public PortalAbout10.12.2022 CAC MinutesCitizen's Advisory Council Minutes October 12, 2022 6:00 p.m. Council Chambers The Regular Meeting of Citizen's Advisory Council was called to order at 6:00 p.m. Members present: De'Carlo Garcia, Felton Barnes, Kristen Sallberg, and Yvonne Shanklin. 1. Called to Order This meeting was called to order by Chair Garcia at 6:00 p.m. 2. Pledge of Allegiance The pledge was recited by membership in attendance. 3. Approve Agenda Ms. Sallberg wished to amend the agenda by adding "Old Business" to the agenda as number Item 5.5 to allow for a prior discussion of having guests attend and speak at the meeting. Motion: Ms. Sallberg moved to approve the agenda as amended, Mr. Barnes seconded the motion. Motion carried. 4. The Mayor's Minute Topics 4.1 Overdose Summit — Mayor reported that due to Hurricane Ian and the impact it had on the founder and employees of Project Opioid, it was necessary to reschedule the Overdose Summit until January 18, 2023, to allow for all to recover from the damage the hurricane caused. The mayor asked the Council to spread the word about the date change to ensure maximum exposure. Mayor Whitten reported that those who have already registered for any of the previous dates would not have to register again. 4.2 Donation Truck for Victims of Hurricane Ian — Mayor Whitten reported that he arranged for a large trailer to be parked in the City's parking lot to gather food and other items for those impacted by the hurricane in southwest Florida. He further stated that the City of Niceville is partnering with us to collect items needed and citizens of Niceville bring donations to their community center and that the Public Works Dept. would transfer all items to our truck by Thursday afternoon. 4.3 Coffee with a Cops — Mayor Whitten reported he attended a coffee event with the City's Police Dept. and stated it was nice to see citizens in our community interfacing with out police officers. 4.4 Ribbon Cutting at the Golf Course — Mayor Whitten announced that on Friday, October 14th, there would be a ribbon cutting event at Blackwater Golf Course. The ribbon cutting is to be followed by the Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament that starts at 1pm. In addition, there will be an Octoberfest dinner at The Crossing at 6pm. 4.5 FAMU Health Fair — Mayor Whitten reported that FAMU is holding a health fair at their campus on Saturday October 15th from loam to 2pm, where you can receive flu shots and get a health check by qualified students at the university. 4.6 Trunk or Treat — This event will be held on October 15th at Spanish Trail Park and runs from 6pm to 8pm. There will be games along with many vendors with trunks full of candy for the kids to select from. Following Trunk or Treat, the family movie Hocus Pocus will begin. All festivities are being sponsored by All in Credit Union. 4.7 City Government Week — Runs from October 17 to October 21, 2022. The activities/events are listed below: • October 17th — the City Council will hold a special meeting in order to allow organizations to announce what they do and services they offer to help the citizens in our community. • October 18th — Ethics Training that is mandated by State statute for members who participate in public meetings and events. Graduation of the City's first ever Leadership Program. This event is open to the families of graduates as well as the public. • October 19th — Elected Officials and the City Manager will be meeting with Commanders from bases in our region. The meeting will include a tour of our City, a mission brief and luncheon. • October 20th — Is Employee Appreciation Day, where employees can get a free health check followed by a BBQ, games, and awards ceremony. • October 21st— City leaders will be available to have coffee with members of the public at Back Home Bakery • October 22nd — This is a day to honor and recruit first responders. 5. Action Items 5.1 Approval of July 12, 2022 & September 13, 2022, Minutes — The Council was scheduled to approve the past minutes; however, due to a glitch in the system, the minutes were not uploaded or included with the packet provided to Council members. This item was deferred to the next meeting. 5.2 Dedication of Tree Planting — October is Sidewalk Safety Month, and this was added to the agenda by the mayor, as a result of a tragic accident where a citizen was struck and killed in a sidewalk area. The victim's mother asked that a tree be planted in the city as a memorial to her son. The CAC took on a campaign to plant a new tree in Crestview every year, so the Mayor asked them to dedicate a tree to Joshua Kreiser and to think about where the tree should be planted. The CAC's mission falls in line with Florida Arbor Day in January, which it the best time to plant a tree in Florida. Discussion ensued and the Council agreed to work with the environmental department in order to have the tree planted. Mr. Garcia suggested approaching the school district to ensure that sidewalk safety is taught to children at an early age, so it becomes ingrained in their daily habits, Ms. Shanklin suggested contacting the CHS drama club to prepare a video that can be shown at schools throughout Crestview as part of pedestrian safety. Mayor Whitten advised that Brittany Young is the Head of Student Government at CHS and would be able to provide information on who to contact in the drama club in pursuit of making this video, which may also be counted as a "class project". ACTION: Due to his connection with the environmental department, Mr. Knox was assigned the task of getting in touch with them or department of forestry to pursue planting a tree and decide where it will be planted. Chair Garcia agreed to contact Brittany Young and report back at the next meeting. 5.3 Okaloosa County Health Improvement Partnership — Mayor Whitten is a part of this committee that has committed to a campaign on educating not just drivers but pedestrians about the need for safety and caution in busy intersections as well as dimly lit roads on streets in outlying areas of the county. The Mayor challenged the Council members to raise the awareness of cross walk safety with those they interact with or serve on committees within Okaloosa County. 5.4 Citizen of the Year — The Mayor informed the Council of requirements for nominating a citizen for this award, stating that they began taking nominations on October 1st and will accept them until November 1st. He also gave a timeline of events leading up to the announcement of who was selected for Citizen of the Year 2023. 5.5 Citizen Involvement — A member of the community approached the Council and asked how to become a member. Mayor Whitten advised her of the process, starting with the application on our website. She stated that she wanted to try to get more young people to become involved in city government, and the Council advised her to spread the word, share links to their meetings on her own Facebook, and to also bring citizen concerns to the attention of the CAC for them to address. 5.6 Old Business — Having no old business, the meeting adjourned. 6. Adjournment — This meeting was adjourned by Chair Garcia at 6:37 p.m. &1-0 LeK- Minutes approve this /d1 day of 2022. De'Carlo Garcia Chair Minutes submitted by, Kellee Conner, Executive Assistant Name and title Mayor