March 19, 2025 Town Center CRA Advisory Committee Meeting (2025-03-19)

MINUTES TOWN CENTER COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MARCH 19,2025 - 5:30 PM DESTIN CITY HALL ANNEX CHAMBERS 1. CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Wernet called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at the Destin City Hall Annex Council Chambers with the Pledge of Allegiance immediately following. 2. ROLL CALL: Members Present Lockwood Wernet Corlene Ziegler Margie Avery Iris Bethea Preston Greene Members Absent Kyle Davis 3. AGENDA APPROVAL: Staff Present Kim Montgomery Deputy Clerk Daniel Butler Principal Planner Motion by Chairman Wernet to amend the agenda to add Council member Sandy Trammell under Current Business, Item A.,with Committee member Ziegler providing the second, the motion passed 5-0. 4. MINUTES FOR APPROVAL: February 19, 2025 VV6er1ttxt/ Motion by Chairman Ziegler to approve the minutes of the February 19,2025 meeting as written with Committee member Green providing the second. The motion passed with a 5-0 vote. 5. CURRENT BUSINESS: Sunshine Laws/Public Records Act - Councilmember Sandy Trammell Briefed the members with information regarding the Sunshine Laws. Discussed Robert's Rules of Order and how items that are not on the agenda cannot be discussed and recommended in the form of a motion, and as a result, is why they now include the agenda approval at the beginning of the meeting for members to add items for discussion and possible recommendation to City Council. o Chair may make and second motions. o Members should use " Point of Order" to refocus discussion when needed. o Motions require a motion, a second, discussion, and vote. o Items requiring motions must be on the agenda, otherwise, discussion only. 2

Spoke of the need for the members to attend their monthly meetings and how she was tasked by the Council to get the committees fully vested with members, have quorums to be able to meet, and have functioning committee meetings. o Attendance & Communication o Meeting Prep: Monthly meetings are the third Wednesday of each month. Submit agenda items by the first Wednesday of each month.. Respond to attendance emails, lack of quorum can cancel meetings. Direct any questions or requests to staff (Daniel, Cindy). Meeting materials, including budget info, are available online. Explained how the minutes are just a summary of what was discussed however their motions are verbatim. Spoke of how once a motion for a recommendation is made, even if they vote against it, if it passes, they as a committee stand behind the recommendation and are not to speak against it,especially to the City Council. Introduced the staff members and their duties to the new committee members. Explained the necessary timeline to get items to staff to be placed on their next meeting agenda for discussion. Spoke of their Town Center CRA Master Plan and encouraged the members to get familiar with it. Code of Ethics Members must complete and submit a signed Code of Ethics form. Key Principles: o Represent all citizens, not personal or business interests. o Avoid using city roles for personal benefit ( e.g.,parking privileges or influence). o Maintain open-mindedness and prioritize what's best for Destin as a whole. o Avoid behavior that violates public trust ( e.g.,intoxication during meetings). o Do not exercise individual authority outside of official meetings. o Support committee decisions once made by consensus, even if you dissented. o If dissenting, request that your reasoning be included in the official minutes. Sunshine Law & Public Records Applies to all meetings, emails, texts, and documents related to city business. Important Rules: Use city email accounts only —avoid personal accounts. Never hit " Reply All"on city email communications. Forward any personal texts or messages related to city business to your city email. 2

Two or more members cannot discuss city business outside a public meeting even casually at restaurants or events). Violations include heavy penalties: fines, potential jail time, and ethics violations. Public records include any form of documentation ( notes, maps, photos, software). Be cautious with informal comments or offensive notes — even handwritten ones are public records. Curing a Violation: If you mistakenly discuss committee business with another member, disclose the discussion openly at the next meeting to correct the record. Voting Conflicts Definition: Occurs when a member, or someone closely related, stands to gain or lose financially from a committee decision. o Action Required: Declare the conflict before voting. Fi11 out and submit the appropriate disclosure form. Conflict details are attached to the meeting minutes for transparency. o Guidance: When in doubt, contact the city attorney or staff liaison Committee Operations & Planning Work Plan & Annual Report: o Begin drafting work plans to review in September. o Finalize and submit in November to align with the city's budgeting timeline. o Work plans can be short-term or multi -year projects. Structure of Work Plans: o Strategic Goal o Objective o Performance Objective o Measurable Outcomes o Action Plan o Process Improvement (review/monitoring) o Stakeholders ( internal/external) o Process Owner ( person responsible for tracking progress) Examples Discussed: o Christmas lights, 5K runs, banners, Linear Park support, grant searches, etc. Projects & Ideas: o Use their Master Plan as a foundation for project ideas. o Members can bring up community concerns or ideas—e.g.,safety improvements —but should clarify if they fall under this committee's scope CRA Focus and Coordination Committee Role: o Advise on Town Center CRA development aligned with the master plan. o Focus on projects that benefit the entire Town Center area. o Work can include events, improvements, advocacy, and funding support. 2

Collaboration: o Other committees ( Parks & Rec, Public Works & Safety) may be involved in overlapping projects. o Joint meetings are allowed when relevant to multiple groups. o Advocacy and relationship -building ( e.g.,with Parks Foundation or other stakeholders) are encouraged. Fundraising & Budget Spending CRA Money: o Fundraisers must be pre -approved by Council to earmark funds properly. o Otherwise, funds go into the general fund and may not be retrievable quickly. Existing Projects: o Example given —Main Street Banners on the street poles. The committee can revisit or expand existing efforts, using staffknowledge of past projects. Final Notes The City Council is eager for the CRA Advisory Committee to propose meaningful projects. Members are encouraged to think outside the box while staying within the master plan and Sunshine guidelines. Read the CRA Master Plan, brainstorm actionable goals, assign process owners, and ensure all goals are documented in the work plan. 6. February Development and City Projects - Update Daniel Butler Mr. Butler provided a brief summary of the upcoming projects that are currently under review in the district. Cross Town Connector Linear Pathway 7. MEMBER COMMENTS: Chairman Wernet Work Plan/Annua Report Examples of work plan items was provided to the new members with instructions to have them added under their name to discuss. Committee member Green — Commented that he is a lifelong resident of Destin, and how his family has been in the restaurant business, and currently he is the owner of Crackings, and is excited for opportunity to make Destin better. Committee member Ziegler - Spoke of how she is now the Commander at the Destin American Legion and retired Postmaster from the Destin USPS. Committee member Avery — Commented that she owns a business locally and work from home as an accountant. Committee member Bethea — Commented that she is the owner of Destin Roofing, Inc., and is looking forward to learning the process and hopefully it can be helpful to the community. 2

8. ADJOURNMENT: Having no further discussions the meeting was adjourned at 7:10 PM. Adopted and approved , t p , day of 1! I. 2025. Lockwood Wern t Chairman im tgomery . uty City 2