Board of County Commissioners on 2026-10-27 9:00 AM

led by Michael Drost. Thank you, Mr. Drost. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Uh, we have a number of presets. Today at 905, we'll hear from the public at 130. We will hear from the adjustment of utility water and wastewater rates at 145. We'll consider utility systems, revenue bonds at 505 or at the conclusion of our meeting, we will once again hear from the public. There are no additional items. There is one request to withdraw from the agenda that's public hearing. Quasi judicial. Number three, which was a request for certification of an agricultural enclave. There's a request to continue Department four, which is approval of a sovereignty submerged land lease modification with the trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund for the Docking and loading facility adjacent to the county owned property in Port Salerno. Uh, Madam Chair, I will move approval of the agenda with the request to draw, um, quasi judicial number three. And to continue departmental number four. Second, there's a motion and a second. All those in favor? I opposed. That motion passes unanimously. We will now begin with proclamations. The first proclamation is a proclamation recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Martin County, Florida. Good morning, commissioners. Domestic violence is a serious, widespread issue that affects individuals in every community, regardless of age, race, income, or education level, and leaves a lasting impact on survivors, families and communities. Safe space is the only certified domestic violence center serving Martin, Saint Lucie and Indian River counties in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the board encourages all residents to join safe space in supporting survivors, honoring their courage, and committing to end domestic violence, and hear from safe space. We have Rachael Pulli. Thank you so much and good morning. My name is Rachael Poli and I work for Safe Space. Safe space is the only domestic violence center serving Martin County and the rest of the Treasure Coast. We thank you for recognizing October as the best at Violence Awareness Month. We recognize and are also hearing from professionals like law enforcement, first responders, and medical professionals that as a community, we need to move from awareness about domestic violence to action. The need for our services has been increasing. I have a few numbers for you. Last year, through our shelter and our advocacy programs, we served 1047 adults and children. This is over 150 more people than the previous year. We average about 250 hotline calls every month. Last I heard, there have been seven homicides on the Treasure Coast so far in 2026, where the victims were murdered by an intimate or former partner. Each was trying to leave or had recently ended the relationship, which is always the most dangerous time behind. All of our numbers are people who needed immediate safety and support. When someone is ready to leave, they can't wait. Meetings that help take resources, trained advocates and community willing to help. It also means working together so that wherever someone comes needs help in our community, they find it from people who are prepared to respond, strengthening our response to abuse takes ongoing training and coordination. It also means holding abusers accountable, which helps protect survivors, reduces the risk of future harm, and makes our community safer. Which is why this month we have invited the community to get involved. A few weeks ago, on October 13th, Safe Space hosted the first domestic violence summit titled Awareness to Action. This was a collaboration with the circuit 19 Domestic Violence Task Force and the Gabby Petito Foundation. We had over 115 system professionals come together to learn how to recognize, abuse and coordinate support and abuser accountability. The summit also serves as a jumping point for the 2027 relaunch of the circuit 19 Domestic Violence Task Force, where the goal is to strengthen a coordinated community response across all four counties in circuit 19. We're grateful to those who have agreed to help come together and to help coordinate our community's response to domestic violence. If anyone is currently seeking safety or answers, you do not have to know if you want to leave or what you need to do. You can call our hotline 24 hours a day, and our advocates can help you understand your options and help create a safety plan for your current situation. If someone discloses an abusive relationship, believe them. Respect their choices, and offer resources like safe space. If you need immediate assistance, please call our hotline at (772) 288-7023 to learn more about the task force and other resources available, please visit our website at Safe Spaceflight or visit our administration offices. Thank you for helping support survivors of domestic violence. Thank you. Thank you, thank you. Yeah. Let's get everybody. kind of scoot in a little bit this way. All right. We're gonna do a couple here. One, two three. Three. All right. 123. One more time. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Our next proclamation is a proclamation commending Sophia Aubrey on the achievement of Eagle Scout. Boy Scouts of America, now known as Scouting America, has a legacy of providing young people with meaningful opportunities to develop leadership skills, strengthen character, build confidence, and become responsible citizens. The rank of the Eagle Scout, the highest rank in scouting, is significant in that it is a reflection of an individual who has endeavored to become the best he or she can be. Sophia Obama of Troop 4832 is hereby congratulated for her achievement in attaining the rank of Eagle Eagle Scout, and we have Sophia here, along with Emily Dark. If y'all could please come. Up. Congratulations, Sophie. Thank you. Okay. Good morning, commissioners. Thank you. Emily dark, senior environmental resource and eco tourism program manager. It is my pleasure to introduce Sophia Aubrey, a member of our local BSA Girls Troop 4832, a historic troop. I've been working with Sophia for just over a year on her Eagle Scout project, which is an informational kiosk at the East Coast Greenway trailhead that supports our county's eco tourism initiatives. Unfortunately, shortly after completing the project, it was destroyed by a vehicle, but Sophia has committed to rebuilding it. I think her willingness to see this project through, despite the setbacks, speaks volumes about her dedication, perseverance and character. I'm pleased to welcome her today to share her project with you. Good morning commissioners. My name is Sophia Aubrey and I'm here today representing troop 432, known as the first girls BSA troop in Martin County. I'm honored to share the completion of my Eagle Scout project. My project is located at the north end of Gomez Road in Hope sound, sitting at the southern entrance of Martin County's completely off road segment of the East Coast Greenway. This section of the trail is very unique. It acts as a bridge connecting Seabright Sea Branch Preserve State Park to the north with our beautiful local county preserves to the south, including the Gomez Preserve and Peck Lake Park. Because it connects these natural assets, it is heavily used by everyday local residents. Tourists looking to walk, run, bike and even roller skate. This kiosk serves as a information hub and a direct visitors on the East Coast Greenway. Looking over the Martin County Trail systems and promoting local businesses and outdoor recreation opportunities. Sadly, the original kiosk was in. And unfortunately destroyed by a car, but I've agreed to rebuild it for the community and Hugo Project is a massive lesson in leadership and community, and I did not do it alone. So I just want to thank you to the Office of Tourism and Marketing and the Environmental Research Division for their garden guidance, especially Miss Emily Dark. My dad and friends who were volunteered to help me, but their support was absolutely invaluable during the process. Thank you for listening. Okay. Now you get to do it again. Have you had your Court of Honor? This must be the. Emily with a true believer. No she's not. She's. Congratulations. Oh, I thought you said she was a true believer. Our next proclamation is a proclamation declaring Careers in Construction Month in Martin County, Florida. Careers and Construction Month is observed in October to help increase public awareness of the opportunities available in the construction trade professions. The Treasure Coast Builders Association, along with other entities, has established student memberships, mentoring programs, ready to work boot camps, job fairs, and scholarships to increase awareness of these career opportunities and to support programs that provide educational pathways to obtain them. The board is pleased to recognize construction trades professionals and the critical role they play in our community, and here to accept from the Treasure Coast Builders Association, we have Jen Williams and Deb Frazier. Good morning, commissioners. Thank you so much. I'd like to do a shout out. First of all, I'm Deb Frazier. I am the executive officer for the Treasure Coast Builders Association and also their charitable foundation, which is our workforce development arm. I'd like to give a shout out to Commissioner Campi for coming over to our Martin County, Careers and Construction Week. We really appreciate that. And our young adults also made two benches for a park here in Martin County, so they were very proud of that. And we'll be very excited to present those when the time comes. This is Jen Williams. She is the director of our workforce development. Good morning. Thank you for this, commissioners. Um, it is important that we bring awareness to the importance of careers in construction. I don't know if you know, but for every approximately two individuals that are leaving the construction workforce due to retirement, there are only about two coming in. So that leaves us with a potential or problematic shortfall in the future. So it's important that we show young adults that careers in construction are valuable careers, that they are first choice careers. And we do that through our careers in Construction Week and through career and construction days, and our partnerships with local nonprofits like Boys and Girls Club and South Fork High School, which we visit quite often. So I want to thank you for this awareness. Thank you very much. Thank you. All right. Everybody is. Three. Couple more. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. Our next proclamation is a proclamation declaring economic and Business Development Awareness Month in Martin County, Florida. Excuse me. 35 years ago, the Martin County Board of County Commissioners created the Business Development Board of Martin County, or the BDB to execute strategies that benefit existing and expanding businesses with complementary services. The BD emphasis on core industries such as marine, aviation and advanced manufacturing encourages companies to expand operations, invest in capital improvements, and generate commercial property tax. And tangible personal property tax. October 2026 is officially recognized as Economic and Business Development Awareness Month, and here to accept we have Troy McDonald. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. This is. Uh. Thank you, Madam Chair and commissioners. Um, I'm Troy McDonald. I think we all know each other. This is Christina Hunter. She, uh, part of our team. Unfortunately, Lauren, our other team member, had a little car trouble, so she won't be here this morning. But I want to thank you for this proclamation. It's 35 years of hard work by the business development Board, working hand in hand with Martin County. He to continue to grow our economic future. But it's more than just a contractual relationship between the county and the Business Development board. It's about partnerships. It's about relationships. It's about working together to increase our tax base, increase job opportunities, and really help Martin County grow in a positive way that meets our lifestyle and what we in our quality of life here. Uh, but we don't do it alone. We do it with partners. Partners such as Martin County, the City of Stuart, Village of Indiantown, the Chambers of Commerce, South Florida, Manufacturing Association, Treasure Coast Manufacturers Association, Marine Industries Association, TCB, the Treasure Builders Association. So I probably got that wrong there somewhere. But I think that's a yogurt place. To see you. Uh, but. Yeah, TCB, uh, you know, who knows? Yeah, I. Missed the yogurt place. I serve yogurt. But I also want to thank, uh, Commissioner Capps. He serves as the liaison for our board. And thank you very much for the proclamation. And we look forward to another 35 years. Thank you. Troy, I just wanted to. Troy. Uh, what a nice job recognizing all the nominees and the award winners yesterday at the BTB luncheon. There are some fantastic companies in Martin County joining us. So congratulations on. All of you. It was a wonderful event. We filled 40 tables at, uh, at the Hutchinson Shores. Um, our largest attended event yet close to. I'm not sure. The exact numbers I'm going to say is around 360, probably. So thank you. Busy week. Thank you, thank you. I really want it. No. Done. Thank you. Our next proclamation is a presentation of Martin County Fire Rescue's Heroic Heart Award. Chief Chin Cooley is here to present. And commissioners, after this proclamation, we would like to have everyone come in the well for a photo. All right, we're gonna we're gonna face this way the first time. Good morning. Good morning. For the record, Chad Angel, fire Chief Martin County fire rescue. So today we get to share a pretty remarkable story. Um, but before I introduce and share a story, I want to define a word because it's a word that I feel is used very, very loosely. And I think there's, it's it's used a little bit too much when it shouldn't be used. But today it's going to be a different, sort of different set of circumstances. And the word I want to define is is hero. So I before I came here, looked up the word hero. And you'll, you'll see a lot of different interpretations of what the word hero means. Essentially what it is is an act of courage. But I believe that's a little bit flat for me. What I believe a hero is it's performing an act of courage when most won't. That's what a hero is. So let me share a little bit of the story. So this is Luna, and I actually she's three years old. I met her twice and I have seen her face maybe for one second. Um, and this is Madeline. This is Madeline. Madeline is 20 years old. And Madeline in this story is actually the definition of a hero. So let's hear a little bit of the details of the story. So Madeline was in her community pool, and she was just, you know, enjoying her afternoon day. And she had, um, she left the pool and walked away, and she left a hair clip back where she was sitting. And so she went to go find this hair clip to retrieve the hair clip. And when she did, what she noticed was there was a spot in the bottom of the pool. And she thought initially it was just a smudge on her sunglasses, and she looked a little more in detail. And then when she realized it was a child lying there motionless. So this is where people will see something like this and not quite sure what to actually do. Madeline, without hesitation, she jumped in the pool and she grabbed Luna from that pool. And what? Matt? What? What Madeline actually went into is she went into what we would call a work mode, and she immediately initiated CPR. She immediately started dropping directives on the pool deck. Somebody to call 911. She called for help while she's performing CPR. At the same time, there was an off duty ICU nurse that was there. The nurse came in and assisted Madeline with CPR, and they collectively together actually resuscitated Luna, who was unconscious, unresponsive and not breathing. That's a heroic act. And then behind them, 901 was initiated and our crews came in and our crews are behind me here. And they came in and they continued to stabilize Luna and take her to the hospital. But these are the stories that we would like to share more often. And unfortunately, we don't get to. That's why we're really want to be here in front of you today to one, just understand some of the people we have in our community, like Madeline and the Precious Life like Luna, just putting them together is absolutely remarkable. And a little bit about Madeline, the background, why she was so prepared is Madeline was brought up in a family that understood you have to have a skill set in life, and you need to be prepared for times that you may have to act, and you have to know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. So her family is a fire rescue family, and they actually taught her the value of CPR. Madeline has been babysitting. Apparently that's what she's been doing for many, many years. Very respected. She took this very serious well, and there was a time to actually use those skills. And she did. So today we're together with both Madeline and Luna can continue to be shy for the next 50, 8000 years, whatever it is. And maybe one day I'll get to see her face. But thank you to Madeline. So with that, I have I have Luna's mom here, and I have Luna's father here as well. And Madeline's parents, I think, are in the audience here. We have her parents over here, and then Bateson. Sorry. I keep thinking that. Sorry. Um, and so what I would like to do, if you don't mind. Madison, what I would like you to do is if Madison can share a couple of words. Is that is that okay? All right. Okay, I suck at this, so bear with me. Oh, you're doing great. What's your name? Madison. Okay, first, I want to thank the Board of County commissioners for this recognition. But if I'm being completely honest, when I think about August 23rd, I don't think about being recognized. I think about Luna. I think about a three year old little girl who, in a matter of seconds, went from simply enjoying a day at the pool to fighting for her life. And I think about how incredibly grateful I am that she survived. Since that day, Luna and I have developed the sweetest friendship. I've gotten to see her personality, her smile, her strength, and the joy she brings to the people around her. If there's one thing I hope people take away from Luna's story, it's that water safety matters. Drowning can happen quickly and often silently, especially with young children. Supervision around water barriers and pool safety, knowing basic rescue skills and learning CPR can make the difference between a terrible tragedy and a second chance at life. But today, I don't want to focus on what happened to Luna. I want to celebrate what didn't happen. I want to focus on the miracle of what followed. Luna survived. She went home. She continued growing, smiling and bringing joy to everyone around her. Every time I see her, I'm reminded that life can change in an instant and that every moment with the people we love is a gift. I didn't just get the chance to help Luna that day. I got the privilege of knowing her afterward. So thank you for recognizing me today that the greatest honor is not standing here. It's knowing that Luna is here. She is alive, and she's thriving. When something goes wrong, you may not have time to wait for someone else to know what to do. Those first moments matter. I know that because I lived one of those moments with Luna, and I hope none of you ever have to experience what her family and I experienced that day. But if you do, I hope you're prepared. I hope you know how to respond, and I hope you have the skills that could give someone the same second chance that Luna received. Take a CPR class, learn water safety, talk to your family about it. Make water safety a priority in your home. You never know when knowing what to do can mean the difference between losing someone and getting to watch them grow up. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you so much. Everyone, please. Mom, dad, you want to come on. Up? It wasn't for you to. This is. Hey. Thank you. Great job. Second row. Excuse me. Yeah. No. Just make sure everyone. Come on. Everyone. Yeah. Come on.. Excited? No, it looks good. I'm just waiting to make. I'll do a last check before I take. The picture on screen. Will say Luna. One. Two. Three. Luna. Beautiful. Thank you everyone. It was my. To meet you. One day I'll play with you. Yeah. You didn't hear about that? Oh. Yes. Thank you. Fair. I yeah. Congratulations. The training? Yeah. Of course. It is. I see our tax collector here, which is always a good sign. Sometimes she brings a big check. Miss Petrovsky, would you like to address us? Good morning, commissioners. I did come to put a big smile on your face. And good morning, Elise and Don Donaldson and the commissioners. Um, and with me, I have two of my finance team, uh, Melissa and Janice. Um, commissioners, it is truly remarkable to be able to present a cheque for $8 million. And we all know how difficult it is to earn and save this amount of money. And what makes it even more amazing? This is the second $8 million check that we've given in this fiscal year. In June, we gave the $8 million check for the tax certificate sale. Now, these funds are from all those extra services that we provide. And what I did, I typed, um, and Melissa will give them out to you. Uh, the different services that we do besides property tax and the, the agency that we do it for, um, and this accomplishment is a testament to our incredible staff whose hard work, dedication and commitment made it possible, as well as the strong partnerships that we've built with other agencies through the team, the teamwork that we've delivered tremendous benefits to the taxpayers. And I am proud to be their boss. Uh, the grand total that we made over our budget and after all the services were done and all the bills were paid, was 8,179,784 and 86. The county gets seven. Almost the 8 million. They get $7,850,944.81. And the other taxing authorities will be getting $328,808.55. And as soon as we get back to the office, that money will be wired to you. Excellent. To put. A big. Thank you and. Cover the account. Number. Would you like to get a picture? Sure. Okay. The Pinkertons are here. Is going to be in there, too. And I. You want to give me your phone or I can just. I'm sure. Office. I guess. All right. Uh, that's going. I think. All right. That's awesome. Thank you. Thank you. Do you want to give it to them? Yeah. Do you have to endorse. The back. Of it? Okay. Have a good day. Thank you. Thank you guys. Thank you. We'll now hear from the public. You will have three minutes to address us. The first request to speak for my have is from Doug Farley, followed by Steven Adams. Don't forget speech. While Mr. Farley is on his way up. Uh, since we are in an election season, politicking is prohibited, which is defined as advocating the election or defeat of a candidate or for public office, either partisan or nonpartisan. This includes the use of words, date, signs, props, and or wearing apparel that convey a message of support for a person or group of persons. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning, commissioners. Um, I'm here to talk today about quiet zones at railroad intersections. You probably guessed that because you probably starting to recognize me. Um, I'd like to share a story with you with sort of act as a correlation to help explain why quiet zones make sense. And it includes this picture here. I'd like to show you part of my story. That shows. Up.. So, uh, this is, uh, that's me. My wife and I went to Scotland for vacation a couple of months ago. This is a on an island on the northeast coast. And this big giant structure with this big red thing on the top of it. That's a foghorn. A big, giant air horn. This structure and another one was built on the island. And the late 19th century. And it provided a safety feature for shipping in that area. The foghorn would blow and it was foggy out, providing a safe way for ships to navigate to them on the island. Um, by the 1990s, it became obsolete. GPS replaced this horn Global Positioning System. Uh, that system made it safer than the actual horn. So they turned off the horn. At no point in Scotland did the folks over there say, well, you know, we've got this system that is safer and better for navigation, but we should still keep blowing the horn. It didn't say that they turned off the horn and made it quieter for people, so they could have a little peace and quiet and little a little serenity in their life. Now, the correlation I'm getting at here, of course, is the horn on the train. Uh, when you upgrade to safety zones that include the quad gates, that is the GPS, that is the safety feature that is better than the horn. So please silence these horns and enact safety zones at railroad intersections, because, uh, it's just better for Martin County. And I'll see you all next month when it's on the agenda. You're two for two with your public comments, by the way. You're very good at that. That's ironic, because I'm a white with fear when it comes to public speaking. You're doing great. Thank you. Thank you. At the. Gate. Steven Adams is next, followed by Miss Yvonne Burns. He hides it. Well. Be afraid. Good morning. So I'm gonna kick off with the, um, being against the data centers. I learned Thursday about the data center being proposed. Came up supposedly underneath the, um, it's loophole for the agenda that you're going to vote on today, which is the the one year moratorium. And I pray that you do vote for that. Uh, I happen to live one mile from this new proposed Mega center, 100MW and 100MW is like, unbelievable to power 100,000 homes. And that's going to be a mile from me. Who knows how much water it's going to be going to use? Um, whether it's a well or it's going to be city wood, or if it's a well, my well will be destroyed, it might as well drop a nuke right around our house here, because everything I've worked for is, um, in jeopardy at this point. So, um, I wrote a whole bunch of facts here as far as data centers go. And I pray you, I can't get through them in three minutes. Three minutes to fight for my life is, like, ridiculous. Um, the machines are winning. I pray you vote for humans versus the machines. Because we can't. We need food and we need water to survive. And these things are taking everything from us. And they're sending back pollution. Um, in in the form of heavy metals forever. Chemicals, PFAS, uh, and these companies seem to just pray for forgiveness after they do something. They're hiding stuff. They're lying to us. And, uh, we just need to oppose them. And I pray that you all vote against this and keep it out of our community. Um, I have a bald eagle that, uh, comes to my house a lot, and it's a smart bird. Once this thing with the noise comes, if you approve it, and the light and everything else there goes that and whatever else. Wildlife. Um, I'm conservative by nature, but I also live in a very peaceful home. Uh, when there's a new moon, I can't tell you how many stars we see. And now that'll be gone with all the light from this place. So I pray with all the facts, um, that I don't have time. I'm just being personal right now that you being a mile from this is is devastating to us. So please, please, um, consider that. And consider our, uh, humans over machines. Please. Thank you. Good morning. And thank you for this opportunity. I am Yvonne Burns and I live on Green Ridge Lane in Palm City. And yes, my son and I are approximately less than a mile from the site that is proposed on that vast amount of ground on the other side of the canal, which we are on the canal, and naturally we have a well, and we worry about not only the well, but our electricity too. And I feel very strongly about AI and what it's going to do to our neighborhood, to our property, and to all the property surrounding us in the farmland where we are. And we just feel we need more information and we wish, please, to give us more information and let us know exactly what is going on and what it's going to do to all the properties surrounding the farmlands and our property as well. Uh, we have a nice house as a farmhouse, and being on the canal is very pleasant, but it won't be very pleasant if this construction goes on. I know it's a 1,000,000ft . I know exactly how big that is. It's a monster. And we. Please are asking for more information to all of us, not just myself and my son, but to everyone that is in the vicinity who's going to be affected by this. And thank you again for this opportunity. I appreciate it. Thank you. Ann Vander Steele is next, followed by Casey Darling Nefyn. Good morning commissioners. The decision obviously is very serious here, and the residents here are speaking up. But I want to ask you about whether Martin County is going to absorb the local risk of what is really an unprecedented national experiment. America's hyperscalers. I'm going to give you some big picture context here. Plan to spend roughly 700 to $800 billion on AI infrastructure this year. Gartner Research says data center owners would need about $8.5 trillion in revenue through 2030, but attributable AI revenue may only reach $3.5 trillion. That leaves almost a $5 trillion gap. And in the hearing, and in the spirit of hearing that we're in an AI race against China, China has taken a different path. Believe it or not, spending close to 100 billion while emphasizing cheaper models, efficient inference or inference, robotics, manufacturing and practical industrial deployment. While America is building the maximum computing power first, without really knowing how much we're going to need and betting that the money and the revenue catches up later. So looking at our expenditures, it is significant globally, but really significantly here since we're being put into this manufactured race against China. What I'd like you to consider, of course, in talking about this canner highway application, which was deemed sufficient on October 12th, one day before the board's first moratorium vote. And that actually may escape it because it falls before the actual moratorium may take effect. This board directed staff to prepare a moratorium on August 25th. That was the day I showed up. I have a question. Why did it take 49 days, seven weeks to reach a first vote? Who knew that application was coming and when? I also request disclosure of all owners, lenders, consultants, lobbyists, campaign contributions, and any business or financial relationships with any county officials. So in terms of the spirit of today, what we're asking for, and I think everybody here is probably looking for is that adoption of the full one year moratorium. And during that year require independent public studies of water demand, aquifer, wetland, stormwater contamination impacts to grid capacity, transmission, residential rates and backup power. Diesel emissions, fire and evacuation capacity, cybersecurity, roads, agricultural property values and insurance jobs, tax benefits and public cost. And of course, something that's not talked about enough. The continuous tonal and low frequency noise throughout a five mile radius. The analysis must be cumulative across unincorporated Martin County. Stuart and Indian Town, and experts must have no financial ties, be independently selected and applicant funded. Thank you very much. Please consider passing this moratorium. You. Good morning. Good morning. My name is Casey, Darling. I'm the policy director with friends of the Everglades. We are based right here in Martin County. We are founded in 1969 by Marjory Stoneman Douglas. And our mission is to preserve, protect and restore the only Everglades in the world. I want to start by thanking the board and county staff for bringing the moratorium on data centers to a second public hearing today, after reviewing the available data on the impacts of large scale data centers in Florida, friends, the Everglades position aligns with the county's. We simply do not have enough information on what we may be introducing to this ecologically sensitive region and the world's most extensive restoration effort. We need more study and the evaluation of potential impacts, especially in the 16 county greater Everglades region. Imagine now if 100 years ago, decision makers had the same resolve and paused to study potential impacts of draining wetlands and analyzing the Everglades. I can tell you we would not be staring down a looming crisis every season and spending billions of dollars to repair foolhardy mistakes of the past. Recently, the South Florida Water Management District presented its water supply plan for our region. It showed that saltwater intrusion and more frequent flooding, as well as drought events, are expected over the next 30 years. We have enough to contend with without hastily approving energy and water intensive uses on our lands and near our wetlands. Friends of the Everglades appreciates the data center moratorium being heard today in the support of the Board of County Commissioners. Thank you so much. Thank you. Bill smart is next, followed by Jeff Andres. Good morning commissioners. My name is Gil Smart and I'm here to represent Vote water, formerly Bull Sugar. We advocate for clean water and clean politics. We're based right here in Sewell's Point. I, too, want to thank staff and the commissioners themselves for the diligent work needed to get us to a second hearing on the possible data center moratorium. I'm here to encourage approval of a one year pause on large scale data centers, as you know, and as you're seeing here today, data centers have become one of the most controversial political issues in the entire state. Actually, the entire country, at least 11 counties and cities have enacted bans in Florida, and at least another 17, including Martin County, are considering at least a temporary pause. Given all the questions surrounding the impact of data centers on water supply and water quality, energy usage, wildlife habitat, and more, and particularly given our proximity to the greater Everglades ecosystem. A moratorium is the prudent move here, and let's keep those two words in mind. Prudent governance. That's what needs to guide us in this decision making. But this isn't the end of the story. A moratorium today is not the end of the story. It's only the beginning. For the purpose of the moratorium is to gauge the potential impact and inform the county's eventual policy decisions on data centers going forward, and the pressure is going to be immense. On one side, our citizens, passionate about protecting their homes and communities like these folks here today on the other side is big money data center developers, tech companies and aligned utility interests have reportedly spent more than $30 million on Florida political campaigns ahead of the 2026 elections. That number will surely be higher once this moratorium, if passed, expires in a year. But let's cross that bridge when we get there for now. Thanks for considering what we believe to be the right move, and please let prudence guide you as you move ahead on this contentious issue. Thank you. Thank you. Jeff Andres is next, followed by Gregory Stevenson. I think. Jeff. I'll put that aside. Uh, Gregory Stevenson. Followed by Susan Stevenson. Stevenson's. Good morning. You better pull that mic up. You're a. Little. Is that better? Yes. Good morning. Um. Two things. Two aspects to this issue. I first wanted to ask you to please pass the moratorium on large scale data centers for the year, to give us some time to give us all some time to determine the impacts of these data centers to our community, to our county, but especially to the people, because, as some of the previous speakers have mentioned, the people are really one of the aspects that suffer from these data centers. Um, there are plenty of pictures online of these mammoth data centers placed adjacent to residential neighborhoods. Um, the noise from these data centers is overwhelming. Um, some residents in Lowell, Massachusetts, who have a large, I believe, Amazon data center, uh, abutting their property lines, uh, feel mist from the cooling towers on a regular basis. Uh, there's also, um, the recent, um, episode in in August, another data center that was running emergency generators for 24 hours to the point where the residents couldn't stand the noise or the diesel fumes and had to vacate their houses until, uh, regular power was restored. Uh, so there are lots of things, um, that affect everyday, everyday people's lives. When these data centers are built more generally. I wanted you to also consider, um, you know, after the year is up, perhaps a, a permanent moratorium on data centers here in Martin County. They. Simply. they simply. Do not belong here. This is a relatively sparsely populated community, low lying, largely agricultural. We have some light, some small industry. But these large types of industries are very much out of place here. Um, and also, uh, in closing, I would like to ask you, regardless of when the application was, uh, uh, sorry, submitted for the Kanner Highway project, uh, to please roll that into this year moratorium. Um, as long as that can be done. So under the law, because, uh, these companies will do whatever they can to make sure that these projects go through. And, um, we need to take our time and put limits on their power. Thank you. Thank you. Susan Stevenson is next, followed by Richard Miller. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. I just. Good morning. My name is Susan Stevenson. I am here to also speak in full support of the moratorium regarding data centers and to advocate that it be applied retroactively to anything that's in the pipeline. Many people spoke. Yes, yes. Many people spoke about the environmental impacts there. Are there obvious the environmental and public concerns around energy noise, water consumption? I'll give you a brief little background of me. I'm an engineer and I solve problems. I worked for a large industrial gas company, and through that experience, I learned that the best projects solve problems. This data center is not solving a problem. There isn't a demand for data centers. It's being pushed. In fact, many of the younger generation people my kids are resistant to data. They're resistant to AI usage. We don't know where it's going to go yet. And by passing a moratorium, we're allowing public to understand what the data center impact will be. This is clearly a push to build the data centers, and it's not in the benefit of the people who are around it, in the communities. And even we're not sure where the public's going to go in the future. So I'm asking for your support on this Moratorium retroactively as far as forward and then in the future. Looking for a band. This is something that is being pushed. They're looking at it to build it, and they will come. This is not a field of dreams. This will destroy our fields. Thank you very much for your time and attention. Thank you. Richard Miller is next, followed by Dustin Macias. Good morning. Good morning. I live at the Florida Club, which backs up to Pratt, Whitney and Cantor. We've been ably represented by Sarah Herd for many years. We appreciate it. I spent a year where people I couldn't see most of the time and didn't know were trying to do me great bodily harm. I don't want to spend another year or longer where somebody that I know is trying to do me great bodily harm. Folks, that's in your hands. These things are not to be near people that are trying to conduct their ordinary lives. Thank you. Thank you. Dustin Myers is next, followed by David Bowden. Good morning. Good morning everybody. I'm also here to voice my opposition and displeasure with the proposed data center. Um, I have a bunch of notes here. Um, but basically, the first thing that comes to mind is what is that going to do to my family's health? I got three boys. Um, we live less than a mile from where this proposed location is. That's super close to where Crystal Lake Elementary is. My kids used to go there. Um, it's only a couple miles from Southfork High School, and, you know, what are the long term health impacts? Not only what it does to the water. Um, the low frequency that people have mentioned, the noise pollution, the light pollution, um, and then, of course, what's it going to do to our electric bill? What's it going to do to our property value? We we're in the process of trying to sell our house. Last year moved to Palm City, and we had to put that on pause. Um, my wife had breast cancer. And now that we're, like, looking at trying to move again, what's this going to do if I try to sell my house? Um, I think I echo a lot of people sentiments that this is being pushed on us. We don't want this here. And whose life has been made better by AI. Yeah, it's it's a good tool for some things, but I don't need to see another Sasquatch video talking or playing the saxophone or some silly thing like that. I think these AI data centers personally are being used to store information about all of us. Like all the cameras, all the flock cameras, the things on your phone, all the stuff on your computer. It's being used to basically put us in a digital prison. Like, why are we building a digital prison around us when we have the power to stop it? We can see what's coming. Uh, we don't want it here. We want it out of Martin County. Somebody mentioned earlier quality of life in Martin County. Um, I don't think this is going to improve the quality of life in Martin County at all. Um, Martin County is my home. That your guys's home. It's everybody's home. Um, so let's please treat it like that. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. David Bowden is next, followed by Karen Hall. Yost. Rudge. Mr. Bowden is. I put you aside for the moment. Karen. Hall. Yost Rudge is next, followed by Christine Berg. Can I just say something? She's recognized by the chair. Are you? I just she was. Going to speak for me. Today because my mom's in the local hospital. But I decided to stay because I'd like to say a few things. So the paperwork I came to do, Mrs. Karen Hall. But it's really for me. And then she has a speech to. Okay, sorry. Good morning. Good morning. Um, thank you so much for your service. I'm so grateful to live in Martin County and in the greatest country in the world. I want to. Amen. What has been said before? I also agree with a permanent moratorium. Um, my daughter actually is a double major in environmental sciences and earth sciences, and she explained what AI is in a simple way to me. And so I'm totally against it. Um, so yes, if we could keep them out, we're Martin County. We can do this. We can stay for levels four stories and we can keep out the data centers. I wonder. and then. And then I also want to remind you guys that you're in litigation as a co-defendant with me. And if it's like the city of Stuart, you probably don't even know, because sometimes attorneys don't tell everything they know. So I want to remind you of that, okay. That you're involved as a co-defendant in a sham lawsuit started by the city and as properties. And then I want to remind you also that there's a pending Scotus, Supreme Court of the United States. There's also something pending there from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and your, uh, CE guy, magistrate, Mr. Paul Nicoletti, is a respondent. So I want you guys to continue to find out what is going on, because sometimes you don't even know what's going on. But I do want to say that Paul Nicoletti is still working as a magistrate. And then I heard he went out to Indian Town and everybody wants to drain the swamp, but all we do is move the alligators all around. Okay, so I want you to know that Paul Nicoletti is a respondent, and Paul Nicoletti has done things that make him unfit for office. Yes, he's a nice man. Paul is nice. They're nice people. But when nice people are in places of power and we're talking about Nicoletti, Kilbride and Michael Mortel, they are all respondents. So let's make sure that we you guys don't just hide stuff just because they do 80% good and 20% bad. That's not what we want. We want 100% good. And we trust you. Okay. And then, um, thank you for your service and God bless America. And, sir, have you filled out a request to speak. For him? Yes. And you are? It's Robert Stankovic. City of Stuart. So. But it's listed as Karen Hall because I wasn't supposed to be here. Because my mom's in a local hospital. Let them talk. I did. Please, please. 911 responders. Because yesterday my mom was in a local rehab hospital, and the thermometers weren't working. And she had a high fever. She, uh, the thermometer said 96, but she was really almost 102, so I had to call 901, which they were there immediately, and brought her to the South Hospital. And she's in good shape right now. So. But a broken thermometer is unacceptable. And, you know, some of these places need to make some changes. So. But, um, the reason why I'm here is actually the reason why I moved to Stewart. Because the airport went international. I'm sure you all know, back in 2010, you know, they released information. You know, there's a whole press kit about, you know, the Stewart International, Stewart becoming an international airport. So I used to live in Jupiter and flying internationally. In order to get you have to go through customs. You have to go to the Palm Beach International or Miami, and it's just too far of a drive. You know, you have to drive three hours to Miami and then wait there and then fly. And so now you could actually just fly out of here. And it's just much easier. So in 2010, I heard about that. And then I said, I want to live next to the airport. So I moved to just do it right here. Uh, close to the downtown Stewart, basically close to here. Um, and what I do is I'm an expert in AI and data centers, but internationally. So if you need any information, I could tell you anything about AI or anything you want to know about tech. So. But the first thing I want to say is about Paul Nicoletti, because, um, I warned the city commission about the liability to try insurance. You know, Tricot is an insurance carrier and about the rehiring of Mike Martel because he's involved in the total lawsuits are 665 lawsuits that his name is on. So not all of them are open, but there's numerous, numerous lawsuits, you know, there's major ones. Mine is minor compared to Karen Hall's. And if you look at Jeanine Alexander, she's PTSD from her. It's a terrible story. What Jeanine Alexander went through. So I'm hoping I could tell you, like, two, two different things if you give me some extra time. Because I wasn't really supposed to speak here. I got a whole room full of people that want their time. Okay. All right. So I warned the city of Stuart about, um, rehiring Mike Martel. Sir, your time is up. Thank you. All. Okay, this is just about liability. Just liability insurance for the carriers, that's all. That's all it is. Thank you. If you just read that, that's perfect. So thanks. Christine Barish is next, followed by Medora reading. Reading. Good morning everyone. I'm happy to be here. I'm going to I'm going to urge you to vote on the moratorium. I agree with the other people here that it should be a permanent one. And there are many eloquent speakers here, much more so than I am. But if anybody doesn't realize we're all electrical beings, and I think we need a little bit more education on the impact that this is going to have to humans, to the environment. What are the implications financially? We're in we're coming into a new era. Okay. We had the industrial revolution. AI is here to stay. I don't think anybody can deny that. But what impact is this data center going to have on humans, on the environment, to help educate you a little bit, there is something called bio geometry. If you go to bio geometry, there was a study done on electro smog and the miracle of Hamburg, Sweden. That was one tower that, um, phone carriers put in a chapel. Okay, in a church. And the effects, the negative effects that it had on the surrounding area, that was minimized through bio geometry. Okay. Also, more research needs to be done on your part because you represent the residents of Martin County and the environment as well. You you are art caretakers, so I urge you to look at sciences because these data centers, the electromagnetic smog that they are putting on, affects you. It affects me, it affects the environment. We were talking about heroes this morning. You have a responsibility to us as people, as human beings and to your environment. So I urge you to vote for the moratorium and to do the research, because more research needs to be done and it is out there if you look thank you. Thank you. A reading is next, followed by Alex Hamilton. Good morning. Good morning. To all. Of you. Good morning. To everybody. So now I'm going to do reiteration on everything that has been said so well. But also another thought in all honesty and fairness. My opinion, they do not belong in the state of Florida. For many valid reasons. To begin with, there are 5000 hyperscale data centers already in play. China has less than 500. Um, when you think about our environment, they need to be kept cold at all times. They need water, they need power. It is consistently, constantly. We are known for extreme heat. We are also known for hurricanes and other scenarios. They don't belong in the state of Florida. Um, and then if there's a problem and anybody can ask Saint Lucie County what happens, it becomes down on the taxpayer to pick up and pay for the problems. We're done with that, especially if it's going to be harming in any way, shape or form us. A friend of mine who is former mayor of Juno Beach, brought up something I had not thought of in terms of technology. Everything becomes obsolete in about, what, seven years? Uh, everything comes back smaller, needing less or completely different applications. Look at cassette CDs. You know, whatever it goes. So we're going to go and go through all of this destroying land. Not even in a good environment weather wise, only to have it replaced 7 to 10 years from now. And then we're left with the buildings, which happened with Liberty Med and Digital Domain in Saint Lucie County. The only ones who will be making out on this are the developers. And once again they leave. Once it's done, they've got their money and we are left fixing it. Um. Then lastly, what everyone has also brought up data centers, report dizziness, nausea, vertigo, sleep, disruption from sound. They can't hear the name of this is infrasound from Texas. They have reported livestock having all kinds of problems. These are hyper data centers. I would like to see them never come into being in Florida. We have 5000 put money into them. Enhance what we have. Thank you very much. Thank you. Good. Big tech don't care. Alex Hamilton is next followed by Byron Woods. Mr. Hamilton is not available. Byron Woods, are you here? Good morning. Good morning everyone. Uh, just a quick brief about me. I spent 20 years in the military on nuclear submarines. Uh, retired. I worked at a data center for a year and a half. So I do have a little bit to say about that. But mostly I came here to to talk about the, uh, utility bills going up. Um, just my quick on data centers is, from what I've heard, they're, uh, coming out in media and everybody here, I think the moratorium is warranted to give a year to separate fact from fiction on actual water usage and all these other things that you may see on the media and bad information coming out. Um, and I think that moratorium would be good to separate those facts from fictions, but ultimately I would support a data center here. Um, that being said, I think our county has done very well with the 5% growth in the last five years. Um. 2%. It's two. Five years. So it's 2% from last year, but five 5% from 2020. And in that same statistic, our budget is also or the budget for us is also increased 50%, which is well above the, uh, for taxes, well above the inflation margin that we're talking about. So I don't understand why we're increasing, uh, anything that we have to pay for and not budgeting where we can. Thank you. Thank you. Linda Smith is next, followed by Lauren Hollander. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning, Linda Smith. Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group, representing members and supporters here in Martin County. Although I live in Jupiter. Thank you for exercising your powers to help protect against data centers. You're protecting the residents and the businesses by adopting this one year moratorium, you are giving you, your staff, residents, and businesses the most limited resource there is time to time to create a comprehensive planning and land development regulation. You have the power to oppose any data centers, large scale data centers have historically used substantial water. It's been discussed by implementing this ordinance, you can protect sensitive coastal ecosystems, freshwater and saltwater wetlands, large scale data centers use an unprecedented amount of electricity that's been discussed. Supposedly, local ratepayers will not be charged more due to the increase in power demands, but there is no way the data centers will offset the costs of the power plants, increases in toxic pollution created by creating the extra electricity and the power plants increase. Need for more water to create that electricity? And let's not even talk about the addition of heat. What we need around here is more heat, right? Um, I applaud you to move quickly on this. Over 20 counties that I know of have passed a moratorium or banned large scale data centers. Suwannee County is the latest I have heard of. Ohio and Georgia are overrun, and evidently Massachusetts also. So please stop them. Unfortunately, Palm Beach County, where I live, passed their moratorium on the same day. They accepted but did not pass Project Tango, which a lot of people have probably heard about. Now, staff has been forced to accept almost doubling the size of Project Tango. That's tragic. Please don't let that happen here. I encourage you with your precious vote on this issue. Vote it through. I almost did not make the drive because last time it was so unanimous. But this is more important to me in the Sierra Club and we are working on a statewide moratorium. Thank you for your time. Lauren Hollander is next, followed by Sergey Kelly. Yes, I was a speaker on a specific item, and I don't know if you want me to speak that. You want to speak on that. Um, it was just in support of the collaboration for the, uh, facility, the operations facility. You can speak now or you can speak on the item. I'll speak on the item, please. Okay. Thank you. I will. Sarah Kelly is next, followed by Dottie Lancey. All right. Great to see you all again, Sergey. West Palm Beach, and obviously everyone here as everyone across Florida does not want AI data centers. Um, they are the next form of reckless development. We had the, you know, changing of the Everglades way back in the day. We've had the, you know, massive sprawl of housing, of that form of development which is wreaking havoc as well as now. Um, but AI data centers are this next form. And I did like how someone did mention that pretty much everyone in the younger generations really, really hates AI because it is seemingly forced on us. No one voted for it. None of the commissioners, even most people, jumped up and down and say, hey, this is a great new idea. It's going to solve this problem. It's going to solve this. And yes, there's some, you know, side marginal stuff it can help with, but it's not at the extent where we need thousands of these things across Florida or even then or even in, uh, rural areas. So I would also suggest, since you're still here and still can technically amend it to lower it under the state definition of AI data center, hyperscale to, you know, anything below 50MW would be great, 20MW, ten megawatts. You can essentially what people are wanting are a larger band and you can actually do that now, at least temporarily. So that way you don't get one that's being proposed for, um, you know, under the statewide definition, because we'll still have a year. Still a lot will be proposed. Uh, we just had the whole saga of the one down in Palm Beach, and they're right. It was not just doubled. It was tripled by the administrative approval. Uh, they were kind of threatened with lawsuits, too. So you'll get that as well. But in short, no one wants them. No one ever wanted to bring these forward. And they will come after you legally. They will come after you every corner. I'm sure they're trying to already wine and dine you. That's how they operate. You just have to tell them no, you know, leave the door. Uh, furthermore, on the agriculture enclave, I know that might be withdrawn or moving, but please also deny any enclaves that come before the board. And at least this one did not legally meet the definition of the agricultural enclave. So that's good. But that's another, you know, prong in this whole, you know, development of Florida, whether it's AI data centers over development or AG enclaves that are just trying to take away all the land. And again, the next generation is looking at, you know, Florida in the 1980s was one thing, but what's it going to look like in 2080, which is going to be what a lot of the younger generations will live through, and it's going to be a very pale comparison and ugly comparison if things keep going the way they have been. So please pass the moratorium, strengthen it, extend it past the ban. Anything like that would be awesome. And again, think about the choices and the consequences that will be here for ten, 20, 200 years down the road as opposed to just right now. And what is being pushed around in terms of money and opportunities that they're falsely attributing to AI data centers. Thank you. Thank you. Dottie is next, followed by Risa Olcott. Wow. I am. Hi, hi. Hi, commissioners. Hi, everybody here. Dottie Lancey I live over in Hutchinson Island and I am amazed at the turnout here. Thank you. Thank you. I came over here for two reasons. My first reason was, of course, to speak about the moratorium, and I urge I wanted to urge you all to vote for it. I think it was a great idea. I don't know who proposed it or how. Oh, thank you, thank you, Commissioner Kathy. I think it was a great idea because we have to we have to know about it. And I noticed I got a, uh, an email from the Guardians of Martin County, and they have a, um, a paper that they have written, and I suppose it's on their website, but it describes, uh, in simple terms to people like me that don't know a whole lot about it. What AI is, what the data centers are capable of, and, uh, the pros and cons of them. So I think it's a good idea to sit back and, uh, educate ourselves before we jump to any conclusions here. And, um, I was unaware, uh, that this data center is, um, already been passed. Uh, I if we can stop it, I think it's a great idea. It, uh, it seems like it's snuck through by, uh, devious means. So, um, I, I urge the commission to vote on this, uh, moratorium. I hope you will. You can see the support that, uh, you have for the moratorium, and I think we all need to learn more about data centers