Joint Meeting with the City of PSL (2024-06-13)

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA Joint Meeting June 13, 2024 Convened: 1:03 PM Adjourned: 4:30 PM 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 1:03 PM by the City of Port St. Lucie Mayor Shannon Martin. Present St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners: Commissioner Cathy Townsend Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky Commissioner Linda Bartz Commissioner Larry Leet Commissioner Jamie Fowler City of Port St. Lucie City Officials: Shannon Martin, Mayor Jolien Caraballo, Vice Mayor Stephanie Morgan, District 1 Councilwoman David Picket, District 2 Councilman Anthony Bonna Sr., District 3 Councilman Also Present Dan McIntyre, County Attorney George Landry, County Administrator Mayte Santamaria, Deputy County Administrator Ciara Forbes, County Attorney Adolfo Covelli, Transit Director Patrick Dayan, Public Works Director Rebecca Olson, Solid Waste & Public Utilities Director Cameron Howard, Airport Director Katrina Slay, Agenda Coordinator Vera Smith, Deputy Clerk Recording Secretary Jesus Merejo, City of Port St. Lucie Manager Rich Berrios, City of Port St. Lucie Attorney Teresa Lamar, City of Port St. Lucie Deputy Manager Colt Schwerdt, City of Port St. Lucie Public Works Director Mary Savage, City of Port St. Lucie Planning Director Thomas Salvador, City of Port St. Lucie CIP, & Sales Tax Project Group Manager

Joint Meeting Thursday, June 13, 2024 1:00 PM 2 | P a g e Bridget Kean, City of Port St. Lucie Planner Stephen Okiye, City Port St. Lucie Finance Director Jasmine Defreese, City of Port St. Lucie Deputy Clerk 2. DISCUSSION ITEMS A. Update on Transit Services Adolfo Covelli, St. Lucie County Transit Director provided an overview of the Transit Department and services. The transit department consists of seven full-time county employees and some of the team responsibilities include the procurement of capital equipment, the management of over 20 grants, and the oversight of contracted service providers and transportation with approximately 130 employees. For the City of Port St. Lucie, there are five Fixed Routes, two Microtransit Zones, multiple door-to-door services for qualified individuals, and an intermodal facility. Microtransit is the door-to-door service for destinations within the zone of origin and is also a share-ride service. Nearly 40% of the trips are shared-ride running from 6:00 am to 7:45 pm, Monday through Friday, and Saturdays 7:00 am to 4:45 pm. Riders can travel between zones by connecting at one of the three transfer points, which are the intermodal facility on Deacon Avenue, the park and ride on Bay Shore Boulevard, and the park and ride on Gatlin Boulevard. Riders utilized the transfer points an estimated 200 times per month to travel from zone to zone. Recently the Microtransit team was awarded a National Association of Counties NACo award for best in the category of transportation. The Fixed Route currently runs Monday through Friday from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm and on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm riders can download the route for updates. The Paratransit program provides services for both ADA and Transportation Disadvantaged transport service users to doctor appointments, grocery stores, and life-sustaining activities such as dialysis and Alzheimer's care. In fiscal year 2022, 92,000 trips were provided through transit services. The Direct Connect transport service was specifically set up for residents to get to and from work and dialysis when the system is not running available 24/7 and is limited due to funding. The last program is the award-winning Advantage RIDE Program serves individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and serves the entire Treasure Coast, 90% of the trips are for employment, training, and education. Through a partnership with Indian River County, the department has been awarded close to $1.4 million requiring a local match of only 10% to continue the program until June of next year. They are actively seeking funding for next year to continue to be a successful program. Mr. Covelli presented an overview of the ridership numbers of each service over the last three years, highlighting that Fixed Route ridership numbers have returned to pre-Covid levels and have increased by 2%. The Paratransit services are low due to the Microtransit service, which is a huge financial benefit for the County. The Advantage RIDE program provides 3,500 trips a month for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Transit Department has partnered with City of Port St. Lucie staff and provided transportation for three of the City’s new hire orientations, the Citizens Advisory Committee tour, and several Community Outreach events. The transit department has received 39 vehicles since 2020, with 9 on order and 14 more for later this year. The transit staff has efficiently utilized $4.3 million in grant funds for vehicle purchases over the last four years, requiring only a local contribution of $200,000, or 5% of the total cost. Transit has been working on development plans for a major update, which occurs every five years

Joint Meeting Thursday, June 13, 2024 1:00 PM 3 | P a g e between residents, stakeholders, and staff. They are still actively seeking grants for some projects including the Van Pool program and College Circular. Van Pool is to assist businesses operating 24/7 by providing transportation for 5 or more employees and College Circulars for students actively participating in dual enrollment transporting from high school to college. Transit is planning to add Microtransit zones throughout the County currently the City of Fort Pierce has one and Port St. Lucie has two and an additional four may be needed to cover the County. The Port St. Lucie Express is the express route operated by Palm Tran, Palm Beach County's transit authority, running from Port St. Lucie to West Palm Beach. They are hoping to begin September with two trips in the morning, and two trips in the evening to get commuters and residents to and from Palm Beach and vice versa. Transit is also in the process of increasing the frequency from high Ridership Routes to every 30 minutes, extending the hours to 10:00 pm during the week, and Sunday Services. Transit is in the process of finding funding to construct the operations and management facility. The transit department's operating expenses from the previous year were 46% funded by a grant and 54% funded locally. The department's expenditures totaled $11 million to run the service, averaging just under $1 million per month. The transit department is currently in the design phase to upgrade the current Port St. Lucie Intermodal exchange station to serve as a fixed route bus stop. A contract was awarded to Captec in 2021 to design the facility. The development of a conceptual design with input from the City of Port St. Lucie, St. Lucie County, stakeholders, and public outreach. The conceptual design includes a building with a porter cache, a covered bike shelter, benches, public art, flowering trees, picnic tables, and much more. Captec was recently approved for the final design of the project. The engineering plans, are underway along with the site architectural and landscape design, permitting services, construction documents, and bidding. The Intermodal Facility is 60% financially funded, the County has secured a little over $3 million in funding and staff is actively searching for more grants. Transit received $600,000 in funding from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which needs to be used by December 2026 and they are set to receive another $900,000 by the end of the year that will need to be utilized by December 2027. Transit will need to find more funding for the project to prevent the loss of the grant funding from FDOT. David Picket, City of Port St. Lucie Councilman asked about the Port S. Lucie Express program rollout, expected ridership, and cost association. Mr. Covelli said he could not fully answer the question. Still, he advised that it is not County funded, and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), is funding the pilot program for the next 5 years, and Palm Tran will run it so there is no local investment. The service will be run twice in the morning and evening Monday through Friday to get commuters to and from Port St. Lucie/Palm Beach, which is set to begin in September 2024. This will be from Gatlin Boulevard to Downtown West Palm Beach by City Place at the Palm Tran Intermodal facility. The Palm Tran Intermodal Facility provides access to the Palm Tran Bus, Brightline, Tri-Rail, and a circular that goes to the airport. Jolien Caraballo, City of Port St. Lucie Mayor asked if there would be any coordination with Martin County regarding the connection of service with their MARTY Transit System/Brightline specifically for workers commuting from Boynton Beach. Mr. Covelli advised although they have a great relationship with Martin County, they have not had any discussions regarding the connection of services, but he would reach out to them. He advised there is a Fixed Route service connected

Joint Meeting Thursday, June 13, 2024 1:00 PM 4 | P a g e with Martin County on US Highway 1 every hour at the Treasure Coast Mall and a Fixed Route service with Indian River County routing to the Intergenerational Recreation Center just not with the Brightline. He advised ridership is currently fare-free. Mr. Covelli commented on the Vanpool Program and mentioned Transit has been working with Enterprise Rental Car for the past year. The vehicle service will be set up through Enterprise for seven passengers who may reside in St. Lucie West, etc., and work for the same employer will be provided a ride to and from work. The cost could be split by the company, County, City, or the riders. The state average is estimated at $600 monthly from the County, City, or business and $600 monthly from the riders. The rider may pay an estimated $90 monthly for transportation services to and from work every day. The vehicle must be utilized 80% of the time for the commute to work the person who volunteers to do the driving will get to utilize the vehicle for 20% of personal time. There would be an App for notification of vehicle maintenance and to pick up a new vehicle every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Chris Dzadovsky, St. Lucie County Commissioner questioned the engagement of the Economic Development Council (EDC). Mr. Covelli advised the Transit department has been in contact with the president Pete Tesch and bus stops have been set up to provide transportation to A1 Trust, they have offered transport assistance for new hire orientation classes, and partnership with EDC to engage local employers regarding the vanpool program. Anthony Bonna, City of Port St. Lucie Councilman asked how awareness can be created for the programs and communicated to the residents and if is there a QR code option. Mr. Covelli advised all information is available at www.SLCART.org and they are happy to provide what is needed for the services. He advised at this time they will have to investigate the QR code option for information. B. Traffic Network - Specifically Rangeline/Glades Cut Off Patrick Dayan, St. Lucie County Public Works Director, provided updates on ongoing and future roadway infrastructure projects for the County and the City of Port St. Lucie. The two roadway infrastructures between the County and City are Glades Cut-Off Road and Range Line Road, both on the western portion of St. Lucie Counties. As development continues, the roadways will require expansions and intersection modifications to meet the mandated levels of the comprehensive plan. He highlighted the importance of level of service D in governance and the need to improve roadways operating at levels B or C to meet regional needs. He provided an overview of major roadway investments that the County recently completed within the area. The complete reconstruction 2022 of Glades Cut-Off Road from Midway Road southwest of I-95 to Rangeline Road (6 miles) with safety edges at $3 million. The complete reconstruction of Crosstown Parkway south to Becker Road in March 2024 with safety edges and widened to a 12 ft. travel lane at $3.5 million. He mentioned several roadways, including Rangeline Road, Commerce Center Drive, and Reserve Boulevard would all fail without intersection improvements due to the amount of traffic. He provided an overview of the ongoing projects with the County: • Selvitz Road was widened from Glades Cut-Off Road to Edwards Road for better traffic flow and increased the roadway distance at an estimated cost of $28 million and the project is at 60% design completion.

Joint Meeting Thursday, June 13, 2024 1:00 PM 5 | P a g e • Glades Cut-Off Road Project Development & Environmental (PD&E) study from Jenkins Road to Rangeline Road (10 miles) will be evaluated for 2045 as the horizon year for a 4- lane corridor, fully funded by the County at $3.8 million. The evaluation is necessary for federal funding. • Oak Ridge Ranch Improvements at Glades Cut-Off Road and Rangeline Road intersection with several of the projects accelerated due to developer impacts o Crosstown Parkway 4-Laning (Range Line to Village) o Range Line Road 4-Laning (Glades Cut-Off to Crosstown Parkway) o Glades Cut-Off Road 4-Laning (Range Line to Oak Ridge Ranch Road) • Comprehensive Plan Transportation Map Series updated and adopted April 2024, informed into the 2050 Long Range Transportation Process (LRTP) • The Thoroughfare Network Right of Way Protection Plan was updated and adopted in April 2024, with increased connectivity, mobility, and multimodal options informed in the 2050 LRTP process, and includes standardized transportation impact studies methodology and procedures as adopted by the Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). • A sub-area study is underway with a Transportation Planning Consultant hired by the County to assess the cumulative impacts of development in the area west of Rangeline Road and I-95 to determine an aggregate buildout to dictate certain densities, uses, and coupling of those quantities onto the roadway network expected to be completed in six months. Mr. Dayan advised the Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) plan update is required by federal law to be reviewed and updated every 5 years with updates set to begin later this year. In the current 2045, LRTP some segments of Glades Cut-Off Road and Rangeline Road are not included and are necessary components to be updated in 2050. In the southwest annexation area, there are 6 City corridors connecting to Rangeline Road that may need to be widened according to data with the obligation by Oak Ridge Ranches to widen the northern segment with limitations of the FEC crossings. The discussed areas are rapidly growing and there have been recent changes to expand the County Urban Service Boundary (USB) in response to the growth. The areas vary in ownership and County staff will continue to coordinate with the City of Port St. Lucie staff for continued intergovernmental coordination. Stephanie Morgan, City of Port St. Lucie Councilwoman asked if St. James Drive is in the plans to be repaved anytime soon or in the future. Mr. Dayan advised the roadway is not on the current list of resurfacing as far as a major highway. Sales-tax proceeds are utilized for resurfacing long roadways as such and currently in the last three years of sales-tax roadways are already programmed until the expiration of the referendum in 2028. At that time St. James Drive will be at the top for consideration if the sales tax continues. Jolien Caraballo, City of Port St. Lucie, Vice-Mayor, commented on opportunities for collaboration for roadways such as Rangeline, new developments, and traffic impacts and mentioned a golf cart ordinance. She questioned if the roadway accelerations from developer impacts would also accelerate the forecasted projections and if there are plans for multimodal sidewalks, etc., for the roadways being addressed. Mr. Dayan stated he could not fully answer the question and that

Joint Meeting Thursday, June 13, 2024 1:00 PM 6 | P a g e traffic impacts are always being reviewed by staff and a third party to ensure there is no bias, before negotiations to identify opportunities for acceleration that may be mutually beneficial. The County has a master greenways and trails program, and the land development code requires provisions for sidewalks, on all roadways and for arterial collector roads that are a minimum of 6ft. and for Rangeline/ Glades Cut-off Road there will be sidewalks also, from a multimodal aspect for any road the County is constructing. Chris Dzadovsky St. Lucie County Commissioner commented on the ownership or partnership of the public road, Commerce Drive, and the process of transitioning some larger roads to state roads for more state assistance. He also mentioned creating a resolution for new developers with more requirements, such as fire stations, etc. Jamie Fowler, St. Lucie County Commissioner commented on increased collaboration and mentioned a meeting within the next 6 months to set some minimum standards jointly. The City of Port St. Lucie Presentation Teresa Lamar, Deputy City Manager, and Colt Schwerdt, Public Works Director, of the City of Port St. Lucie provided an overview of the need for better coordination and planning between City and County governments, highlighting the concerns regarding roadway infrastructure, traffic studies, and commercial growth. The City aims to collaborate with the County to create new procedures and policies to improve intergovernmental coordination. In the past, the City and the County relied upon the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) review process to provide interagency cooperation and mitigation of impact. Including working on an interlocal agreement regarding development review. City staff provided a roadway network map overview of the major plan developments and obligations from the developers over the next 10 years of Rangeline Road connections including: • Oak Ridge Ranch • Crosstown Parkway (2024) • Tradition Parkway (18 months after Crosstown) • Discovery Way (2029) • Marshall Parkway (2,200 units or 2,573 trips whichever comes last). No units have started yet. • Hegener Drive (6,997 units of 7,449 trips whichever comes last). No units have started yet. • Becker Road within a couple of months Ms. Lamar advised the increased residential development will result in additional demands for commercial development within the City and will also impact City parks and recreation facilities. Some concerns are new County development utilizing City services and infrastructure resulting in additional capital and operational costs to the City. The failure to address the concerns proactively may lead to safety issues, roadway congestion, and an overall deterioration of the quality of life in our shared community, which could impact all residents. The shared concern of no coordination of the methodology statement before the start of the study that was outlined in the TPO’s standardized transportation impact procedures manual. The acreage dedicated by the County for future park development west of I-95 to Range Line Road appears to be less than required to

Joint Meeting Thursday, June 13, 2024 1:00 PM 7 | P a g e support the increased growth associated with the proposed development programs. There needs to be sufficient commercial, industrial, institutional, and medical uses for the plan for the newly developing areas. Mr. Schwerdt advised that currently current projects are being reviewed independently of each other, and not including a traffic study, potentially leaving both the City and County to pay for infrastructure improvements in the future. Also, this may lead to missed opportunities for the City and County to work together to make developers pay for the total impact in a proportionate share throughout the region. The City has learned from St. Lucie West that dispersing traffic onto more than one road mitigates the overburdening of one road. The City is unclear on the timeline for the expected improvements to Rangeline Road and the County's plans for improvements. An increase in the population of children aged 6 to 12 is anticipated for playing youth sports in City parks and the adult population will require more indoor/outdoor recreation space. City staff suggested increased intergovernmental relations and coordination between the City and County, including regularly scheduled joint meetings on large-scale development issues. Formalize procedures through an interlocal agreement outlining development processes—the requirement of developers to allocate acreage for public active parks as part of their development approval. Also, collaborate with County Parks MSTU and the City in emergent parks jointly. The County and the City of Port St. Lucie (PSL) discussed collaborations moving forward, the impacts of new developments, and the challenges and opportunities of negotiating development projects with the rapid growth of the County/City, additional cell towers, traffic, TPO, Development of Regional Impact (DRI) process, commercial/rooftop revenues, amenities, roadway partnerships, infrastructure issues, service boundaries, and Oak Ridge Ranch. They jointly expressed concerns regarding the impact of commercial development on residential areas and the need for more commercial space. C. Update on the City's Mobility Plan Mary Savage, Planning & Zoning Director, and Colt Schwerdt, Public Works Director, of the City of Port St. Lucie provided updates on the City’s 2045 Mobility Plan progress and impact fees. The City’s road impact fee interlocal agreement was entered into in April 2022 for a five-year term. The 2045 Mobility Plan finalized the previously adopted Phase One and Phase Two Mobility Plans by adopting Ordinance 23-42 on July 10, 2023, and the annual report was published on December 1, 2023. Following the Interlocal Agreement (ILA), the responsibilities of the City and County include: City of Port St. Lucie Collect road impact fees and mobility fees, prepare monthly reports with the disbursement, compile an annual report, remit the road impact fees minus the administrative fee, and contact the County when a permit for an RV Park is applied for that is not listed in the ordinance. Including the process of refunds, applying the County road impact fee credits upon verification, and remitting 15% of the mobility fee to the County. The City also amended its mobility fee ordinance to exclude County roads. St. Lucie County Adopt the road impact fee schedule by June 1, 2022, provide an annual report to the city within 60

Joint Meeting Thursday, June 13, 2024 1:00 PM 8 | P a g e days after receipt of the City’s annual report, various provisions on exemptions, refunds, recalculations, modifications, and credits, and provide the City with 60 days written notice before any changes to the ordinance. The County’s use of the Road Impact Fee (RIF) in future revenues expend or encumber RIF funds collected by the City and remitted to the County between October 2021 and May 2022 within 5 years from the date collected to design, engineer, or construct part or all the road improvement projects on listed roads. Also, within the reserves, 5 years from the effective date, expend or encumber on the roads listed those RIF funds that were previously collected by the City and held in the County’s RIF account. The roads listed include Midway, Primavista, Glades Cut-Off, Selvtiz, Lennard, Jenkins, Rangeline, Okeechobee, Walton, and St. James. Mr. Schwerdt provided an overview of example projects included within the City’s 2045 mobility plan but not currently in the infrastructure plan, including the East Torino Parkway from Midway Road to Cashmere Boulevard design anticipated later this year and Southbend Boulevard from Oak Ridge Drive to Snow Road with anticipated improvements scheduled for fiscal year 2028 due to rapid growth. He provided an overview of the mobility-funded City projects including sidewalks, road improvements, bridges, design, construction, etc. over the next 10 years to be completed as the funds become available. On average each year, the City has $5 million in mobility fees being expended along with the usage of bonds. He also provided an overview of the City’s anticipated expenditures over the next 10 years with funding sources of non-mobility fees, mobility fees, and half-cent sales tax at an estimated $350 million. The infrastructure projects are funded by various revenues. The mobility fees can only be utilized for new improvements, and other sources such as gas tax used for maintenance. The projects identified for improvements were contemplated before land use change applications. The current interstate interchanges with Marshall Parkway and I-95 may be over-capacity and there may be time to jointly discuss another interchange extension, which may be a 20-year process. Mr. Schwerdt advised that the City has leveraged mobility fees to expedite infrastructure projects and has planned a robust CIP with mobility fees. The City desires an update from the County on the schedule for reserves, per the ILA and future projects associated with the terms of the ILA. He mentioned the City’s Mobility Plan did not consider the mobility needs of new development. Cathy Townsend, St. Lucie County Commissioner questioned when the City’s audited version of the annual report would be available. Stephen Okiye, City of Port St. Lucie Finance Director advised he would provide it to the County in the following week. The County and the City of Port St. Lucie (PSL) discussed the need for interchange improvements on I-95, impact fee funding and future meeting collaborations, road resurfacing and improvements to Floresta Drive, Primavista Drive, Village Green Drive, Walton Road, Crosstown, growth, traffic, and the implementation of a mobility plan for the City and County. Mayte Santamaria, St. Lucie County Deputy County Administrator provided a brief update to the annual impact fee report provided to the City including income and projects within the Port St. Lucie area and roads listed on the ILA including:

Joint Meeting Thursday, June 13, 2024 1:00 PM 9 | P a g e • Midway, Jenkins, and Selvitz Road project $30 million • Walton Road sidewalks $200,000 • Midway Road from Glades Cut-Off to Jenkins Road widening $2.4 million • Glades Cut-Off widening $430,000 • Jenkins Road an estimated $400,000 • Selvitz Road $600,000 D. Update on Solid Waste and Opportunities for a Waste-to-Energy Facility Rebecca Olson, St. Lucie County Director of Public Utilities & Solid Waste provided a brief overview of the County’s landfill and waste energy projects. The Solid Waste Division is in the pre- construction process of building a new 12-acre cell, Cell V. The waste-to-energy facility is currently under some restrictions, limiting the information that can be shared and undergoing review by the outside engineering firm Arcadis. There has been a proposal suggesting the County would be responsible for securing all waste for the facilities, and it has since been clarified that Florida Power and Light (FPL) will reach out to neighboring municipalities including the City of Port St Lucie to attempt to reach a direct agreement. It has also been proposed that the County would provide FPL with a site for the facility and FPL would be financially responsible for construction, operations, and maintenance. She advised that any other updates would be available through County offices. Shannon Martin, City of Port St. Lucie Mayor questioned the timeline for preliminary discussion to move forward with FPL. Ms. Olson advised 6 months to continue waste-to-energy discussions. The County and the City of Port St. Lucie (PSL) discussed recycling contamination including the potential for waste energy production and the impact of population growth on recycling rates. Also mentioned accepting glass for on-site reuse as daily cover and mulch despite low resale value. E. Update on Treasure Coast International Airport Cameron Howard, St. Lucie County Airport Director provided an overview of the development and commercialization of the Treasure Coast International Airport. He advised that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the airport certification manual, wildlife hazard management, and emergency plan. The FAA and TSA applications have been filed. These approvals are necessary to proceed with the 139 commercial processes. The FAA inspections have been conducted and completed as of April 2023 and February 2024. Within the timeframe of both inspections, maintenance and operations staff corrected all the 2023 findings which had a great review by the inspector and the next inspection is scheduled in July. When the July inspection is approved and passed, it will take 30 days for the certificate to be received. He mentioned the terminal renovations are underway and all the offices and administration staff have been moved to a separate building which will allow more space for all passenger seating, concessions, rental cars, and other amenities at commercial airports. There is a Request for Proposal (RFP) for AeroWest and AeroEast. AeroWest (41 acres) will be more for commercial development, MRO maintenance, and aircraft storage, and will accommodate between 11 and 15 hangars depending on the sizes. AeroEast (66 acres) will be more for commercial and Fixed-Based Operations (FBO).

Joint Meeting Thursday, June 13, 2024 1:00 PM 10 | P a g e Cathy Townsend, St. Lucie County Commissioner mentioned funding received by Congressman Brian Mast for a new airport tower and runway extension. Mr. Howard commented and advised at this time the runway extension is in the environmental phase with the FAA reviewing all the environmental factors and the planning and justification phase is underway for the runway length determinant with the total length between 7,500 to 8,000 ft. He advised that the 139 certification opens the airport doors to commercial activities to bring in tourism dollars and a gateway for the community. Chris Dzadovsky, St. Lucie County Commissioner commented on shipping opportunities with FedEx Express and air cargo at the airport. The County and the City of Port St. Lucie (PSL) discussed the benefits of the airport for economic development, including connecting residents to flights and jobs, as well as opportunities for the airport, such as cargo revenue and grants. 3:04 PM - Recess taken 3:25 PM - Reconvened F. Discussion on Tourism Tax George Landry, St. Lucie County Administrator, provided an overview of historical information on the Tourism Tax and noted that the first Two Cents of the County’s tourism development tax were approved by referendum in 1984. Once approved, the Two Cent tax-assisted with operation maintenance and covered some of the debt for the Thomas J. White Stadium (Clover Park) first outfield. During the development of St. Lucie West, the Thomas White development company generously donated the $11 million stadium and 100 acres of land to St. Lucie County. This donation was made for the benefit of the county residents as well as the residents of Port St. Lucie, and no tax money was used. This created the tourism referendum for taxes in 1984 with the Two Cents for operation maintenance of the stadium. The Third Cent of tourism tax is solely by statute for tourism marketing and allocated strictly for the tourism department to promote tourism county-wide. The Fourth and Fifth Cent taxes were added to all three ordinances created over the years. The Fourth Cent tax was for debt services for the New York Met's first data field. The Fifth Cent 67% went towards debt services at the Mets Stadium and the other 33% by ordinance went to promote tourism for capital projects at the St. Lucie County Fairgrounds and north of Midway Road. In pretense, all the Five Cents are set up through an ordinance in multiple ways and have a specific tax on it. The Third Cent is set by statute. For any consideration of the One Cent, Two Cent, Fourth Cent, or Fifth Cent to be regarded as an amendment to the ordinance, it must be determined what will be replaced and how it will contribute to the debt. With the entire five-cent tax, an estimated 73% goes towards St. Lucie West and the stadium, with the remaining percentage going throughout the rest of the county. Anthony Bonna, City of Port St. Lucie Councilman expressed the concerns of the council and commented on the Third of the Fifth Cent tax and the specific items regarding the projects, capital projects north of Midway Road. He mentioned the 73% of taxes that go towards St. Lucie West and the benefits to the entire County through tourism. He suggested that the ordinance be amended

Joint Meeting Thursday, June 13, 2024 1:00 PM 11 | P a g e just for the capital projects, whatever is the best benefit of the County which should not have a geographic distinction. Stephanie Morgan, City of Port St. Lucie Councilwoman commented on the Third of the Fifth Cent tax and amending the last sentence of the ordinance regarding the fairgrounds, tourism, and capital improvements. She suggested deleting the last sentence of the ordinance regarding tourism at the fairgrounds or north of Midway Road. She would like the language north of Midway removed from the ordinance to be more unified. In the end, the Board makes the ultimate decision. Cathy Townsend, St. Lucie County Commissioner commented and mentioned the $300,000 provided for the airport. She commented on the benefits of working together with the City of PSL and having joint projects. Mr. Landry commented and advised on the Fifth Cent levy adopted by the Board in January 2003, Ordinance 03-12. He provided an example of the projects completed with 33% of the cent from 2003 to current with an estimated $2.4 million allocated towards the fairgrounds, Zora Neale Hurston track, airport renovations, Navy SEAL Museum, Heathcote Botanical Gardens, and Lawnwood Baseball Field expansions. Chris Dzadovsky, St. Lucie County Commissioner commented and made two suggestions regarding the changes. He suggested changing the language from north of Midway Road and the Fairgrounds to the unincorporated County in Fort Pierce. Providing geographic areas with an opportunity to share the economic development that may come from capital improvements for tourism. The other option is a Request for Proposal (RFP) to purchase the 110 acres of property, sell the stadium, and lease maintaining the Mets in Port St. Lucie for some time for an amount estimated $200 million or more that could pay off the $60 million bond for renovations, and the $20 million the state is providing on an annual basis of $1 million per year. Then 110 acres could be built, the Tourist Development Tax (TDT) could be redone, and a new language could be created in which the County would no longer manage the stadium and the dollars would not go in that direction. It can be completely redone by selling the property and the contract that goes with the Mets to an investor. He advised if tourism falls short and another pandemic comes the County is responsible for the rest of the bond payment which would ultimately fall on the general fund. Jolien Caraballo, City of Port St. Lucie, Vice Manager, commented on changes to the ordinance as a whole and the best usage of the funding. She requested that the Tourist Development Council Board represent the entire County and decide how to allocate the funding to best serve the entire County. In discussion, she also suggested changing the ordinance language to state that the first Four Cents go specifically to the City of Port St. Lucie and when the Mets are paid off or sold, they will remain in the City of Port St. Lucie. The County and the City of PSL boards discussed the benefits of joint projects, tourism dollars/allocations, economic development opportunities, sale of the Mets Stadium, bond payment, sales tax, revising the ordinance language, economic drivers, consideration of projects in Port St. Lucie for tourism, and changes to the ordinance. In closing the discussion, the need for an

Joint Meeting Thursday, June 13, 2024 1:00 PM 12 | P a g e informal meeting to further discuss the issue was suggested. The County and the City of Port St. Lucie (PSL) will have a meeting within the next 6 months, with the next meeting scheduled for January 2025. Cathy Townsend, St. Lucie County Commissioner opened the meeting for public comment. With no one wishing to address the Board or City of PSL, Commissioner Townsend closed public comment. 3. ADJOURNMENT With no other information to be brought for consideration before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 4:30 PM. Please note: Final minutes are recorded in the official minute books filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and available for inspection upon request.