At 7:30 p.m. on July 8, Mayor Nate Kilton called the meeting to order. Also present were Vice- Mayor Jason Jones, City Commissioners William Dodson and Mary Mathis, City Attorney Kenneth Buchman, City Clerk Kerri Miller, and City Manager Bill McDaniel.
The meeting began with a prayer offered by Reverend Lloyd McDonald, Pastor of The Anointed Life Ministry of Plant City. He asked God for great wisdom, great knowledge, and great understanding for the City Commissioners to guide “this great city of Plant City.”
The assembly then followed by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
The mayor opened the floor for public comments. Cody Powell stood and spoke about his candidacy for the District 4 seat on the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners. He previously served as Vice-Chair of the Hillsborough County Planning Commission.
The Commissioners voted 4-0 to pass the Consent Agenda. Below are the routine business items that were approved:
24-299: A resolution approving the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on June 24, 2024.
24-307: A resolution setting a quasi-judicial public hearing on a resolution approving a final plat entitled Lakeside Station – Segment 1, 2. (PB-2023-45).
24-306: A resolution setting a quasi-judicial public hearing on a resolution approving a final plat entitled Lakeside Station Phase 3. (PB-2023-29).
24-314: A resolution excusing the absence of Commissioner Sparkman from regular City Commission meetings.
Before continuing with agenda items, City Manager Bill McDaniel formally introduced new Chief of Police, Richard Mills, and new Deputy Chiefs Joseph Centanni and Justin Duralia. The three were sworn in at an investiture ceremony earlier that evening. Commissioners praised McDaniel for his foresight in hiring the three to restructure the Plant City Police Department (PCPD) to meet the needs of current and future growth of Plant City.
McDaniel then brought several items to the City Commissioners for votes:
24-277: A resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an Engineering Work Order (EWO) with Dewberry Engineers, Inc. for the McIntosh Park Wetland expansion park component additions. These include the design and construction of a new parking lot, ranger station, restrooms, a screen enclosure, and a pavilion on top of the Florida mound. The total cost is $53,540.88. The resolution passed 4-0.
24-308: A resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement for fiber optic engineering, design, material, supplies, and installation with Precision Contracting Service, Inc. via piggyback of the Indian River County agreement. The expense is to pay for fiber optic engineering, design, material, supplies, and low voltage installation in the Solid Waste and Utilities new facility. The total cost is $167,386.20. The resolution passed 4-0.
24-258: A resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with Flock Safety for the installation of License Plate Readers (LPR). This project is to mount 20 high-speed, computer-controlled cameras along major Plant City Streets. The purpose of the cameras is to aid police investigations into things like vehicle thefts, kidnappings, robberies, missing persons and violent felonies. This item drew questions and discussion from the City Commissioners. One concern centered on possible invasion of privacy—whether the cameras could or would be used for facial recognition. Other concerns were if the system would be used for traffic citations, and the annual cost of maintenance. The price for installation is $133,000. The ongoing cost of running and maintaining the system is $60,000. The resolution passed 4-0.
24-276: A resolution approving an amendment to the budget for fiscal year ending September 30, 2024. The amendment appropriates $20,000 to use as payment for the installation of License Plate Readers (LPR) addressed in 24-258. The resolution passed 4-0.
24-313: A resolution approving a landscaping agreement with Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for James L. Redman Parkway. FDOT will build landscaping along SR39 if the City of Plant City agrees to maintain the landscaping at an annual cost of $9,600. The resolution passed 4-0.
The City Attorney, City Clerk, and the City Commissioners had no additional reports to offer.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:20 p.m.