Mayor Nate Kilton called the October 28 Regular Meeting of the City Commission to order at 7:30 p.m. Also present at the dais were Vice-Mayor Jason Jones, City Commissioner Bill Dodson, City Commissioner Mary Thomas Mathis, City Attorney Kenneth Buchman, City Clerk Kerri Miller, and City Manager Bill McDaniel. The conference room at City Hall was filled with 100 people.
Rick Phillips, pastor at Grace United Methodist Church offered the invocation which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
To begin the meeting, the City Commission presented two proclamations. The first recognized Karen Crumley for being selected as the 7,866th George H. W. Bush Daily Point of Light Award honoree. Crumley has lived in Plant City since 1971. She established Feeding Plant City, an organization dedicated to alleviating hunger and ensuring that every individual has access to nutritious food. The proclamatinon read: “Through her leadership, Feeding Plant City has not only provided essential meals but has also fostered a spirit of unity, compassion, and resilience among community members; and has consistently exemplified the spirit of selflessness, generosity, and unwavering commitment through her tireless volunteer work.”
The second was a proclamation recognizing October 28, 2024 as National First Responders Day in Plant City.
Mayor Kilton thanked the representative first responders, “Especially for the dedication the last few weeks that has made a difference, and literally saving people’s lives.” Then he read from the proclamation, “…first responders include firefighters, police officers, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and other dedicated professionals who selflessly run toward danger, often at great personal risk, to ensure the safety and well-being of others…They exemplify courage, resilience, and commitment, responding to emergencies with professionalism and compassion, often in the most challenging circumstances….It is essential to celebrate and acknowledge the sacrifices made by first responders….I Nathan A. Kilton urge all residents to take a moment to honor the dedication and service of our first responders, showing appreciation for their unwavering commitment to our safety and security.”
“Great timing on this proclamation,” Vice Mayor Jason Jones said. “I have heard story after story of your service to this community.”
During public comments, for an hour and 15 minutes, more than a dozen Plant City residents came forward to tell their stories of how their houses and neighborhoods flooded during Milton, and how they, their families, and their neighbors lost everything they owned. Over and over again, these residents pled for the help of the Plant City government to figure out changes to drainage systems that will keep their houses and the neighborhoods from flooding in the future. Several residents whose homes were flooded thanked Mayor Kilton for coming to their neighborhood to get things moving to help them, and thanked first responders aiding them. The city will hold a follow up hurricane workshop at City Hall December 9 at 5:00 p.m.
The City Commissioners approved, in one vote, 4-0, the normal business items on the below consent agenda.
24-488 – A resolution approving the minutes of the Regular Meeting held October 7, 2024.
24-453 – A resolution authorizing a price increase for supply and delivery of asphalt from Duval Asphalt Products, Inc. The agreement for high-performance, bulk, cold-mix asphalt delivered on an as-needed basis, will cost $205 per ton—up from last year’s price of $168 per ton. The City of Plant City uses an average of 155 tons per year.
The City Manager, Bill McDaniel, brought the following items before the City Commissioners:
24-494 – McDaniel showed a slideshow debriefing the destruction caused by Hurricane Milton. Among other things he communicated was that first responders dealt with 75 incidents of entrapments and rescues, and rescued 126 people from flooding.
24-493 – A resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a federally-funded sub-award and grant agreement from the state related to Hurricane Milton. The governor authorized that 50 percent of the City’s expenses for debris cleanup and emergency management can be reimbursed in advance of documentation. Since the City filed early, FEMA has expedited the process. The potential early reimbursement to the City is $4.8 million.
24-486 – A resolution approving an agreement with Carlisle Thompson for filing appropriate paperwork with FEMA to expedite payments. This will bring more disaster relief funding to the city more quickly because the contractor has expertise in filing FEMA paperwork. The estimated costs are $15,000 for Hurricane Helene, and $100,000 for Hurricane Milton. However, the net cost will be $0 because this cost will be covered by FEMA funding.
24-478 – A resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute the Utility Work and Design by Highway Contractor Agreement with Florida Department of Transportation for Reynolds Street from east of State Route 39 to west of US 92. Pavement had been crushing a culvert at this location. This is an emergency project to reroute water and sewer mains to avoid potential future damage. The work will cost $67,009.
24-482 – A resolution approving portable radio purchases for various City Departments. The current radios are outdated, and do not provide communications security or acceptable communication with other law enforcement agencies. The total cost is $728,276.25 for 235 radios.
City Clerk Kerri Miller brought the below additional items to the Commissioners.
24-462 – Consideration of a resolution appointing a City Commissioner to the Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Advisory Board. Commissioner Mary Thomas Mathis volunteered to continue in this role for the next year.
24-500 – Consideration of a resolution appointing an alternate to the Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Advisory Board. The Commissioners agreed to the City Manager selecting a city staff member for this role.
24-487 – Consideration of resolution appointing members to the Library Board. The two people who applied for two open slots were approved.
24-491 – Consideration of a resolution appointing members to the Historic Resources Board. The two people who applied for appointment were approved.
The last portion of teh meeting was hearings.
24-479 – A quasi-judicial public hearing on a final plat entitled Fieldstone located at the southeast corner of North Wilder Road and East Sam Allen Road (PB-2024-03).
24-490 – A quasi-judicial public hearing on a final plat entitled Timber Ridge located on the east side of Charlie Taylor Road, south of Midway Road and north of Swindell Road (PB-2024-22).
24-492 – A resolution setting a quasi-judicial public hearing on an ordinance for major modification to the Parkside Planned Development District allowing temporary construction access of Mendonsa Road.
The City Commissioners passed the quasi-judicial public hearings with 4-0 votes.