The vote came after a discussion related to City Commissioner Dianne William-Cox’s proposal to give incentives to employees who vote. However, Commissioner Jack Porter questioned the legality of such incentives and City Attorney Cassandra Jackson said she would have to research the issue.

Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey originated the idea via a statement on his twitter account last month.

“With the recent proliferation of voter suppression attempts across the country, I believe as the capital city of Florida we must do everything possible to remove barriers to voting. That is why at our meeting today I proposed making Election Day a City of Tallahassee holiday,” said Dailey.

Election day falls on the first Tuesday after the first Monday on even-numbered years. Currently, the City of Tallahassee observes 10 paid holidays, one floating holiday, and two personal days. The City’s current system for election days allows supervisors to flex the workday to give employees time to vote or to allow employees to make up the time during another workday. If a City employee does not have any available leave and the workday cannot be flexed, that employee must leave without pay for the time they use to vote on election day.

The inclusion of election day as a paid holiday will cost an estimated $67,000 that is not in the budget during election years.

Many states have already made election day a holiday for City employees including Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. Other states allow employees to take time off from work to vote without any loss of pay.

The House bill related to voting focuses on the vote by mail process. The bill will make it harder for supervisors of elections to accept signatures on mail-in ballots and voters will be required to request mail-in ballots every two years instead of four. The bill will retain the use of drop boxes and put in place new security measures which include surveillance by office employees or law-enforcement officers during regular working hours.

During the show, Tant expressed that the last election cycle in Florida was fair and legal even if she did not agree with some of the results. When talking about the issue of drop boxes, she said they were necessary because of the pandemic and that she advocated for manned drop boxes that were only open during voting hours.

Tant, who is a member of the House Public Integrity and Elections Committee, talked about how the proposal to make a signature on a mail-in ballot part of the public record could create privacy issues for voters.

Tant said she does not support the change to requesting an absentee ballot every two years because she does not see how that would fix any issues of fraud and it could cost too much money.

Later in the show, Tant addressed measure (CS/HB 1) which is known as the “anti-riot bill.” The bill has become one of the most divisive issues during the session. Opponents say the bill is a racially tinged attack on free speech and is defended by supporters as needed to protect businesses and communities from violence.

The bill is aimed at decreasing violent protests by creating a list of new crimes, increasing legal penalties, and making it harder for local governments to cut police spending.

The legislation was approved 76-39 in the Republican-dominated House, with the vote breaking along party lines.

Tant said that she received thousands of emails about this bill and none of them asked her to vote yes. She mentioned that even though the bill managed to pass the House, it did not seem to have a lot of support.

Tant believes that this is a political bill given that rioting, looting, causing property damage, and bodily harm are already illegal.

The Board coordinated with the Big Bend Continuum of Care (BBCoC) in establishing the temporary cold night shelter activation process. The County’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) was already formalized, but the Board requested staff discuss further updates due to lessons learned during the COVID pandemic. The process includes safety and temporary accommodations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CEMP provides an outline for responding to natural and man-made disasters, and it also includes the actions that need to be taken by agencies during every phase of an emergency.

The County updated the CEMP in coordination with the BBCoC to include meetings with agencies following the cold season, outlining the role of public health officials and establishing a planning committee for strategic recommendations throughout the year.

The current temporary cold night shelter process was established in 2012 and has been updated several times since then. The process begins before the cold season starts and involves all local, state and community partners meeting to discuss anticipated resource needs and site locations.

Once the cold season begins, the process requires a temperature of 35 degrees or colder for three consecutive hours before sunrise for a temporary cold night shelter to be triggered. Once that happens, a conference call with all community partners is scheduled to discuss the delivery of services and logistics.

Since the meeting with the BBCoC on Feb. 22, changes have been made to the temporary cold night sheltering process. The changes include establishing a temporary cold night sheltering committee to provide strategic recommendations throughout the year, conducting after-action meetings with participating agencies following cold seasons and involving health officials from FDOH-Leon in the site review process.

Dailey began talking about the homelessness issue by saying that the churches and non-profits of Tallahassee are doing a great job in fighting the issue. When asked about the shelter on Mahan Drive, he said that the shelter did not follow the proper policies and procedures before it opened and that there is another site in Tallahassee for the shelter that will comply with the City’s regulations. Dailey also mentioned that there is an interest among his colleagues to focus on the long-term issue and solution of homelessness which includes getting people out of temporary housing and into permanent homes.

During the show, Dailey also talked about the City’s initiative to start utility disconnections again. He said that he was proud that Tallahassee was the first city in Florida to stop disconnections because of financial troubles as a result of the pandemic and is now the last city to restart disconnections. This policy change is happening now because the federal government is providing utility assistance to Tallahassee residents.

Finally, Dailey also spoke on the current negotiations between the City and the fire and police departments, which happen behind closed doors. The broad issues of the negotiations include pay, leave and pensions. A deal with the fire department has been agreed to and ratified by the city and the fire department membership will vote on it. Negotiations with the police department are still ongoing.

City staff will also work with utility customers to apply for U.S. Treasury utility and rent assistance funds and establish payment agreements with utility customers on a case-by-case basis.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the City of Tallahassee placed a hold on utility disconnections due to financial hardships caused by the pandemic. Tallahassee was the first city in the state to take this action and will be one of the last to resume utility disconnections.

Beginning in March, the City will provide three payment assistance options to customers who experience problems paying for utilities. The options will be Customer Pay Plans, Customer Pay Agreements and Customer Extensions. Costumers and businesses will also be able to apply for the U.S. Treasury rent and utility assistance funds which are administered by Leon County. This fund is worth $8.9 million and will be paid directly to the landlord or utility provider. This fund can support an eligible household with past-due utilities or rent for up to 12 months.

The City will make providing warning to residents a priority when utility disconnects resume. Warning residents is considered the first step in helping them address their utility debt. Before any disconnections happen, the City will launch a communications campaign to inform residents who may have a disconnect at their household or business.

On Feb. 10, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners renewed the Solid Waste Franchise Agreement with Waste Pro and requested quarterly status reports to monitor Waste Pro’s performance and guarantee that the agreement requirements are being met.

The Solid Waste Franchise Agreement grants the exclusive collection of solid waste, recyclable materials, yard debris and bulky waste to Waste Pro, Inc. There are currently 29,000 residents subscribing to these services in Leon County.

The agreement with Waste Pro also provides compensation for residents for unresolved customer complaints. Most of the customer complaints happen because of hydraulic and oil spills on streets and driveways. Staff reports that the number of complaints decreased from 2019 to 2020 largely because of the efforts from Waste Pro management.

According to the meeting agenda item, Waste Pro has taken steps to improve customer service and reduce spills like retrofitting hydraulic systems with new hose assemblies, instituting daily pre-and post-route mechanical checks and shifting to a biodegradable hydraulic fluid. The company has also hired a dedicated hydraulic specialist.

Despite these steps, discharge of hydraulic fluids and engine oil on streets continues to be a problem. When leaks occur, the cleaning often does not happen in a prompt manner which leads to more customer complaints.

On Jan, 24, 2019, Leiva was driving and was hit by a Tallahassee Police Department vehicle at the intersection of W. College Avenue and South Macomb St. The accident happened because the police officer ran a red light. The accident caused Leiva, a 23-year-old college student, and his passenger, Honorat, to suffer multiple injuries. Their total medical expenses added up to $96,559.

Leiva and Honorat served the City with a lawsuit seeking damages for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. This case was negotiated by Risk Management for a full settlement of $146,049.

This sum includes property damage to Leiva’s vehicle, which was totaled, costs and attorney fees. Leiva suffered injuries to his neck, shoulder, knee and ankle and had to receive a partial discectomy because of herniated discs. His medical expenses added up to $50,532. Honorat also suffered injuries to his neck, back, knees and ankles and had to receive injections to his cervical spine and a partial discectomy. His medical bills added up to $46,017.

The Commissioners also approved a new amphitheater support space as well as clarifications about the ownership and maintenance of the amphitheater at Cascades Park. The clarifications state that the ticket office and visitor center at the park will be operated and managed by Leon County for a 30-year lease.

The new amphitheater support space, called The Parkview at Cascades, is an 11,000-square-foot multi-purpose event facility. The space will serve as a rental venue for public use. It includes a 3,523-square-foot event ballroom, a board room, a warming kitchen, a green room, artist dressing rooms and production offices.

The Parkview at Cascades’ construction is estimated to be completed in early 2021. It will be owned, managed and maintained by the City of Tallahassee.

At the beginning of the show, Matlow discussed how local government has not taken an active role in solving the issue of homelessness and instead shifted responsibility to the Kearney Center and other nonprofits.

“What we’re seeing, compounded by the pandemic and evictions, is an increase of the homeless population on North Monroe, on Mahan, out on I-10, and really, the question is what do we do?” Matlow said. “We can’t vilify people; we can’t displace people and have them move around. So, how do we create the resources and space to get people into homes and shelters in a way that works for everyone?”

Matlow said that money is not the issue — because the money to solve homelessness exists — it is about making it a priority. Matlow mentioned that local solutions can include getting people into housing as soon as possible because interjecting right away can be effective in making sure the same people are not homeless a year from now.

The new Citizens Police Review Board also came up during the show. Matlow appointed Luther Lee to the board and said that he has high hopes for the board because of its diversity and the different backgrounds that members represent.

“Having that open line of communication is huge because a lot of times, people feel like government and law enforcement can cause social unrest but having more community involvement, I think can go a long way,” Matlow said.

At the end of the show, Matlow discussed affordable housing and gave his thoughts on the supply of housing for people who have a low income. He expressed the trend of large and luxury developments being constructed but not enough projects focused on the low-income population.

“There are avenues and paths, we just need to get creative about it,” he said. “I think the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) can be a driving force in helping to redevelop small lots in Frenchtown and the Southside that can be nice, safe, affordable housing units. And there are some opportunities in Blueprint as a lot of their projects have actually demolished housing and how they can play a role in replenishing them.”

The full audio of the interview is available here.

The City of Tallahassee and The Big Bend Continuum of Care (BBCoC) say that in November 2020, the City Walk shelter was opened as a low barrier homeless shelter — meaning that the homeless population can use it without mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Abena Ojetayo, Director of Housing and Community Resilience at the City of Tallahassee confirmed that the City does not provide direct services to the homeless population. All the local homeless shelters are operated by nonprofit agencies and they participate as members of BBCoC, which is the primary coordinating agency for all homeless service providers in the Tallahassee region.

Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier confirmed that on Jan. 8, the BBCoC met with City Walk and discussed that in the long term, City Walk would like to expand and provide permanent and transitional housing and use office space for social services at the Mahan location.

Residents have shown concern about the homeless shelter and reached out to local elected officials. Concerns from residents include the homeless population sleeping and loitering around businesses and neighborhoods near Mahan Drive as well as a registered sex offender residing within the shelter.

Renee Miller, executive director of City Walk Urban Mission told Tallahassee Reports that she understands residents’ concerns, but she believes that the shelter actually makes the community much safer.

“If someone is legally allowed to receive services from us, we do not deny them that,” Miller said. “Everyone that we serve we know is in compliance with state statute.”

Miller said the registered sex offender currently residing at the shelter committed a sex crime in 2003, before the Jessica Lunsford Act, which enforces strict sex offender registration requirements, took effect. The individual was released from prison in 2013 and is on state probation now for a failure to register.

Miller argued that the shelter’s guidelines are more restrictive than state probation guidelines and said the shelter is “an added level of protection.”

“We know where he is all the time because he’s in our program,” she said. “We have cameras everywhere, so we can see him all the time. Probation doesn’t have cameras on him 24/7. Their curfew is 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Our curfew for him is he’s not leaving the property without us or an escort designated by us for the first thirty days. Secondly, our curfew is 7:00 p.m. so even if he was allowed to go off-site, like to the grocery store or something, he has to be back at his room at 7:00 p.m. With probation, it’s 10:00 p.m.”

Miller said the shelter can also search rooms and drug test at any time. She also said that alcohol is not allowed.

Miller also said there are certain people on the sex offender registry that the shelter cannot take, including individuals to which the Jessica Lunsford Act applies. She said the shelter has already turned away three individuals.

Looking forward, Miller said that City Walk has procured a project manager to ensure that the shelter has necessary permits and is compliant with the City’s codes.

She said people concerned about the shelter are welcome to contact her or schedule a tour of the facility.

Commissioner Jeremy Matlow expressed concern about resuming large events and said the City needs to “tread very cautiously with events.”

“In this pandemic, I think we’re finally at a point where it looks like we can see a finish line with the vaccine coming out, but we’re not quite there yet,” he said.

Along with having COVID protocol plans, events must adhere to preventative measures like masks, physical distancing, cleaning and disinfection.

The first event planned to take place this year will be the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade. This event will take place on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Because of safety precautions, this event will be a drive-thru parade where the floats and exhibits will be stationary on Monroe St., and spectators will move along the parade route in their vehicles.

The CRA vote to fund the improvements will be taken up at the January 28th meeting.

The proposed infrastructure projects are estimated to cost a total of $1.1 million. If these projects are approved by the CRA Board, the funding will come from the Fiscal Year 2021 Master and Reserve Funds.

The bicycle and pedestrian improvements are estimated to cost a total of $472,000, and there are three different projects. The first is extending the sidewalk along the east side of MLK Jr. Blvd. between Bloxham St. and Blount St.

The second project is replacing the 68 wooden benches in the Downtown District with black, metal benches. This project aims to install longer-lasting benches that require less maintenance. The wooden swing bench on the southeast intersection of Adams St. and College Ave. will not be replaced, and this project is estimated to cost $87,000.

The third improvement project is to replace the light fixtures along the Chain of Parks on East Park Ave. between Gadsden St. and Bronough St. The lights are currently Acorn fixtures, and both the poles and the fixtures will require replacement to meet the City’s goal of moving away from the Acorn design. The project is estimated to cost $260,000.

The two potential parking enhancement projects are estimated to cost a total of $655,000. The projects are improving the Kleman Plaza parking garage and plaza and the 650 West Gaines St. parking lot. Improving Kleman Plaza and the parking garage is estimated at $185,000 and improving the Gaines St parking lot is estimated to cost $470,000.

The CRA executive director has approved $35,000 in funding to be used on four smaller infrastructure projects. The approval of these items will be reported to the CRA Board at its Jan. 28 meeting.

The first smaller infrastructure project is to add a crosswalk on Bronough St. on the north side of the intersection with Jefferson St. This is estimated to cost $10,000. The second project is to create an ADA pedestrian route map for the Downtown District, which is estimated to cost $10,000. The third project is to reset the uneven pavers at the crosswalk on the southeast corner of the intersection of Bronough St. and College Ave., and it is estimated to cost $8,000. The fourth project is to install a concrete pad with pavers on the northeast corner of Monroe St. and College Ave. This is estimated to cost $7,500.