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Eddie Lang 0:43:56

evening Mayor and council members My name is Eddie Lang I'm a local realtor and resident here in Palm Coast I'm here tonight to speak about affordable housing and the important role the council plays in shaping this future this future of the city Affordable housing starts with leadership The decisions made by this council on zoning planning growth infrastructure impact fees permitting fees and development directly impact whether working families can continue to live in Palm Coast Right now many teachers first responders healthcare workers and young families and seniors are struggling to keep up with rising housing costs These are people who help keep our community running and many are finding it harder to afford to live here I believe the city has the opportunity to lead by encouraging smart and balanced growth supporting workforce housing initiatives and creating partnerships that help bring attainable housing options to our community while still protecting the neighborhood character Growth is coming whether we like it or not The question is whether we guide the growth responsibly and with long term vision This starts with the council to keep housing attainable for the people who call the city home It truly starts with all of you on the council There needs to be less talk of affordable housing and more action Um I appreciate you guys letting me talk because I know next week you'll be going over some uh the report um and I I thank you but it it really does start with you guys because developers and builders they can't say they can't tell their you know the the lumber yard hey I'm doing affordable housing Can I get cheaper lumber It's just not gonna happen It really does start with the fees and it starts with the city and I'm hoping that you guys can actually accomplish something instead of being Because honestly when politicians tell me they're working with affordable housing it actually means nothing because it just every year we're affordable housing affordable housing but what are we doing to achieve that So now truly I do not believe that everybody deserves to buy a house because you you have to save money you have to build your credit you have to there's things that you have to do but we should make it attainable when it comes to Different fees and things that you can do here in the city with grants and things so I appreciate that and uh since I'm here um and I know Mayor Norris is joining us but on um May 13th we're giving breakfast at FCAR so free breakfast anybody's listening but we're having all the mayors from the county from Mike Norris to Flagler Beach I think Patty King I don't know if she's coming If the city manager's coming um city council we got uh Flagler uh Flagger County Bennell mayor So we'd like to invite the public and all of you and everybody that's here to come and do meet the mayors We just ask that you go to our website uh Flagger County Association of Realtors and register but again you get a free breakfast and it's in the morning so you'll be done before lunch all right But thank you guys for your time Thank

Looks confident.

Sam Royer 1:18:17

Hi my name's Sam Royer I live in the east section Um I just you know I heard the word chastise And last time I was here was when that the builder you know offered to donate that land And chastise I think the words that you use We're we're meant to question our politicians in a positive way And the thing is you know I've been fighting for affordable housing for first responders like your husband and others um for years And you know a lot of politicians talk a big game They wave flags and they talk very openly about let's support first responders let's support heroes and they never have a plan So I actually met with the developer after And they don't have a plan to give this these lots as donations to a charity that they own that literally shows no numbers on paper to show how they're building first responder homes or teacher homes to make it more affordable So I think saying that we're chastising my question is what was the plan They came up One day they suddenly use some nice talking points to say we're going to do this They already knew they had the votes and at the end of the day they're going to build houses that aren't going to make it more affordable for first responders Those houses will still be $30,000,000 to $500,000 They're not taking that lot value They're not donating it as a $50,000 grant to those individuals So We're not chastising We're just saying if somebody's gonna come up here and talk a big game about helping and serving others put it in paper show us and then make a decision on if you're going to grant whatever that request may be And I know this because the years that I've served trying to get a a simple bill passed that costs zero taxpayer money to people that serve in a community can't even pass in Washington So simple things on the home front when these citizens Even though nobody's really here come up They're not chastising We're just trying to hold people accountable So that's really it So um and I do appreciate I have to compliment you You gave your word um that you were going to give money back and you did I looked it up So thank you for that But again it's it's something that I think the words that in our society is filled with words that people are pinpointing at others I don't think anybody is chastising We're just saying hey we elected you to do a job Show us how you're doing that job with facts not with just fiction of hey we're gonna help people and then not really back it up So that's it