Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Board Appointments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parks & Recreation Advisory Board selects Brandon Gee as alternate; excuses two absences and approves minutes
Summary
At its Feb. 10 meeting, the Oldsmar Parks & Recreation Advisory Board approved minutes from Nov. 4, excused two prior absences (one contested), and voted by ballot to recommend Brandon Gee for the alternate member vacancy, forwarding the recommendation to City Council for final appointment.
The Oldsmar Parks & Recreation Advisory Board on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, approved minutes from its Nov. 4, 2024, meeting, excused two prior absences and by ballot selected Brandon Gee as the board’s recommended alternate member to forward to the City Council for appointment.
The board began the meeting by approving the Nov. 4 minutes after a motion and second; the motion passed (vote not separately tallied in the record). The board then considered requests to excuse two absences from the Nov. 4 meeting: Joseph Santana and Sudha (Suda) Yancell Colon.
A motion to excuse Joseph Santana was made and approved after a board member noted Santana had a family emergency. A separate motion to excuse Sudha Yancell Colon also passed after discussion. Colon told the board she teaches theater Monday nights and on the night in question could not secure a substitute for rehearsal; she described the absence as a scheduling conflict arising from her teaching duties. During the vote to excuse Colon, the meeting record notes two members voted no (identified in the record as the chair and Mr. DeBiner) and the motion nonetheless carried.
The board then interviewed two applicants for the one vacant alternate seat: Rochelle Correa and Brandon Gee. Rochelle Correa introduced herself as an Oldsmar resident of nearly 25 years and said she follows board meetings online and wants to help "work with the wonderful city staff" and bring perspective from raising children in Oldsmar. Brandon Gee said he moved to the Tampa area in 2016, has young children, and described his interest as community service and youth mentoring: "I want to be more part of the community." After ballots were collected, the board announced it had selected Mr. Gee for the alternate position. Staff said the recommendation will be placed on the City Council agenda for Feb. 18, 2025, for final appointment.
Board staff who participated in the meeting included Jenny (packets and records) and Ginny (ballots/distribution); parks staff present included Chip and John. The board chair managed motions and roll calls; several board members participated in discussion.
Votes at a glance - Approval of minutes (11/04/2024): Motion made and seconded; outcome: approved (tally not specified in transcript). - Excuse Joseph Santana (11/04/2024): Motion made and seconded; outcome: excused (approved; tally not specified). - Excuse Sudha Yancell Colon (11/04/2024): Motion made and seconded; discussion included Colon’s theater scheduling conflict; outcome: excused (motion passed; meeting record notes two no votes from the chair and Mr. DeBiner). - Recommendation of Brandon Gee for alternate board member: Ballot selection announced; outcome: board selected Mr. Gee and will forward recommendation to City Council for formal appointment on Feb. 18, 2025.
Why it matters: The board’s alternate member appointment fills a vacancy that allows the advisory board to keep quorum and continue its advisory role to staff and City Council on parks and recreation programming. The City Council makes the final appointment following the board’s recommendation.
What’s next: Staff said the recommendation will be placed on the Feb. 18 City Council agenda; board members were told they will be notified after Council action. The board’s next scheduled meeting is May 12, 2025, at 6 p.m.
