Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 08-22-2007 special agenda — reading text

we coordinate with the schools on that, has any of that been on campus or is it all. . . Missy: That is with the Chester Pruitt Summer Program that they have done for a number of years and the CDBG Program has supported that program. Jim H: So it's not after school, its summer? Missy: Yes, right. Jim H: And another if I may. The Clearance and Demolition Program, can you clue me in on that? What properties are we talking about? Missy: None are identified at this time. We always put a little money in there in case there is a home we find needs to be demolished for one reason or another. We have used it a couple of different years with the consent of the property owner, actually it was the property owner who has wanted it done then they don' t have to pay for it. Jim H: OK that was my question. . . are we assisting, we' re not just saying that one needs. . . Missy: No. Jim H: OK, very good, thank you. That's all Mr. Mayor. Mayor: Mr. Miller? Virgil Miller: Yes I have a similar question about the committee that Dr. Pullen had, glad you brought that up. But the other question I have was n administration and planning close to $ 30, 000. How is that money going to be spent, I thought we would not have a director? Missy: 20% of this grant can be used for administration and planning for the administration costs and that will be used by the Community Development Corporation if we partner with them to administer this grant. So that's the staff. . that's to cover the staff costs, now for the City the past few years it has not been sufficient, that 20%, to cover the City' s costs to cover administration, and that's why we would like to partner with CDC because they feel they will be able to do it and cover the costs with the staffing they have. Virgil: So this will not be used for you to offset some of your cost? Missy: No, and it hasn' t for years, no. Virgil: OK, thank you. Mayor: Anyone else have questions? Mr. Garvie? Bill Garvie: Under C, you have, is homeless another special needs activities, since I am now the representative for the Coalition for the Homeless, I was interested in this paragraph where it says ' the allocation is insufficient to meet the type of homeless needs, however, funding is potentially available to local agencies to assist them in addressing the needs of the What does that mean? homeless.' Missy: 15% of this grant can be used for public service, and each year we advertise and open it up for agencies to request money under the public service. This year Head Start, for example, was one of the public service sub- recipients. So what this paragraph is saying that if there' s an agency that's dealing with the homeless in one area or another, that they could request assistance from the CDBG program for a specific part of that program, that's all that's saying. And I will add that because funding is so small, 148, 000, its down from what it was when I started here of $ 240 or $ 250, 000, it really leaves very little discretion of what we' re able to do with it; we' re not able to spread it around and help a lot of agencies as we may want to. Bill: But if I understanding you correctly, there' s potentially a $ 20, 000 with that was amount available, potentially? Missy: 15%, 15% of the total amount. Bill: Of the $ 148? Missy: Yeah Bill: Roughly $ 20, 000. Missy: Right. Mayor: Dr. Pullen: Dr. Pullen: I just have one further question, the CRA funds, can they legally be used for this? Missy: For what? Dr. Pullen: part of the ( inaudible) Well it's however the CRA funding is potentially available for local agencies. Missy: CRA funds can, are currently allocated, actually, for homes within the CRA. So that's. . . Mayor: Mr. Hartwell? Jim H: I think Dr. Pullen was referring to homeless, though, under that one, as opposed to rehabbing houses. . . Missy: Potentially CRA funds could be used for a project or a building or something that is addressed in the CRA Plan, it has to be in the CRA Plan, it cannot be funded or anticipated to be funded by the City in the last three years, so there are some criteria but potentially CRA funds could be if it was the right, if it met all the criteria. Mayor: Mr. Miller? Virgil: This is for the attorney. . . did we establish an action item for you to give us an opinion on the CAC? City Attorney: On the CAC? Virgil: On that committee. . . that City Attorney: On that committee. . . actually I agree with Ms. McKim that we will put into the contract that we revamp whenever we turn this program over to the COC, and I will make sure that we put that into the agreement in some form. Virgil: OK, thanks. Mayor: Anyone from the audience have a question of Ms. McKim on this program? Seeing no one, can I have a motion on the resolution? Dr. Pullen: I moved that we accept the resolution. Bill Garvie: Second. Mayor: OK, Mr. Garvie seconded Dr. Pullen' s motion on accepting Res. 07- 17. Any further comments, questions from Council? Seeing none, please vote. And it does pass with everyone present. Thank you. Ive  VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT REGARDING DISCUSISON OF RES. 07- 17 9/ 11/ 07 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Requested by Dr. Pullen Dr. Pullen: The other thing I have is a concern, I wrote down as a problem, let me see if I can find my paper, something that occurred recently and I have a major concern about it. And I think you have all seen my exchange and asking for information, and this relates to Res. 70- 17 that we saw at special council meeting on the 22nd of August concerning the CDBG Entitlement for FY 07. I requested a list of CAC members because I had never heard of that committee, and I was informed it was an informal Clerk could not find any records that the committee was never officially appointed by the Council and the Charter is very clear that all committees have to be appointed by Council, this committee never existed. . officially. And during our consideration of that resolution, there was reference to a committee meeting on June 13, 2007. So the problem is, and I just outlined part of it, is that the CAC was never established so is it a legal committee, was anything done by actions of this committee illegal? It appears that this meeting that was supposed to have taken place on the 13th of June was not properly noticed, and my problem is that I cannot verify that anyone attended this meeting. It appears that what was presented to us may have been bogus or made up because I don' t believe that committee ever met, and yet we acted upon the recommendations of that committee to make a decision. So what are the legal ramifications of Council actions based on a fabricated or bogus meeting? Was it legal? Mayor: You should ask Ms. Craig. Dr. Pullen: I am, I will ask her that question, and what's interesting is that we have this so- called chair that was reported to me, as happens to be in the audience tonight, and I don' t know if he wants to comment on that or not. . . Mayor: So first your question is for Ms. Craig? Dr. Pullen: Right, in other words, and what was interesting about it is that did not even to have the meeting to request the funds. So why reference a meeting that wasn' t even held? That's my problem. In other words, what is the credibility of what was presented to us, and was it illegal? City Attorney: OK, and I am speaking without having spoken with either Ms. McKim or the City Manager. In my review of the materials regarding the CDBG, that committee was established as a staff level advisory committee, it was not a committee that was required legally for the grant requirements, it was a committee set up to advise Staff about how to spend the CDBG funds. So because of that formation of the committee there is not an exception, they are not a committee authorized by the City Council and they are not under the same requirements of keeping meetings and public notice. Now, whether or not you all as a Council accepted the suggestions of the Citizens Advisory Committee, I mean it is valid because you' ve had a presentation of it, but any further implications are certainly up to the Council. Dr. Pullen:And I have no objections to receiving that $ 128, 000 I just wanted to make sure that we requested the entitlement in the proper manner, that we were legal in what we did, and that is why I raised the question. City Attorney:I see no problem, from my review I see no legal problem with the request and the way the recommendations were formulated and set out to the Council. Now has a policy consideration whether or not that citizen advisory committee should have been more formal is certainly up to the Council, but there has never been any question about it in my time with the City. Dr. Pullen: Thank you, I was expressing a concern and as long as what we did was legal, fine, s just the way it was presented to me made me question the creditability of it' the way it was presented. Mayor: Anything else, Sir? Dr. Pullen: No, I think that' s enough. . . . . Ive CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH Page 1 of2 Helen Spencer From: Lisa Absher Sent: Monday, June 25, 20074: 58 PM To: Michael Beedie; Tony Anderson; Helen Spencer; Mark Wiltsie Cc: Brandy Wunker - DPT005D Subject: FW: Update on Pension Advisor' s Reports FYI Lisa Absher Finance Director City of Fort Walton Beach. Florida OtIice ( 850) 833- 9513 Original Message----- From: Lisa Absher Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 4: 54 PM To: Virgil Miller; Mike Holmes; Bill Garvie ( WGarvie@aol. com); Dennis Reeves; Wayne Pullen; Jim Hartwell!; Mike Minich Cc: Mike Anderson; Joyce Shanahan; Helen Spencer; ' toni@tlcpa. gccoxmail.com'; Lisa Absher Subject: Update on Pension Advisor' s Reports Asking for your concurrance on timeline for reports, and questions addressed. CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH MEMORANDUM To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members From: Lisa Absher, Finance Director Plan Administrator for the GE Pension Plan Date: June 25, 2007 Subject: Update on GE Pension Advisor' s Reports for 8/ 14/ 07 Meeting At the last City Council meeting on 6/ 12/ 07, City Council directed the three ( 3) advisors for the GE Pension Plan to bring back a report to City Council for its meeting on 8/ 14107. The City Manager tasked me to coordinate with these advisors so that their reports would be received and shared well in-advance of the 8/ 07/ 07 agenda deadline. I have coordinated with these advisors- Angela Balent with O' Sullivan Creel ( City' s External Auditors), Michael Tierney with Actuarial Concepts ( GE Plan Actuary), and Jim Linn with Lewis Longman & Walker (City' s Pension and have set- up a calendar as follows: Attorney)-- 7/ 25/ 07 - First Draft of Reports Due, to be shared with all parties 8/ 01/ 07 - Second Draft of Reports Due 8/ 07/ 07 - Final Reports Due for