Okaloosa County BOCC — November 4, 2012 — Colin Baenziger — reading text

get 1.37 percent; Garden City 5.78 percent; Pooler 3.2 percent; Port Wentworth 1.68 percent; Thunderbolt 1.2 percent; Tybee Island 1.74 percent; and Vernonburg .07 percent. -49-  Internet Research Morrill, Christopher Note: This research will be presented in reverse chronological order Savannah Morning News (GA) February 1, 2002 SAVANNAH AGREES TO IMPROVE ACCESS SETTLEMENT WITH JUSTICE DEPT. COMES ALMOST 2 YEARS AFTER AUDIT FOR COMPLIANCE WITH ADA Author: Kate Wiltrout Navigating Savannah's streets - and its bureaucracy - will soon get a little easier for disabled people. The city is one of 21 state and local governments that settled Wednesday with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now almost 10 years old, the act requires that public facilities be made accessible to all people. Chris Morrill, an assistant Savannah city manager, said the 11-point agreement should take about two years to complete. He estimated it would cost about $300,000, and that money would be found in the budget for the improvements. Some of the changes are easier than others. For instance, all letters sent from city offices will have a central TTY telephone number on them, so hearing-impaired residents can contact the city. City Council chambers will be fitted with listening systems for the hard-of-hearing, as will Grayson Stadium and the Martin Luther King Jr. Arena at the Civic Center. Others are more labor intensive. The city agreed to physical modifications so that "parking, routes into buildings, entrances, doors, elevators, signage, public telephones, restrooms, dressing rooms, locker rooms, service counters, drinking fountains and swimming pools are accessible to people with disabilities." Carol Bell, Central Services director, said the city would go beyond what's required. "We don't really have any qualms with the agreement," she said. City Hall will get one wheel- chair accessible bathroom, though it was technically compliant already, with bathrooms in the nearby hospitality center on River Street, said city architect Thomas Perdue. "God only knows whether the original City Hall even had bathrooms," Perdue said. "The city occupies a lot of buildings that are very historic and very old, and most of those are the ones we have problems with." -50-  Internet Research Morrill, Christopher Note: This research will be presented in reverse chronological order Savannah Morning News (GA) November 13, 2001 NEW ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER ALL OVER THE MAP Author: Kate Wiltrout Chris Morrill started his job as assistant city manager for management and financial services in August. The position is new to him - but City Hall isn't. Before spending two years in South Africa working for the U.S. Agency for International Development, Morrill was Savannah's research and budget director for seven years. That job was interrupted with a two-year Peace Corps gig in Ukraine, where he advised the city of Lviv on finance, management and privatization issues. Morrill, who works out of an office in the top corner of City Hall, filled the spot left when Bob Bartolotta moved last October. Here's what Morrill had to say during a break from last week's budget workshops: What are some of your goals as an assistant city manager? "First, to ensure that our city employees are well-trained, that they have a good work environment and they have the support services (they need). ... Next is to maintain the city's strong financial foundation, particularly through a possible recession." He also wants to improve the city's use of technology, both for services and to get information out to citizens. Another top priority is getting citizens more engaged with local government. How has your work overseas affected your views about local government? "In the Peace Corps (in Ukraine), I experienced government at its worst, where it's designed to control and keep track of people rather than provide services. It really makes me want to focus on the positive role government can play. In South Africa, post-apartheid, it was seeing that to really have democracy you have to have citizen involvement. It impressed me how diligent they were at that." How do you think Savannah changed while you were in Africa the past two years? "I think what I saw coming back was a lot more economic development, downtown and in the neighborhoods. Areas like off East Broad Street that I thought were hopeless have all of a sudden come back. ... I personally have seen a much greater police presence in my own neighborhood (Ardsley Park), and the city seems a bit cleaner." What can Savannah residents expect if the economy goes into a prolonged recession? "If the recession is longer term and systemic, then we really need to look at prioritizing the services we provide and actively look at our revenue sources. I think an increase in property tax would probably be a last resort." -51-  Internet Research Morrill, Christopher Note: This research will be presented in reverse chronological order Savannah Morning News (GA) June 8, 2001 SAVANNAH HIRES NEW ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER Author: Bret Bell Chris Morrill has spent much of the past five years helping to privatize the Ukraine and create a new financial framework for local governments in post-apartheid South Africa. With that kind of background, City Manager Michael Brown figures he will have little trouble coming up with a budget for little old Savannah. Brown announced Thursday that he hired Morrill, who helped create annual budgets for the city of Savannah for the better part of a decade, as assistant city manager for management and financial services. Considered one of the top three most powerful positions in city government, Morrill fills a position that had remained vacant since October, when Bob Bartolotta left to run the city of Jupiter, Fla. Finance Director Richard Evans served as assistant city manager in the interim. Morrill will start work Aug. 13 with a $98,000 annual salary. While working for the city from 1990-1992, and again, from 1994-1999, Morrill led an eight- member team that prepared and monitored a $170 million budget. "Chris made many improvements in our budget and financial management systems, as well as in the quality and clarity of our presentation and public information materials," Brown said. In his new position, Morrill will oversee 10 city departments, including vehicle maintenance, finance, human resources, purchasing, central services and parking services. Bartolotta drew some heat from city employees during his tenure when Vehicle Maintenance Department employees claimed abuse and unsafe working conditions. The department's director later resigned during a city investigation. Some of those worker complaints led to the unionization of service employees earlier this year. CHRIS MORRILL'S RESUME WORK HISTORY 1999-present: senior municipal policy adviser for the National Treasury of South Africa -- United States Agency for International Development 1990-1992, 1994-1999: research and budget director, city of Savannah -52-  Internet Research Morrill, Christopher Note: This research will be presented in reverse chronological order 1997-2000: fellow, Kellogg National Leadership Program -- studied community building in countries throughout the world 1992-1994: Peace Corps volunteer -- advised the city of Lviv, Ukraine, on finance, management and privatization issues 1988-1990: senior management analyst, city of Savannah 1986-1988: senior budget analyst, Catawba County, N.C. 1984-1985: downtown project manager, Lynn, Mass. EDUCATION Master of Public Administration, 1987 -- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Bachelor of Arts, 1984, political science major -- College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass. Certificate in county administration, certificate in budgeting and financial planning -- North Carolina Institute of Government -53-  Internet Research Morrill, Christopher Note: This research will be presented in reverse chronological order Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (GA) October 14, 1996 GEORGIA BRIEFS Author: From wire reports City to be compensated for Olympic security costs SAVANNAH -- Savannah will receive $57,308 from the Legislature to compensate for nonpersonnel security costs incurred during Olympic yachting events. ``The request was passed by the state legislature earlier on, and the governor's office gave it final approval late last week,'' said state Rep. Tom Bordeaux, D-Savannah. ``The city is getting everything it asked for, which is a good sign for Savannah and its planning department.'' The money is coming from a $500,000 governor's discretionary grant fund approved by the Legislature so cities hosting satellite Olympic venues -- such as Savannah with yachting or Columbus with softball -- could be compensated for security costs. Savannah's budget director, Chris Morrill, said the money is welcome, even though all Olympic costs are already covered by the city's $88.5 million general fund budget for 1996. ``It's like getting a bonus at work -- you don't go out and spend it right away,'' Morrill said. ACOG already paid Savannah $290,000 to help defray police overtime in a deal negotiated earlier this year by Mayor Floyd Adams Jr. The city still incurred an additional $244,000 in police overtime during the Games, although all of it was budgeted by city officials. Savannah requested compensation for computers, police vehicle maintenance, bulletproof vests and extra barricades and other items needed around the venues. Research Completed by: Vanessa Garner Colin Baenziger & Associates -54-  Appendix E St. Johns County Resolution Thanking CB&A for Its Outstanding Service E-1 E-2  Appendix F Required Forms  CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE FORM For purposes of determining any possible conflict of interest, all firms, must disclose if any Okaloosa Board of County Commissioner, employee(s), elected officials(s), of if any of its agencies is also an owner, corporate officer, agency, employee, etc., of their business. Indicate either “yes” (a county employee, elected official, or agency is also associated with your business), or “no”. If yes, give person(s) name(s) and position(s) with your business. 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