Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 03-27-07 regular minutes — reading text

speak.  223 03- 27- 07 CITY MANAGER ANNOUNCEMENTS The City Manager announced the Art Exhibit at the Fort Walton Library March 16 - April 16; the annual Easter Egg Hunt on Thursday, April 5th at 10: 00 am at Fort Walton Landing; the Porcelain Art Show at the Creative Senior Center on March 31s1 from 10: 00 am - 2: 00 pm; the h Affordable Housing Expo/ Job Fair on April 7' from 10: 00 am - 2: 00 pm at the Conference Center; and the Installation Ceremony for in- coming Council on April1s1 at 1 : 00 pm. r MAYOR/COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS Mr. Holmes stated he would miss the out- going Council. Dr. Pullen requested that the first workshop in April include the discussion on the duties, responsibilities and goals of Council and Council members, and invited the new Council members to make a list of issues they would like to discuss. He challenged the new Council to make an effort to reduce the budget and invited them to obtain an organizational chart of the City and using the directions in the City Charter, Sections 19 and 55, suggest are-organization of City staffing that will decrease costs, and suggested the new Council members read section 56 of the Charter. Dr. Pullen mentioned the information received regarding hiring a lobbyist for the City and thought that was setting policy for Council without asking Council, and stated his feeling that the hiring of a lobbyist should be the pervue of the Council because setting policy is their area. The City Manager requested Council refrain from mentioning a particular vendor, that the City has signed a confidentiality agreement with the State of Florida that prohibits the City from releasing any information, publicly or privately, about a particular vendor with regard to the communications tax. She explained it was a time sensitive issue and not a policy issue, and that the City was looking for a position to ask the Department of Revenue to allow the City to pay back what is said is owed over the same time period. The City Manager informed she had asked at the time the information was submitted if anyone had any questions to respond, and she received no questions or comments from anyone. She advised that in the future she would ensure Council sees these requests in a time-sensitive manner. Dr. Pullen commented the State law requires open government and what is discussed in the City Manager' s office is closed and it should be said in public. Mr. Hartwell mentioned the City could move toward being pedestrian friendly and providing pedestrian safety by having count- down timers in the cross- walks, and providing cross- walks for the physically and hearing impaired. Mr. Hartwell also mentioned the movement to eliminate homestead and property taxes and the extreme impact to the local government budgets, and that the City should think about the impact on services through loss of revenue. Also, to look at and evaluate all the properties in the City, how they are managed, and to use them as a source of income. Mr. Minich congratulated Mr. Hartwell on receiving his National Medal, and said good- bye to the out-going Council members. The Mayor mentioned the City was honored by the Chamber Host Council last Thursday, and thanked the out-going Council for their service. He mentioned the Citizens Police Academy graduation on Monday, and the start of the Youth Commission. The Mayor requested an agenda item for a future workshop meeting be discussion regarding the Council request process. He presented to Jim Tucker a copy of a framed cartoon that was originally in the Daily News. 224 03- 27- 07 MAYOR/COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS ( CONTI Mr. Patterson expressed his thanks for the support given to him during the election and gave his good- byes. He suggested the new Council may want to ask for an explanation of a value- added engineering definition to a project when a developer comes forward and says they have made a mistake in their favor. Mr. Patterson commented on the road frontage at the fairgrounds and that a holding pond does not need to be set on prime and property, suggested it may need to be re- addressed by the new Council. He also mentioned hurricane disaster preparedness and that the City needs to be prepared to deal with a major hurricane or disaster. Mr. Patterson discussed the information he distributed titled " New Findings from the FBI About Cop Attackers and their Weapons," and that the City' s police officers have no place to train as the facility at Hurlburt will no longer be available, and they need to have a range to go to during their off-duty time to train. Mr. Patterson moved that the City Council adopt a resolution that will charge the City Manager, the City Staff, and the Chief of Police to identify City- owned where an indoor property police training facility could possibly be erected for continual quality training, with the study returned to Council by August for the new budget. Dr. Pullen seconded motion. Ted Litschauer, Police Chief, advised that there are other priorities in his department and he still has access to Hurlburt Field at this time, but if someone has land available, it would be a function the department could use. Mr. Minich stated his objection to motions that are made without being properly placed on the agenda, without the opportunity for Staff to provide input. The Mayor asked for public input. There was none. The Mayor called for the vote on the motion and it failed by a vote of 3 to 4 with Patterson, Tucker, and Pullen in favor and Holmes, Campbell, Hartwell, and Minich opposed. Mr. Campbell mentioned the Northwest Florida Fair Association and wanted to know if the alarm system is close to being completed at the Fairgrounds. He further wished to know how much longer it will take to complete the alarm system installation and would like to be given a time line for completion. The City Manager stated she would have to look into the question and noted the City has been working with the Fair Association; and she believed they are under contract if it is an alarm issue. Mr. Campbell mentioned when the inspectors go by his business he has 14 days to come into compliance. Mr. Campbell expressed his thanks to his family and the citizens for his 12 years on Council and expressed his good- byes, complimenting City Staff and the volunteers that serve on the City' s boards and committees. J Mr. Tucker expressed thanks for the support he has received over the years. CITY MANAGER DISCUSSION Mr. Tucker moved that the City Council ask for the resignation of the City Manager effective 2400 hours March 31, 2007. Dr. Pullen seconded motion. Mr. Tucker explained he feels the incoming Council should have the opportunity to select the City Manager, and that the recent election shows that the citizens of the City desire a change.  225 03- 27- 07 CITY MANAGER DISCUSSION ( CONT) Dr. Pullen stated his support of the motion, stating the need to uphold and enforce the ordinances of the City and citing such issues, in his opinion, as failing to collect fees, selective code enforcement, and not collecting fees from the MainStreet organization. Mr. Minich called for a point of order, and opposed the motion in the most strenuous manner. r Mr. Minich stated his feeling are that this is a low point of last year, and advised any motion should be properly placed on the agenda, and in this case, the City Manager should be given an opportunity to speak and Council should have the opportunity to examine the issue. Mr. Minich feels the worst thing to do is to make a motion during the comments section of the agenda, and strenuously recommend that Council vote against this motion. Mr. Hartwell also disagreed with the way the motion was introduced, and cited chaos in the operation of the City if Charter Officers are changed every time there is a new Council. Mr. Hartwell also agreed that the City Manager deserves the rights and privileges of everyone to examine what she is charged with, if anything, and that the motion is totally inappropriate and he would not support it. Mr. Tucker stated he is not charging the City Manager with any wrongdoing, he just feels she has served her time in supporting the City. He noted the second part of his motion, if the first part carries, would be that the newly- elected Council either accept or deny her resignation. He stated this is a fair way to " pass the baton" from one Council to the other. Mr. Holmes stated that four members of Council have the authority to fire the City Manager or any of the Charter Officers, that they do not have to have the door open for them to do so, nor do they need the idea placed in their heads. Mr. Holmes cited this as very humiliating to everyone and that someone should not be fired on a whim. He stated there is nothing but heresy being tossed about and there is no just cause for this discussion. Mr. Tucker advised he did not wish the discussion to get to this point. However, he noted that on October 10 of last year, he requested an RFP to consider consolidation/ reorganization of the City' s resources, and that the information was received only yesterday from the City Manager. Mr. Tucker informed the information was promised to him on the first of January. He again stated he did not want to bring up such a petty issue, and that he is only looking at what is in the best interest of the City.