Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 04-22-08 regular agenda — reading text

lobbying and he teamed up with the Mayor of Lynn Haven who assisted him in the ways of Tallahassee. He accompanied a group from the county to Louisville, Kentucky, to investigate an alternative supply of water method called Riverbank Filtration. Dr. Pullen advised the Board of the Governor Stone traveled to Tallahassee to compete for a grant for the Governor Stone for $ 11, 000, and they came in at number 4. Mr. Minich announced the week after next is the 20th anniversary of the Emerald Coast Volleyball League at the boardwalk and encouraged all who enjoy volleyball to attend. Mayor Anderson advised he was a guest at the Rotary luncheon with Capt. Charlie Barber; he attended the lobbying session in Tallahassee and funds are low; he participated in Super Youth Day at Beulah Baptist Church with Chief Litschauer; and announced the Strategic Planning Session on May 10 and asked Council to contact the person they invited to the last session to let them know they are welcome to attend. The Mayor announced the Florida Great Northwest sponsored by the EDC and asked the EDC representative or alternate if they could attend; and mentioned the shoreline plantings will take place at the Sound Park on April 19th. CITY MANAGER ANNOUNCEMENTS The City Manager informed the City went out for bids for Financial Advisory Services for the General Employee' s Pension Plan and asked how Council would like to proceed. She explained that typically, an internal committee is formed who review the RFP' s and interview the top three and take their recommendations to Council. The City Manager advised that on April 22 she will bring back a recommendation from staff that a staff level committee be formed comprised of the Finance Director, two members of The Pension Board and the Human Resources Director to review the proposals, interview them, and bring a recommendation to Council. She informed if Council wanted to use a different process, to let her know at the April 22 meeting. She announced Earth Day A / rbor Day on April 14 at the Fort Walton Landing; a free program at the library on April 12 on classical music; a free public lecture at the Indian Temple Mound Museum on archaeological projects undertaken at Eglin Air Force Base; the FDOT work zone safety week from April 7 -12; an educational session on advance care planning on April 15 sponsored by Covenant Hospice. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:50 p.m. APPROVED: ATTEST: MAYOR: CITY CLERK ddm  95 MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING CHARTER REVIEW OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA APRIL 15, 2008 INTRODUCTION A Council Workshop Meeting of the City Council of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was held on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 5: 30 p.m. with the following members present: Mayor Mike Anderson Councilmen: Mike Holmes; Dennis Reeves; Bill Garvie, Mayor Pro Tem; Dr. Wayne Pullen; and Jim Hartwell Absent: Virgil Miller, Mike Minich Also Present: Joyce Shanahan, City Manager; Helen Spencer, City Clerk; Brandy Wunker, Interim Finance Director; Toni Craig, City Attorney; and Department Directors PURPOSE Charter Review: Title IV Finance Procedures CALL TO ORDER The Mayor called the meeting to order. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Mayor led in the Pledge of Allegiance. CHARTER REVIEW The City Manager briefly mentioned at the previous meetings the issues identified for further review or discussion are Section 4A Limit on number of terms for City Council; Section 5 Regular and special meetings of Council; Section 8 Quorum, compelling attendance of members; Section 15 Removal of officers and employees, civil service employees, procedure; Section 16 Council not to interfere in appointments or removals, violation a misdemeanor, forfeiture of and Section 20 Departments to be supervised by a director. She noted the section of the office; Code on the agenda for discussion tonight is Title IV Finance Procedures. TITLE IV FINANCE PROCEDURES It was agreed in order to address the topic of finance in general, that Council should first look at and address the position of Finance Director as a Charter Officer as provided in Section 53. Section 53 City officers; appointment and compensation During discussion on the position of the Finance Director and the span of control with the position subject to the supervision and control of the City Manager, views were expressed on the awkwardness of answering to two bosses; that the position should be removed as a Charter Officer and fall under the control of the City Manager to hire and fire; that the Finance Director position has never received a performance evaluation from Council and all Charter Officers should receive a performance evaluation; that, with few exceptions, the Finance Director in other cities reports directly to the City Manager, and that under Charter the operation C p of the City ty is the responsibility of Council, that as elected officials they are supposed to run the City and should retain certain control. It was questioned whether the " recorder" could be deleted from Section 53 since the position did not exist or if it could just be ignored. E0Y OWA-WA 4 -15 -08 Council Workshop Section 53 City officers; appointment and compensation cont. The City Attorney said recorder did not need to be deleted for it not to exist, and there are a couple of items that could be administratively cleaned up that may be too much for a small referendum. She did not see it as a problem with the word " recorder" because it is just a non- existing position. The City Clerk pointed out the recommended language for the Charter for the City Clerk Officer position. She noted the City Attorney suggested where it states " The City Clerk shall serve as repository" to change repository to custodian and where it states " The City Clerk when necessary shall appoint, suspend, demote, or dismiss" to add the word promote. It was questioned whether the language for the City Clerk Officer position could be made by ordinance without changing the Charter. The City Attorney referenced the comment made about delegating authority and reminded Council the Charter is not about delegation, it is about establishing authority. She said the Charter establishes the authority of the City Manager and the authority of the City Council and it is not a delegation issue back and forth because it is clear in the Charter what is under the City Manager' s authority and the Council' s authority. She stated Council can delegate some authority to the City Manager but they have to have the authority first and with the administrative items there is no delegating because the City Manager is solely the administrative officer. She stated the two issues in the City Clerk Position statement that cannot be put into an ordinance is the hiring and firing and the budget issue and would need clarification within the Charter. There was some discussion on the hiring firing of employees and Departmental and recommendations to the City Manager. It was questioned whether removing specific duties and requirements from the Charter and placed in an Ordinance would require a Charter amendment referendum. The City Attorney stated if they look at the four Charter Officers as Constitutional Officers in the it City County structure and if they leave the organization as it is and make a clean Manager /Council organization then the other three Charter Officers are not going to be at the same level as the City Manager and they are going to be different. She said her thought would be that the City Clerk and the Finance Director would maintain that level below the City Manager which is probably what is seen in most Charters, and if they were to remove the Finance Director as a Charter Officer, then those provisions about finance procedures ( Sections 21, 22, 23) would simply be deleted and then they would beef up the finance procedures to the rules that are in Chapter 4 of the Code and put back in some of the checks and balances and safeguards that were supposed to be intended in those provisions. Section 53 was identified for discussion at the final workshop. Section 21 Department of finance and administration; director There was no discussion on this section Section 22 Department of finance and administration; division of audits and accounts There was no discussion on this section Section 23 Department of finance and administration; division of treasury There was no discussion on this section  97 4 -15 -08 Council Workshop Section 52 Surety bonds required of officers and employees The Human Resources Director confirmed that the City purchases a surety bond for the Finance Director Clerk fiduciary bond for the Customer Service and City and also purchase a Administrator in the finance department, and there is a separate crime policy that covers employee theft citywide for all employees. He confirmed the bonds are required by State Statute and the City matches the required bond amount. There were no changes for Section 52. Section 55 Consolidation of offices and departments The City Attorney was asked for clarification on what Council has the right to combine. The City Attorney clarified Council has the right to combine the function under one officer. She noted the phrase uses the word officers but that is questionable because they are Department Directors but yet it talks about various department. She noted it indicates there would be some other type officer taking over some other duties. There was a brief discussion Council' s right to consolidate offices within the organization or consolidate functions of a department under another officer but cannot tell the City Manager who to place in positions. There were no changes for Section 55. Section 56 Emoluments other than regular compensation prohibited; exception There were no changes for Section 56. PUBLIC INPUT The Mayor opened the floor for public input. Dean Covey, 270 Brooks Street, encouraged Council to consider eliminating the Finance Director position as a Charter Officer at the time they discuss a referendum. BUDGET POLICY WORKSHOP The City Manager reminded Council that the budget policy workshop will be held next month on 20th May ADJOURNMENT Being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6: 30 p.m. APPROVED: