Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 07-14-1981 Regular — reading text

asking of for of order. a vote. order, believe is point I there something before the Council already. 2/ 10 7/ 14/ 81 Mr. Franklin brought something up. My name is Pickett McQueen, and I live in Fort Walton Beach. Mr. Dewrell said, I am not here to accuse nor to try, you will be tried. If the recall vote is upset and I' m sure on this, you will be vindicated in your previous actions that you were following the dictates of the people of the City of Fort Walton Beach. This new information which I think is relevant to the point raised by Mr. Franklin. That is the reason that I told you these things, and only that reason. The truth of that charge will be submitted to the public of the citizens of Fort Walton Beach and they' ll determine your recall. Mayor said, thank you, Mr. Dewrell. I think we have a motion. Mr. Miller called for point of order. Mr. Franklin said, I ask unanimous consent to intro- duce, at this time, to consider, reconsider, the employment termination, Monday, July 6, of City Manager, Winston Walker. I move to suspend the rules that interfere with this introduction at this time. Mayor said, its been, is there a second on this motion? Mr. Miller said, would the chair state the motion please? Mayor said, I' ll have Mr. Franklin restate his motion. Mr. Miller said, did we not have a motion pending on the floor? Mr. Franklin said, that was the motion. Mr. said, Miller alright, I' m sorry but I believe Mr. Baughman had a second one. I' m a bit confused Madame Chairman, we had a motion, speaking for a motion. Mr. Miller said, it appears we have an attempt to intercede in that, I believe the motion was being spoken to and that pending motion has been moved and seconded. And that was Mr. Franklin' s motion 1 J to reconsider, made by persons who voted for the resolution of July 6th; and that was the matter pending before the body. The motion was made and seconded, and we were in the process of discussion, and the discussion was called from the floor.  7/ 14/ 81 241 Mayor asked, are you ready for the motion? Mr. Franklin, I would at this time like to ask if there was any other discussion, Madame Mayor. Mr. Franklin said we have a motion and seconded, time at this point is for discussion. 1 A citizen said, I have my hand up, I' d like to say something about this decision, if you' ll give me a chance. Mr. Franklin said, tell him to come forward. Come forward. Mayor said, I believe you were next. I' d like you to give your name. Mr. Miller said, do we have it clear then that the motion before the body presently is Mr. Franklin' s motion to reconsider the resolution discharging Mr. Walker by this body of July 6th? Is that correct? Mr. Franklin said that is correct. Mr. Miller said thank you. May I ask one further question? know I Mr. Dewrell sat down, has he been discharged from the podium? I don' t understand how he can be discharged in the middle of his presentation, that' s what I am asking. Mr. Franklin said, but, Mr. Miller, I think Mr. Dewrell had come forward and addressed a recall petition issue and not the issue on the motion. Mr. Miller said, that' s fine and it would be appropri- ate to call a point of order and readdress him to the subject matter which I do not believe was closed. Mr. Baughman said, Madame Chairman, I' d like to say this ( inaudible) ... Mr. Franklin said, Madame Mayor, I would also... inaubidble) A citizen said, point of order, please. We just were 1 addressing the resolution of the motion. Mayor said, pardon. I don' t believe any of you are addressing Mr. Franklin~ motion. There should be no discussion about any sub- ject other than the motion itself. Mr. Franklin said, I agree sir. Mayor said, are you addressing Mr. Franklin' s motion? 242 7/ 14/ 81 A citizen said, '~ am." Celeste said, I would like to address, Johnson I am citizen, I have been a citizen in Fort a Walton Beach, with the exception of one 9 month period that I lived in.. ( inaudible) in 1968. Mayor said, your name? The citizen said, Celeste Johnson. I am a small business woman. I have lived in the City, I have tried to talk with some of our government officials in the past, reference a personal friendship with someone versus fee, a particular tax, and another person in an area that was not commercial, 8 years ago. There was personal preference of friend over what was the law. Now, some of those 1600 signa- tures that are on that recall may be in order to vote for an acclaimation of faith in the new look at City Hall. Again, I do want to know how you came about making your decision, I presume that' s what you are trying to discuss tonight, and I say it is great. Thank you. Mayor said, is there anyone else that wants to address the motion? A citizen said, " yes." Mayor said, Yes, I' m sorry sir. A citizen said Madame Mayor, Council, public of Fort Walton Beach, and this institution. I want a motion to reinstate Mr. Walker, who is our City Manager, who has been our City Manager with dignity and ran this city and that none of this sort of thing going on too many times, when he was City Manager. inaudible) . . . A citizen said, your Honor, I' ve been a citizen of Fort Walton Beach for 25 years. I think that I do not quite understand the motion that Mr. Franklin made was to reinstate Mr. Walker in his job. I thought it was to be rather, to reconsider your actions. Is that correct? Mr. Franklin said, yes, ma' am, that is correct. The motion is to move that we reconsider the employment termination of Monday, July 6, Winston Walker. 1981, City Manager, -~ 1 The citizen said, well since I' ve already approved of what you have done, not quitethe way-it is done, I' m very happy that' s what the motion is, and I thank you.  r f~ 7/ 14/ 81 L~, 5 My name is Larry Patrick, a citizen of Fort Walton Beach, I' d like to ask Mr. Franklin or any other member of the Council to amend the motion to include that the City Council state the reasons, all the reasons, why they terminated Mr. Walker. Mr. Benaquis said, Mayor and City Council, I' ve lived here since 1947, I' m in business here, I' ve been 1 following this Council. We' ve setup there, being a profession, three or four times and they' ve always got what they wanted at the last minute. We stood up there and made the tax laws in this town, fixed themselves up so big, didn' t have to pay no taxes, and the rest of us did. Here we are going through this more and more, he has a new car dealer, he pays 100 taxes, and $ 100 on his car... Mr. Miller said, what does that have to do with the motion? Mr. Benaquis said, that' s alright, wait a minute. Make way, send him on with the $ 100, no matter what folks says. We had somebody on the Council that did matter. We have your OK' s, they pay around $ 100, the doctors, the lawyers, insurance agents, and real estate, they pay a first mileage. But thats another case that sells retail, which we don' t do half the business they do, we have to pay on our percentage. And that is not right. I have one month to go, I' ll be ready. Col.. ( inaudible), he got out and called me in his office, and he said, Jimmy, I got bad news. for you, I said what' s the matter, he said, I got order straight from Walker to ship your butt as far overseas as I can and I was shipped to Korea. I put two .... on Main Street, and I was told to move