Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 6-23-14--special--charter review — reading text

prohibitions against interfering with or suggesting to the city manager. The mayor shall preside at meetings of the council and shall also have the power and perform the duties conferred and imposed by the charter and the ordinances of the city. He shall be recognized as the head,,of the city government for all ceremonial purposes, by the courts for serving civil processes, and-bes governor for purpose of military law. In time of public danger or emergency the mayor shOrif so authorized and directed by vote of the council, take command of the police, maintain order`andenforce the law. Section 7. General powers and rules of council. The council shall be the judge of the election An qualifi a pion of its meinb s and, in such cases, shall have power to subpoena witnesses and corn el the uoduction of all in books, records and papers, but the decision of the council, in an case all be subject to review by the courts. The council shall determine its own rules and order f t usiness and keep a journal of its proceedings. It shall have power to com el the attendant o ', absent members, may punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, . ote of not less M 6members, may expel a member for disorderly conduct or the violaii ofts rules, but ( ke r (shall be expelled unless notified of the charges against him and givenan opportunity to be hef) his own defense. Section 8. Quorum; A majority of the members elected to the counshall constitute a quorum to do business, but a lesser number may djou om tim to time to co1pe3 the attendance of absent members, in such manner and under such pe y,, a x rest ' d by ordinance. No member shall be excused from voting xcepFon matte Jn olving= a co eration of his own official conduct, or when his financial inter sMa - ff olved. of departments and officials. The coun& the mayor Ur any committee, duly authorized and appointed by council or the Ilk mayor to do so- *may investigate the financial transactions of any office or department of the city government andtieofficial acts of any city official, and by similar investigation may secure information upon an ma r relating to the city's business. In conducting such investigations the council, the mayor or any committee duly appointed may require the attendance of witnesses and production of books, papers and other evidence, and for that purpose may issue subpoenas which shall be signed by the presiding officer of the council, the mayor or the chairman of such committee, as the case may be, which may be served and executed by any policeman. Volume I - 4  FORT WALTON BEACH - CHARTER TITLE III. ADMINISTRATION Section 13. City manager; acting manager; assistant manager; appointment, qualifications and salary. The council is hereby authorized to appoint from time to time a city manager who shall be the administrative head of the municipal government, who shall be responsible for the efficient administration of all departments, and who may be the head of the department or departments as the council. may by ordinance provide. He shall be chosen on the basis of his executive and administrative qualifications. He may or may not be a resident of the jit ofaFort Walton Beach or the State of Florida. No member of the city council shall be a _ city manager. He shall receive such salary as may be fixed by council. The council is frmpowered to appoint or designate an acting city manager from time to time and also t appomt " esignate an assistant city manager from year to year or from time to time and eithef shal receive uc: salary as the council shall see fit. The city council shall have the authority tAprovitie the duties of a post of assistant city manager or the acting city manager when thecity manager is abseniNscannot himself designate or prescribe the duties of the assistant cjtyLmanager or the acting city manage, as the case may be. In case of sickness or absence of the city inanager, oin the case of apracancy in said office, the city council may appoint another person, not ember of the city council, to act for the city manager during his absence or sickness, or during suchc-ancy, and the person so appointed may, during the absence, sickness or vacancy of the city manager, act for him and perform all his duties, and all such acts of the person so ap or ted' shall be as valid asthough performed by the city manager. The council is limited to the appointmen Hof acting city manager to two consecutive terms of ninety ( 90) days each at the end of whi ishalJ be mandatory that the council appoint a fulltime city manager who meets the quaffficatio shdenabove set forth. Section 14. City man a— responsibility; powers of appointment and removal. The city manager _ res onsiblto the council for the proper administration of all affairs of the city in _; sgcharge, ' and` tpMbat en u eot such civil service provisions as may be provided for by ordinance exeept asth'èrwise prove ed herein, he shall have the power to appoint and remov all officers an mployees n thhe administrative service of the city, and the manager may a head of a de artment br. o, ice responsible to him to appoint and remove, with the auth„c same limitations, subordinates in suc, Idepartment or office. Appointments made by or under the authority of`the' city manager shall be on the basis of the executive and administrative ability and of the training and experience o the appointee in the work which he or she is to perform. All such appointments sh witho>x definite terms unless for temporary service not to exceed sixty ( 60) days. Section 15. Removal' of officers and employees. Officers and employees appointed by the city manager, or under his authorization, may be removed by him, or by the officer by whom appointed, at any time. Volume I - 5  FORT WALTON BEACH - CHARTER Section 16. Council not to interfere in appointments or removals; violation a misdemeanor; forfeiture of office. Neither the council, nor any of its committees or members, shall direct or request the appointment of any person to or his removal from office by the city manager or any of his subordinates, or in any mariner take part in the appointment or removal of officers and employees in the administrative service of the city. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the council and its members shall deal with that portion of the administrative service for which the manager is responsible solely through the manager, and neither the council nor any member thereofshall give orders to any subordinate of the city either publicly or privately. Any violation of the iN% ions of this section by a member of the council shall be a misdemeanor, conviction of w ic) shall immediately cause the forfeiture of the office of the member so convicted. Section 17. Duties of manager. It shall be the duty of the city manager to act as chief cons or of the peg e Within the city; to supervise the administration of the affairs of the 0 ; to'-,see t , e ordinances of e.c-ity and laws of the state are enforced; to_make recommendations toe, cot concerning the a airs of the city as may seem desirable; to keep the council advised of the friat condition and future needs of the city; to prepare and submit to the councile annual budgf ate; to prepare and submit to the council such reports as may be required by'l at body; and to orm such other duties as may be prescribed by this charter or required of hirr y d_inaance or ri ti moFthe council. Section 18. Manager' s and officer' s right Wpar meetings. The city manager, t,h s f all departure and such other officers of the city as may be designated by vote of the council" all be entity to take part in all discussions of the council relating to their respecte artm nts and offices. Section 19. Administrative _epartments: Theieshall be such"department$ Board and authorities as may be established by ordinance for the of the ci s of carrying R,e legal cial, public safety, public service and welfare functions The council may, hange6any department, board, authority or office by ordinance and may prescribe' istribute or discontinue the functions and duties of departments, boards, authorities and offices soKestablished. Additional functions and duties may be assigned by ordinance to departments, bound thorities established by. this charter, and departments, boards and authorities may be discohtmued or the functions thereof changed by ordinance. Section 20. Departments to be supervised by a director. At the head of each department there shall be a director who shall have the supervision and control thereof. Each director, with the consent of the manager, shall have power to prescribe rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this charter and the ordinances passed pursuant thereto, for the conduct of the officers and employees of the department of which he is in charge and for the custody of the books, papers and property under its control. The city manager may act as the director of any one or more departments if the city council should so provide by ordinance. Volume I - 6  FORT WALTON BEACH - CHARTER TITLE V —FINANCE PROCEDURES Section 52. Surety bonds required of officers and employees. The council of the City of Fort Walton shall fix the amount of the bond of all officers required by resolution or ordinance to give bond, and all officers, clerks and employees of whom bond is required by the council shall, before entering upon their respective duties, give bond with surety to be approved by the council, conditioned on the faithful performance of the duties of their respective offices, which bond, unless otherwise specifically provided by this charter, shall be payable to said city, and in such penalty as the council may by resolutton. prescribe. The council shall accept as surety on any official bond a good solvent surety company authorized to do business in the State of Florida. The premium on any such bond shall brpa, 66%, j,the city, unless otherwise specifically provided, and such bond shall be preserved by the rk _; Section 53. City officers; appointment and The city council shall appoint the city cle,JJAb' r and the city attorney. All other officers and employees shall be selected by the city uncil shall fV by resolution, the compensation of the city manager, the mayor, the c, finance director, and the city attorney.. The city manager shall fix tthe salaries or ation of all other officers and employees. Section 55. Consolidation of offices and The city council the right to