JACKSONVILLE
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING MINUTES
June 24, 2008
3:00 p.m.
City Council Conference Room A
117 W. Duval Street
Attendance: Council
President Davis, Council Members
Also: Peggy Sidman, Dylan
Reingold, Tracey Arpen and Shannon Eller – Office of General Counsel; Kirk
Sherman and Janice Billy – Council Auditor’s Office; Dana Farris and Carol
Owens – Legislative Services Division; Lisa Rinaman, Sherry Hall and Shannon
Hewett – Mayor’s Office; Lin White – Dept. of Public Works; Wight Greger and Kelly
Boree – Recreation and Community Development Department; Paul Crawford – JEDC; Cheryl Brown – Council Secretary; Robert
Philips – Supervisor of Elections Office; Dianne Smith, Debbie Delgado, Suzanne
Warren, Alison Miller, Susie Loving, Sandra Lane, Tiffany Clark, Meghan Friel,
Sarah Balme, Allison Miller, Celeste Hicks, Suzie Loving, Sandra Lane, Mina
Hosseini, Jenny Huxford and Angela Ryan – ECAs; Kevin Meerschaert – WJCT; Tia
Mitchell – Florida Times-Union; Paul Harden – agent; Nelson Cuba – Fraternal
Order of Police
The meeting was called to
order at 3:00 p.m. by Council President Davis. He thanked the assembled council
members for an outstanding year of hard and sometimes controversial work done
with a spirit of cooperation and collegiality.
Council Member W. Jones reviewed
the Rules Committee’s actions from its meeting.
Council Member Shad reviewed the
Finance Committee’s actions from its meeting.
Council Member Hyde gave the
PHS committee report, noting that all items had been covered by the previous
committee reports.
Council Member Clark reviewed
the TEU Committee’s actions from its meeting.
Council Member Graham gave
the RCD Committee report, noting that all items had been previously covered.
Council Member Corrigan gave
the LUZ Committee report. He noted that 2008-192
(Riverside/Avondale zoning overlay) will have a floor substitute that will add
several additional points to the previous substitute that incorporated all of
the prior amendments. He noted that
2008-294 (Interstate Business Center DRI amendments) failed by a 3-3 vote in
the committee and was not reported out for Council action.
President Davis announced
that he had deferred bills 2008-273 and 274 (
Council Member Joost asked if
2008-428 (increasing JSO employee cap) would be taken up tonight. President Davis noted that the question of
privatizing the JSO’s fleet maintenance was still unanswered but he favored
issuing and RFP for the maintenance service to see what the market would
propose. Since the bill only involves
raising the employee cap and does not address funding for the positions, the
President may propose action tonight to determine the will of the Council.
Robert Philips of the
Supervisor of Elections Office requested emergency approval on first reading of
2008-536 changing the location of 3 polling stations. The polling places need to be moved for the
August election.
Council Auditor Kirk Sherman
requested emergency consideration of 2008-523 to extend the contract of the
city’s independent auditor (Ernst and Young) for an additional 2 years with a
3% rate increase per year. Council
Member Shad noted that the Finance Committee had heard the request and was
lukewarm in its reaction to the bill.
Council Member Clark suggested that it would be appropriate to open up
the auditing contract for new proposals through and RFP process
immediately. Council Member Joost stated
that he supported the proposal to move the bill tonight because of the
importance of having field audit staff at work over the summer to be prepared
for the year-end closeout in October.
Council Member Hyde concurred in the need to begin preparations for
year-end work now. Mr. Sherman stated
that Ernst and Young was the sole proposer for the job 3 years ago, and his
office and the City administration intend to publicize their interest in having
medium-sized firms bid on the business in addition to the Big Four firms that
have traditionally done the work.
President Davis urged that the competitive proposal process begin well in
advance of the end of the next contract so that emergency action is not needed
in the future.
Council Member Yarborough
noted that there appears to be a scrivener’s error on the agenda in the title
of 2008-483 (appropriation of JEA funds to the Jacksonville Arboretum and
Gardens). The bill correctly states the
appropriation amount as $200,000 but the bill title on the agenda states
$25,000. Mr. Yarborough also stated that
the arboretum association requested emergency action on the bill tonight on
second reading so that an existing contractor on-site can continue with
additional work without closing down the job and waiting until Council acted in
3 weeks after the summer break. This
would incur and $11,000 remobilization charge and reduce the funding for
improvements to the site. President
Davis will consider the request before the meeting begins.
There being no further
business, the meeting was adjourned at 3:25 p.m.
Jeff Clements, Chief
Council Research Division
630-1405
Posted 6/24/08
4:50
p.m.