OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL

 

117 WEST DUVAL STREET, SUITE 425

4TH FLOOR, CITY HALL

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32202

904-630-1377

 

 

Finance Committee Agenda Meeting Minutes

 June 6, 2016

9:00 a.m.

Topic: Finance Committee agenda meeting

 

Location: Conference Room A, City Hall – St. James Building; 117 West Duval Street,

Suite 425

 

In attendance: Council Members Bill Gulliford, Danny Becton, Lori Boyer, Anna Lopez Brosche, Reginald Gaffney, Aaron Bowman, John Crescimbeni, Matt Schellenberg

 

Also: Kyle Billy – Council Auditor’s Office; Paige Johnston and Jody Brooks – Office of General Counsel; Jeff Clements – Council Research Division; Jessica Matthews – Legislative Services Division; Ali Korman Shelton – Mayor’s Office; Mike Weinstein and Teresa Eichner – Finance Department; Stephanie Burch – Real Estate Division; Jordan Pope and Nancy Kilgo – JEA; John Shellhorn – Mosquito Control; Eric Green – Jaxport; Daryl Joseph – Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department

 

See attached sign-in sheet for additional attendees

 

Meeting Convened: 9:00 a.m.

 

Chairman Gulliford called the meeting to order and asked the attendees to introduce themselves. He reviewed the Auditor’s marked agenda which included 11 items marked for deferral, 13 items ready for action (1 for withdrawal, 1 as an emergency) and 13 items for second reading and re-referral.

 

Council Member Crescimbeni asked that 2015-381 (amending City Public Investment Policy regarding incentives for companies that hire employees residing in the enterprise zone) be deferred rather than withdrawn as shown on the marked agenda until action is taken on 2016-382, adoption of the revised Public Investment Policy.

 

Council Member Boyer noted that 2016-334 (authorizing a second amendment to the Lofts On Main redevelopment agreement) approves a waiver of a portion of the Northwest Jacksonville Economic Development Fund requirements and stated that the Council Rules require that, before waivers are approved, the Council shall receive an informal recommendation from the Council Auditor’s Office, Office of General Counsel and Council Research Division on the appropriateness of the requested wavier.

 

Council Member Bowman requested an update from the Mosquito Control Division on the latest impact of the Zika virus in Jacksonville in conjunction with 2016-320 (appropriating $122,524 from Mosquito Control fund balance to operational support).

 

Council Member Schellenberg reported that a topic of discussion at a recent Florida League of Cities meeting was a ruling by the Florida Supreme Court that impacts the amount of compensation that plaintiff attorneys can receive for pursuing worker’s compensation case. City Risk Manager Twane Duckworth explained that the court ruled that the current statutory guidelines prescribing attorney payment rates can sometimes produce an inequitable result (too little compensation to be considered reasonable) and gave judges the discretion to award reasonable fees. Since this opens up an avenue of uncertainty in dealing with worker’s compensation cases, it is likely that insurance companies will raise their worker’s comp premiums. The court also ruled that these fees can be adjusted retroactively, so cities and counties are reviewing records from the past several years trying to estimate their potential liability for attorney’s fees in previously settled cases.

 

 

Meeting Adjourned: 9:10 a.m.

 

 

Minutes: Jeff Clements, Council Research

             6.6.16   Posted 11:30 a.m.

Tapes:  Finance agenda meeting– LSD

             6.6.16

Materials: Auditor’s marked Finance agenda

6.6.16