OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL

 

CHERYL L. BROWN                                                                                                                     117 WEST DUVAL STREET, SUITE 425

            DIRECTOR                                                                                                                                                                                                 4TH FLOOR, CITY HALL

   OFFICE (904) 630-1452                                                                                                                                                                                  JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA  32202

     FAX (904) 630-2906                                                                                                                                                                                                              

  E-MAIL: CLBROWN@coj.net

 

CITY COUNCIL AGENDA MEETING MINUTES


September 10, 2013

4:00 p.m.

 

Location:  City Council Chamber, City Hall – St. James Building; 117 West Duval Street,

    

In attendance: Council Members Gulliford (President), Anderson, Bishop, Boyer, Carter, Clark, Crescimbeni, Holt, Jones, Love, Lumb, Redman and Yarborough

 

Also:  Cindy Laquidara, Peggy Sidman, Paige Johnston and Jason Gabriel – Office of General Counsel; Kirk Sherman,  Janice Billy, Kyle Billy and Kim Taylor – Council Auditor’s Office; Dana Farris – Legislative Services Division; Steve Cassada – Council Staff Services; Jeff Clements – Council Research Division; Teresa Eichner and Margo Klosterman – Mayor’s Office; Lin White – Public Works Department; Angela Moyer – Budget Office; Paul Crawford – OED; Alan Verlander – Sports and Entertainment; Robert Phillips – Supervisor of Elections’ Office; Dan Macdonald, Edward Suggs and Stan Johnson – ECAs; Connie Benham, Rick Catlett, Bill Brinton

 

Meeting Convened:  4:01 p.m.

 

Council President Gulliford convened the meeting and asked the committee chairs to report their committee actions.

 

PHS Committee: Council Member Holt reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting.

 

RCD Committee: Council Member Crescimbeni reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting.

 

Finance Committee: Council Member Anderson reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting.

 

Rules Committee: Council Member Jones reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting.

 

LUZ Committee: Council Member Boyer reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting, noting that 2013-429 was moved to deny by the committee, so there will need to be discussion as to which way to move the bill.

 

TEU Committee: Council Member Love reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting.

 

Floor Leader Doyle Carter confirmed that 2013-552 (appropriation from Special Council Operating Reserve fund to outfit technology in courtrooms) is shown on the agenda for action, but was not voted out of the PHS Committee, so a motion to discharge will have to be made first.

 

President Gulliford stated that he has met with the Council Auditor and General Counsel representatives and been informed that state law requires that the Council must act on the millage levy ordinances first, then take up the budget ordinance afterward. The motions will be made in that order, then after the Council is finished amending the budget and reaches a final millage rate, the earlier millage rate approvals can be reconsidered and the bills amended with the new, final figures.

 

Peggy Sidman explained the two millage rates under consideration (the Council’s tentative original rate of 11.5353 and the Finance Committee’s recommended 11.2705 needed to fund its amended budget) and stated that the rate tentatively adopted by the Council tonight is the highest rate that can be levied – state law prohibits raising the millage rate on final approval at the next meeting.  Several council members expressed a preference for tentatively adopting the higher rate tonight, then deferring action on the budget until September 24th at which time all the proposed amendments can be offered one time rather than twice. In response to a question from Council Member Bishop, Council Member Yarborough totaled up the written amendments presented for consideration thus far and stated that those combined amendments exceed the remaining millage capacity by approximately $1 million.

 

Council Member Yarborough noted that 2013-589 (Sheriff’s budget savings carry-over) and 2013-588 (waiver of the requirement to post and advertise proposed fire station and library closures at least 14 days in advance and hold a special public hearing) need to be acted on as emergencies tonight.

 

President Gulliford distributed copies to the council members of a letter he had received earlier in the day addressed to him, Mayor Brown and Bill Scheu, Chair of the Mayor’s Pension Task Force from the Jacksonville Civic Council offering its advice on pension reform.

 

Meeting adjourned: 4:28 p.m.

 

 

Minutes:  Jeff Clements, Council Research

                9.10.13   Posted 5:30 p.m.

Tapes:      Council agenda meeting – LSD

                 9.10.13

Materials:  President’s marked agenda - LSD

    9.10.13