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


July 23, 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, Daniels, Holt, Jones, Joost, Love, Lumb, Redman, Schellenberg and Yarborough

 

Also:  Peggy Sidman, Paige Johnston, Jason Gabriel and John Phillips  – Office of General Counsel; Kirk Sherman and Janice Billy – Council Auditor’s Office; Dana Farris and Juliette Williams – Legislative Services Division; Steve Cassada – Council Staff Services; Jeff Clements – Council Research Division; Chris Hand – Mayor’s Office; Sheriff John Rutherford and Maxine Person – Sheriff’s Office; Lin White and John Jones – Public Works Department; Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland; Connie Holt,  Dan Macdonald and Edward Suggs – ECAs; Kevin Meerschaert – WJCT; Steve Patterson and Ron Littlepage – Florida Times-Union

 

Meeting Convened:  4:00 p.m.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

PHS Committee: Council Member Daniels reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting, noting that 2013-382 (authorizing the Sheriff to retain year-end fund balance in a special contingency fund for future use and authorizing the Sheriff to transfer funds within his budget administratively) received differing reports from the PHS and Finance Committees, and that Council Member Brown will be offering a floor amendment as well.

 

Finance Committee: Council Member Anderson reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting, also noting the differing committee reports on 2013-382.

 

RCD Committee: Council Member Crescimbeni reported that all of the committee’s actions had been previously covered.

 

LUZ Committee: Council Member Boyer reviewed the actions of the committee from its meeting.

 

President Gulliford requested Council Member Jones, as the Council’s parliamentarian, to monitor the time used by Council Members during debate to ensure that the Council Rule providing for 5 minutes and 3 minutes per member when addressing items for the first and second time is adhered to.

 

President Gulliford stated that he would refer the three bills relating to potential Supervisor of Elections operations center locations (2013-118, -179 and -241) back to the Finance Committee for one last cycle and a recommendation.  There was discussion of whether to withdraw 2013-241 (Southgate Plaza location) and just consider the other two locations.  Council Member Lumb urged consideration of all three sites in committee.

 

The group discussed which amendment to 2013-382 to move first for consideration. Peggy Sidman of the General Counsel’s Office and Council Auditor Kirk Sherman described the differences among the three bills.  President Gulliford announced that the Finance Committee amended version will be moved first for discussion.

 

2013-366 (amendments to the Police and Fire Pension Fund): President Gulliford announced his intention to discharge the bill from committee and bring it up for a vote tonight.  With apologies to the Mayor’s Pension Reform Task Force whose work is still on-going, he believes the Finance Committee needs some definitive direction before beginning work on the budget in the next few weeks.  Without a decision on 2013-366 the committee won’t know what expenses it will be working with.  In response to questions about what the council members can and cannot say about this issue on the record, Ms. Sidman announced that General Counsel Cindy Laquidara will be present at the meeting to give the council clear instructions on how this bill impacts on collective bargaining and whether or not the matter might come before the Council as a result of a bargaining impasse.

 

Council Member Joost suggested that the TRIM notice bill be acted upon first, then 2013-366.

 

2013-460 (resolution advising the Property Appraiser of the rolled back and tentative millage rates for 2013): the bill will have a floor amendment regarding the non-transmittal of this bill to the Mayor for any potential approval or disapproval, since the matter is not subject to mayoral veto.

 

Council Member Clark asked to be allowed to add an item to the addendum to the agenda, which was approved.

 

 Council Member Boyer requested guidance from the General Counsel’s Office on the ramifications of 2013-515 (approval of  a legal settlement).

 

Meeting adjourned: 4:34 p.m.

 

 

Minutes:  Jeff Clements, Council Research

                7.23.13   Posted 6:00 p.m.

Tapes:      Council agenda meeting – LSD

                 7.23.13

Materials:  President’s marked agenda - LSD

    7.23.13