[00:00:01]
ALL RIGHT, APPLE TIME SAYS IT IS 5:00.
LET'S START WITH ROLL CALL, MISS BEST.
THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR STURGES WILL NOW LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
[4.1 CITY MANAGER SEARCH]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THAT BRINGS US RIGHT ON INTO ITEM 4.1 CITY MANAGER SEARCH.THIS ITEM IS PLACED ON THE AGENDA AT THE REQUEST OF THE CITY COMMISSION.
SO AS WE ALL KNOW, IT IS TIME TO WORK ON FINDING A NEW CITY MANAGER, AND SO TODAY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DECIDE IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT DONE AND TAKE OUR NEXT STEPS TO DO THAT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF WITH MY PROPOSED PLAN, AND I VIEW THIS AS A DISCUSSION, SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR EVERYBODY'S THOUGHTS AND LET'S TALK THIS THROUGH AND LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS BOARD WANTS TO DO TOGETHER.
SO I ALLUDED TO IT TWO WEEKS AGO, A CITIZENS COMMITTEE, WHICH I FEEL IS THE BEST WAY TO GET REPRESENTATION FROM EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD, AND SO HOW THIS WOULD WORK, THE MAKEUP OF THE COMMITTEE WOULD BE EACH OF US FIVE WOULD SELECT A PERSON TO BE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
SO IT'D BE A SEVEN PERSON COMMITTEE.
THAT COMMITTEE WOULD THEN LOOK AT APPLICATIONS THAT COME IN.
OUR H.R. DEPARTMENT WOULD PUT OUT A POSTING.
WE WOULD THEN GET THESE APPLICATIONS.
THEN THEY WOULD SELECT SOME THE FINAL CANDIDATES WOULD BE INTERVIEWED PROBABLY OVER ZOOM AND THEN THE FINAL THREE CANDIDATES, LET'S CALL IT THAT, WOULD THEN COME HERE IN PERSON AND WE WOULD PERSONALLY INTERVIEW THEM AS A COMMISSION.
SO THAT'S MY PLAN, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ALL INPUT.
SO IS THERE ANY OTHER PLAN OR ANYBODY ELSE HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW WE SHOULD GET THAT DONE? I WILL TAKE COMMENTS.
IS THAT CORRECT? IN THIS PLAN, NO, WE DO NOT NEED A HIRING FIRM, AND LET ME JUST THROW--AND EXCELLENT QUESTION--LET ME THROW OUT WHY I DON'T THINK WE NEED A HIRING FIRM AND I'M GOING TO THROW THIS OUT. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE JUST PUT OUT APPLICATIONS FOR OUR POLICE CHIEF, WE HAD 50 APPLICATIONS AND WE HAD NO SUCH HIRING FIRM PEOPLE WHO ARE READY TO WORK IN SUCH A JOB.
I THINK WE JUST PUT IT OUT THERE AND I THINK WE WE HAVE THAT FUNNEL COME DOWN.
THAT'S WHAT I THINK IS THE BEST MOVE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS? WHAT DO YOU THINK? IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO GO THE ROUTE OF THAT HIRING FIRM, ULTIMATELY SOME PORTION OF THAT 50K IS STILL GOING TO POTENTIALLY BE RESOURCES UNLESS WE'RE ENTIRELY RELYING ON VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY.
I'LL WAIT TO HEAR FROM OUR OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
I THINK THAT'S TOTAL AMATEUR HOUR.
WE NEED TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL.
YOU WANT PROFESSIONAL RESULTS, YOU HIRE PROFESSIONAL.
HAVING A BOARD OF FIVE CITIZENS WHO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO EXPERIENCE IN HIRING A CITY COMMISSIONER--CITY MANAGER, EXCUSE ME--I THINK THAT IS REALLY FOOLISH.
SO IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A CITIZENS COMMITTEE, FINE, BUT NOT TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL TO COORDINATE THIS, TO LOOK FOR THE BEST CANDIDATES POSSIBLE, IS JUST TOTAL AMATEUR HOUR.
THAT'S LIKE DOING HOME MEDICINE.
YOU WANT GOOD RESULTS, YOU HIRE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO FIND YOU A GOOD CITY MANAGER.
I DON'T THINK, ALL DUE RESPECT TO OUR HR DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE NOT EQUIPPED TO DO THIS.
THAT'S HOURS AND HOURS OF WORK.
THAT'S WHY YOU'RE PAYING SOMEBODY 30 TO $50,000.
THERE'S A REAL REASON FOR THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER ROSS.
THERE IS A LIGHT ON THAT HAS NO NAME.
WHO ELSE? THAT WOULD BE YOU'ER ONE OVER NOW.
SO, COMMISSIONER AYSCUE. THAT MAKES SENSE.
I COULD REACH OVER THERE. [INAUDIBLE] THAT'S GOING TO BE A LONG NIGHT.
NO, SIR. COMMISSIONER AYSCUE, WHAT DO YOU GOT? YES, SIR. SO I WAS WAITING TO HEAR AT LEAST YOUR YOUR THOUGHTS AND VISION ON THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE, AND I.
I ACTUALLY THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I DO BELIEVE BRINGING IN OUR CITIZENS TO AT LEAST GET A FIRSTHAND INTERACTION IN THE PROCESS.
I GUESS I'M LOOKING MORE FOR A WIDER NET, NOT JUST PEOPLE THAT APPLY.
[00:05:08]
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT FOR US TO JUST RELY ON PEOPLE COMING TO US VERSUS US HAVING EVEN IF IT'S NOT HIRING A FIRM, IF IT'S HAVING SOMEBODY WHO HAS EXPERIENCE THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER ON THE BOARD AS MAYBE PART OF THE BOARD, THAT COULD MAYBE HELP FOSTER THIS AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANYBODY LIKE THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING THAT THE BIGGER NET THAT WE THROW, YOU KNOW, THE MORE RESULTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET.I AM IN FAVOR OF HAVING A CITIZEN'S COMMITTEE FOR SURE IN SOME FORM OR FASHION FOR THIS.
UNDERSTOOD. COMMISSIONER ANTUN.
I CAN AGREE. I WANT TO GIVE OUR CITIZENS A CHANCE TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A HAND IN THIS PROCESS, BUT I DO RESPECT THE FEEDBACK THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE SOME DEGREE OF PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE AND WE ONLY HAVE LOCAL EXPERTS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE EXPERIENCE FINDING A CITY MANAGER, IS THERE A WAY WE CAN MAKE A HAPPY MEDIUM BETWEEN THESE TWO IDEAS? IS THAT POSSIBLE AT ALL? VICE MAYOR STURGES.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. THAT'S KIND OF MY IDEA.
BRADLEY, WITHOUT YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T TALK TO ANYBODY, BUT ONE OF MY IDEAS WAS, IS HAVING A CITIZENS COMMITTEE, BUT THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE WOULD ONLY BE TOWARDS THE END OF THE SEARCH.
OKAY. SO IN MY OPINION, I WOULD THINK WE WOULD LIKE TO HIRE KIND OF A HYBRID.
SO IF THE COMMITTEE GETS TOGETHER AND SAYS WE WANT AND SOME OF THESE THINGS JUST COME TO MY MIND AS A LOCAL CITIZEN, WE WANT A COMMISSIONER THAT MAYBE HAS SOME EXPERIENCE WITH A COASTAL TOWN, MAYBE HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, MAYBE HAS SOME EXPERIENCE WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE KIND OF GIVE THEM THE PARAMETERS AND GO, OKAY AND WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ALSO COULD, THOUGH MAYBE WE WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO SAY, COMMISSIONER, A CITY MANAGER CANDIDATE THAT WOULD BE IN FLORIDA POSSIBLY BECAUSE WE HAVE A DIFFERENT STRUCTURE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA THAN OTHER STATES.
WE OPERATE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED HOME RULE.
SO IN MY THOUGHTS, I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE.
JUST HAVE THE BOARD COME UP AND GIVE THEM THEIR PARAMETERS OF WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN A CITY MANAGER AND THEN FROM THERE HAVE THEM SPIT BACK.
HERE'S OUR TOP. WE'VE NAMED IT DOWN TO OUR TOP FIVE OR WHATEVER WE GO THROUGH, HAVE SOME ZOOM MEETINGS WITH THOSE AND THEN NARROW IT DOWN TO THE TOP THREE AND THEN GO TO IN PERSON HERE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW I SEE IT PLAYING OUT AS THE BEST OPTION.
IT'S KIND OF A HYBRID THAT MAKES SENSE AND JUST I WANT TO WIND THE CLOCKS BACK.
I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU FOR THAT FEEDBACK, GUYS.
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE THE MAJORITY WILL RIGHT NOW.
MY FEEDBACK WOULD BE LET'S ROLL THE CLOCKS BACK TO 2012 WHEN WE DID A SEARCH FOR THE CITY MANAGER.
WE HAD SUCH A FIRM AND IT BROUGHT 50 NAMES AND THE ONE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS PICKED IN 2012 WAS ACTUALLY NOT ON THE LIST OF 50 NAMES WE PICKED. WE PAID A FIRM AND THEY BROUGHT 50 PEOPLE, AND THEN THE COMMISSION DECIDED TO DISREGARD ANY OF THOSE 50 PEOPLE AND PICKED A PERSON WHO WAS NOT ON THAT LIST.
SO FOR THAT REASON, THAT JUST TELLS ME SOMETHING.
THAT TELLS ME THAT SOMETIMES AN OUTSIDE FIRM MIGHT NOT KNOW AS MUCH AS US RIGHT HERE AT HOME.
HOPEFULLY A CROSS-SECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER AND DECIDE THAT.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER POSSIBILITY, BUT THAT ASIDE, HOW ARE WE GOING TO HIRE A FIRM? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER ROSS.
ALL RIGHT. SO WE NEED TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION AS TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD HERE , AND SO I THINK THE NEXT STEPS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT. COMMISSIONER, VICE MAYOR STURGES LAID OUT A PRETTY GOOD PLAN AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
[00:10:06]
I THINK WE NEED TO GET APPROVAL ON THAT PLAN FIRST.IS THAT WHAT YOU GUYS WOULD DO NEXT? WHAT DO YOU THINK? I LIKE IT.
SO JUST TO GO THROUGH IT WITH YOU, VICE MAYOR, SO JUST WALK ME THROUGH IT ONE MORE TIME.
HOW YOU WOULD DO IT. YOU WOULD GET A FIRM FIRST, THEN YOU WOULD? WE PUT OUR COMMITTEE TOGETHER FIRST.
THIS COMMITTEE MEETS IN A VERY RELATIVELY FAST TIME.
WE DON'T WANT THIS TO DRAG OUT FOREVER.
AS FAR AS I KNOW, MARK HAS BEEN GRACIOUS IN INTERIM, STEPPING IN AS THE CITY MANAGER.
HOWEVER, I KNOW HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE HERE FOREVER, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AS FAST AS POSSIBLE AS GETTING THIS COMMITTEE TOGETHER AND THEN ONCE WE GET THE COMMITTEE TOGETHER, THEY MEET, THEY PUT SOME PARAMETERS WITH CITIZEN INPUT.
THAT'S OUR COMMITTEE, AND THEN WITH THOSE PARAMETERS, WE GO OUT TO OUR SEARCH FIRM AND WE LET THEM CAST THE NET AND SEE WHAT THEY COME BACK WITH, AND THEN ONCE THEY COME BACK AND HONE IT DOWN, THEN WE AS THE COMMITTEE WILL GO, OKAY, HERE'S OUR TOP 2 OR 3 FINALISTS, AND THAT'S WHERE WE MOVE FORWARD. ALL RIGHT.
DOES THAT SOUND AMENABLE TO THE REST OF THE COMMISSION? A FEW IMPORTANT DETAILS.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SELECT A SEARCH FIRM? THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, BUT I THINK STEP ONE IS WE HAVE TO FIND THIS COMMITTEE THAT SEEMS LIKE THE.
SO THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO SELECT A SEARCH FIRM? THAT WASN'T THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.
I WAS JUST SAYING THAT STEP ONE WOULD BE TO FIND THE COMMITTEE.
WELL, WE CAN DO COMMITTEE TONIGHT.
I MEAN, I BET EVERY ONE OF US HAS A NAME.
SO HOW ARE THEY GOING TO COME UP WITH THE SEARCH FIRM? THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, BUT FIRST, I THINK WE SHOULD GET THIS COMMITTEE SETTLED, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE STILL ARE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
IF I CAN ANSWER, COMMISSIONER ROSS, IN SPEAKING WITH CITY STAFF, THERE'S TWO NAMES AT LEAST THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH IN THE PAST COLIN BENZINGER AS A CONSULTING FIRM, AND THEN I FORGET IF IT WAS SAR OR SAG, BUT THOSE WOULD BE AT LEAST TWO CONSIDERATIONS AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER LIKE HIRING FIRMS, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHO WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IN MIND AND PERHAPS IN THE PROCESS, AFTER WE HAVE THIS COMMITTEE, WHILE WE'RE GETTING THIS COMMITTEE TOGETHER, WE PUT OUT A RFQ FOR THESE COMMITTEES OR FOR THESE FIRMS, AND WE SEE WHICH ONE WE ALL AS COMMISSIONERS LIKE THE BEST.
SO THE PRONOUN WE STANDS FOR THE CITY COMMISSION AND THE CITY COMMISSION IS GOING TO PICK THE SEARCH FIRM? I THINK THAT WOULD BE, BUT HERE'S THE THING, WE HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, BUT LET'S START WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WHERE WE ARE NOW, LET'S MAKE SURE WE GO IN ORDER.
I AGREE. WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TONIGHT.
SO THERE'S TWO WAYS WE CAN DO THAT.
I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING NAMES.
WE COULD SAY OUR NAMES RIGHT NOW, PUT IT TOGETHER.
OR WE COULD. IN FACT, WE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RIGHT NOW AT THIS MOMENT.
WE COULD EMAIL IT BY THURSDAY.
I'M READY. YOU GUYS READY? I AM READY, SIR. ALL RIGHT.
I MIGHT BE THE ONLY ONE HERE THAT'S NOT READY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
WELL UNDERSTOOD, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE DEADLINE FRIDAY.
IN A FEW DAYS IT'D BE FRIDAY, BUT IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU GUYS, HERE'S WHAT I WOULD DO TO HELP THE VICE MAYOR IN HIS PREPARATION OF WHO HE'S PICKING, LET'S ALL SAY WHO WE ARE THINKING THAT WAY HE KNOWS THE REST.
SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. IF ANYBODY WHO KNOWS WHO THEIR PERSON IS OR WHO THEY WANT TO NOMINATE, IF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DECLARE THAT THIS EVENING, THEN WE CAN MOVE ON AND I CAN HONE DOWN WHO I NEED TO REPRESENT.
ALL RIGHT. SO STARTING RIGHT HERE ON THE RIGHT, WE'LL GO WITH COMMISSIONER AYSCUE FIRST.
YES, SIR, AND I'VE SPOKEN WITH THIS GENTLEMAN TWICE AFTER GETTING DIRECTION LAST MEETING AND THEN RECONFIRMED EARLIER THIS WEEK AND VERY EXCITED INDIVIDUAL AND READY TO SERVE FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY AND THAT IS MR. WAYNE PETERSON.
EXCELLENT. WAYNE PETERSON. ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER ANTUN.
SO THE CONSTITUENT I SPOKE MORE IN LENGTH WITH WAS A FORMER COMMISSIONER, TIM POINTER, BUT I'M ALSO LOOKING AT AN EMAIL FROM JEFF GRANT AND BACKGROUND AS A GRADUATE OF THE US NAVAL ACADEMY OFFICER IN NUCLEAR SUBMARINE SERVICE, 20 PLUS YEARS IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE.
[00:15:05]
SO AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS, LOCAL HOA BOARD DIRECTOR, THIS WOULD BE ANOTHER STRONG CANDIDATE FOR YOU OTHERS TO CONSIDER IF I'LL STAND BEHIND MR. POINTER JUST BECAUSE WE DID HAVE A MORE AT LENGTH DISCUSSION.ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER ROSS.
OH, THE MAYORS SPEAK LAST, BUT I MEAN, I DON'T MIND TELLING YOU.
SHE'S A LOCAL DENTIST HERE IN TOWN, AND SHE IS A LOCAL MOM.
OH, SHE'S GOOD TOO. EXCELLENT PICK.
SO VICE MAYOR STURGES, I HOPE THAT HELPS YOU IN YOUR SELECTION FOR YOUR CANDIDATE TO THIS COMMITTEE.
EXCELLENT. SO THAT HONES IT DOWN.
IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING, BUT THAT HONES IT DOWN.
WELL, WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO APPOINTING THAT SOON.
ALL RIGHT. SO CONTINUING ON NOW, NEXT STEP, AND MS. BACH, WHAT DO YOU HAVE? I'M HERE TO HELP, AND WITH THE NEXT STEP IS SEARCH FIRMS. SO UNDER THE WE ASSUME THAT THIS IS GOING TO GOING TO COST IN EXCESS OF $25,000, WHICH IS THE LEVEL AT WHICH WE UNDER OUR PURCHASING POLICY NORMALLY WOULD DO A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO FIND A FIRM.
HOWEVER, THE CITY PURCHASING CODE IN CHAPTER TWO OF THE CODE PROVIDES THAT THE CITY COMMISSION CAN WAIVE THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, AND I DON'T MEAN THAT WE JUST PICK ONE FIRM AND JUST GO WITH THEM, BUT STAFF CAN CERTAINLY CALL AND GET QUOTES OR PROPOSALS FROM INSTEAD OF GOING OUT WITH A FORMAL RFP PROCESS THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE OUT FOR 30 DAYS IF YOU WANT TO GET GOOD RESPONSES, BUT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT 30 DAYS TO DO THE RFP, YOU CAN CERTAINLY HAVE WE HAVE IN THE PACKET A LIST OF A DIRECTORY OF SEARCH FIRMS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
I GOT A LIST OF SEARCH FIRMS FROM THE FLORIDA CITY COUNTY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION, AND JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE, THERE ARE ONE, TWO, THREE FIRMS THAT ARE LOCATED IN FLORIDA AND ONE FIRM THAT'S IN GEORGIA.
THAT'S SLAVIN MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS.
THE REST ARE IN OTHER STATES AS FAR AWAY AS CALIFORNIA.
NOT THAT AFFECTS THEIR ABILITY TO DO A NATIONWIDE SEARCH, BUT JUST SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME FLORIDA BASED FIRMS AND YOU ALL UNDER THE CODE YOU'D HAVE TO TAKE THAT VOTE.
WE NEED CONSENSUS, AND THEN AT THE NEXT MEETING OR ANOTHER MEETING, WE MIGHT DIRECT WE WOULD PUT RESOLUTION ON THERE FOR APPOINTING THE SEARCH COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND ALSO PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION REGARDING THE FIRMS AND WHAT THEIR QUOTES ARE.
THAT'S IF YOU DID NOT WANT TO GO THE COMPETITIVE ROUTE.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THOSE OPTIONS, AND WE'VE DONE IT BOTH WAYS HERE, BY THE WAY, BOTH COMPETITIVE AND ALSO JUST ASKING FOR PROPOSALS WITH COST. ALL RIGHT.
SO, I WILL ONCE AGAIN REITERATE THAT I DO NOT THINK WE NEED--WE DON'T NEED A SEARCH FIRM , BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH A SEARCH FIRM, WE NEED TO GO TO A COMPETITIVE RFP.
WE CAN'T JUST PICK ONE. WE HAVE TO DO THE RFP.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE GOT TO DO.
SO AGAIN, I'D RATHER STICK WITH JUST THE CITIZENS, BUT IF THE WILL OF THIS COMMISSION IS TO GO WITH THE SEARCH FIRM, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE WE GO WITH AN RFP AND IT HAS TO BE SOMEBODY HERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
THOSE TWO THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN AND THOSE ARE MUSTS FOR ME.
COMMISSIONER ROSS. SO WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA? I MEAN, THE BEST PERSON TO DO THIS IS LOCATED IN GEORGIA, TWO MILES, TEN MILES AWAY.
WHY WOULDN'T YOU PICK THEM? I MEAN, WHAT'S GOING TO BE IN THE STATE? WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, A SEARCH FIRM? SOME OF THE SEARCH, MAYBE THE BEST SEARCH FIRM IS IN NASHVILLE, KENTUCKY.
I MEAN, WHY WOULD WE LIMIT IT? I MEAN, YOU'RE TRYING TO FIND THE BEST POSSIBLE CANDIDATE.
SEARCH FIRMS ARE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
PEOPLE WHO DO SEARCH FIRMS NOW ARE LOCATED WORK FROM HOME.
THESE PEOPLE ARE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
WHY WOULD YOU LIMIT IT TO FLORIDA? I THINK IF YOU WANT TO GO OUT FOR AN RFP, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.
MR. AYSCUE. I AGREE WITH YOU, MAYOR.
[00:20:01]
FLORIDA AND THE AND THE CITY MANAGER, HAVING THOSE STRONG TIES TO THE STATE IS SOMETHING THAT I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH.SO IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION TO GO OUT TO RFP, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
ALL RIGHT. SO JUST TO CONFIRM WHAT--COMMISSIONER ROSS.
KEEPING THE STATE OF FLORIDA, SEARCH FIRMS ARE NOW HEADHUNTERS, THEY'RE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR ADDRESS IN FLORIDA DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT USING THEIR HEADHUNTERS.
THE PERSON WHO'S DOING MAKING THE PHONE CALLS ISN'T SITTING IN ALASKA.
I MEAN, IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD OUT THERE.
I MEAN, I DID RECRUITING AND I WAS RECRUITED AND I STILL GET PHONE CALLS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO GO WORK PART TIME, AND SO WHY ARE WE LIMITING THIS TO FLORIDA WHEN THE PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE HIRING TO DO THE WORK ARE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY? SO BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN ADDRESS IN FLORIDA AS THEIR MAIN CORPORATE ADDRESS, WHICH IS WHAT I GUESS YOU'RE REFERRING TO, OR IS IT THEY HAVE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN FLORIDA ARE MAKING THE PHONE CALLS. WHY ARE YOU LIMITING THIS TO JUST FLORIDA FIRMS? ON YOUR LIST, HOW MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE IN FLORIDA? I'LL JUST NAME THEM: COLIN BENZINGER, RENEE NARLOCH AND ASSOCIATES, THE MERCER GROUP, AND THEN IN NORCROSS, GEORGIA, THE NEXT CLOSEST IS SLAVIN MANAGEMENT.
SO YOU'RE LIMITING IT TO TWO FIRMS. THAT'S FOUR.
WELL, THAT ONE THERE IN GEORGIA, THERE'S THREE IN FLORIDA.
SO LIMITING IT TO THREE FIRMS. YOU KNOW, KNOWING NOTHING ELSE ABOUT THOSE FIRMS, THEY SOUND LIKE THE BEST ONES BECAUSE THEY'RE IN FLORIDA.
ALL RIGHT. VICE MAYOR STURGES, WHAT DO YOU GOT? I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK JAMES THE TWO NAMES THAT HE THREW AROUND, WHERE WERE THEY LOCATED? IF YOU KNEW. COLIN BENZINGER IS A FLORIDA FIRM, AND WHAT I'D BE WILLING TO DO TO KIND OF SPLIT THE BABY ON THIS HERE IS TO SAY WE CAN WEIGHT THE VOTES TOWARDS A FLORIDA FIRM A LITTLE HEAVIER, BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD SHUT THE DOOR ON OTHER VOTES.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO CAST A LITTLE BIT OF A BIGGER NET.
YOU SAID THAT YOURSELF, COMMISSIONER AYSCUE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL THAT WE DON'T LEAVE ANY OPTIONS ON THE TABLE.
OKAY, I HAVE ONE MORE THING TO SAY.
SO TAMMI, YOU CAME UP WITH THESE SEARCH FIRMS. WHAT WAS YOUR PARAMETERS? HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THESE SEARCH FIRMS? ALL I DID WAS CONTACT THE FLORIDA CITY COUNTY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION AND ONE OF THEIR VOLUNTEER RETIRED CITY MANAGER EMAILED ME THIS LIST AND SAID, HERE'S WHAT--I JUST SAID SEARCH FIRMS. I DIDN'T SAY FLORIDA.
YEAH, I GOT IT. ALL RIGHT, WELL, I THINK WE PICK 3 OR 4 OF THE FIRMS AND WE SEND OUR RFP OUT, GET THE RESPONSE AND MOVE FORWARD, AND THAT'S JUST MY OPINION.
I WOULD PREFER IT TO BE A FLORIDA FIRM, BUT I WOULD SAY IF THERE'S ONE IN GEORGIA OR IF THERE'S ONE SOMEWHERE ELSE, IT DOESN'T STOP ME FROM LOOKING AT THEM AS A GOOD FIRM, WHAT THEIR QUALIFICATIONS ARE AND WHAT THEY DO IS TRULY, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T MATTER.
UNDER FLORIDA STATUTE, CAN YOU JUST LIMIT AN RFP TO FLORIDA FIRMS? YOU CAN. THE LOCAL PREFERENCE IS CONSIDERED COUNTY OR CITY.
SO, YES, YOU CAN, AND ONE OF THE ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I POINTED THAT OUT WAS TO LET YOU KNOW WHICH FIRMS ARE LOCATED IN FLORIDA, BUT ALSO THERE IS WE DON'T AT LEAST IN OUR PAST EXPERIENCE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO THAT WAY BECAUSE IT IS A NEW WORLD.
YOU CAN HAVE YOUR RECRUITER SHOW UP ON THE SCREEN OR YOU CAN HAVE YOUR RECRUITER HERE IN THE CHAMBERS AND IT COSTS A LOT MORE MONEY TO COME FROM CALIFORNIA THAN IT DOES FROM FLORIDA, BUT IF WE DO AN RFP, WE DO A TRUE COMPETITIVE SEARCH, WE JUST BLAST IT OUT AND YOU GET BACK FIRMS FROM EVERYWHERE.
IF YOU WANT TO USE FLORIDA EXPERIENCE AS ONE OF YOUR CRITERIA OR A PREFERENCE, THAT'S FINE, TOO.
ALL RIGHT. ONE FINAL HAIL MARY HERE, [CHUCKLING] BECAUSE I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF SPENDING THE $50,000 ON THIS FIRM.
WE HAVE A COMMITTEE. WE HAVE FOUR NAMES I FEEL CONFIDENT IN.
WE HAVE A FIFTH ONE COMING FROM VICE MAYOR STURGES.
THIS COMMITTEE PAIRED WITH ONE OF US AND OUR TEAM WILL RECEIVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF APPLICATIONS.
APPLICATIONS WILL COME IN AND THAT WILL BE THE FUNNEL.
IN FACT, HEARING THAT WE--IN FACT, THE VERY FACT THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE THE SEARCH FIRM IS, THE FACT THAT IT COULD BE SOMEONE IN CALIFORNIA SENDING US NAMES, I MEAN, TO ME, THAT PROVES THE FACT THAT WE DON'T NEED SUCH A FIRM.
[00:25:02]
WE NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE WE NEED IN ORDER.VICE MAYOR STURGES, GO AHEAD. I APPRECIATE IT.
DIRECTOR, AND BECAUSE SHE WOULD BE A PART OF THIS, CORRECT? I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT FROM THE H.R.
DIRECTOR OF WHAT SHE THOUGHT AND HOW SHE FEELS, IF SHE FEELS COMFORTABLE WITH A COMMITTEE HELPING TO PICK THIS CITY MANAGER. EXCELLENT QUESTION.
WOULD YOU MIND COMING TO THE PODIUM? AS SHE COMES UP TO THE PODIUM? MAY I, MR. MAYOR, NOT TO INTERRUPT AS A BIRD WITH YOUR HAIL MARY PASS, BUT ONE CITY COMMISSIONER CANNOT BE APPOINTED TO THIS COMMITTEE IF IT'S GOING TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, BECAUSE THAT'S A DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY AND IT'S NOT ALLOWED UNDER THE SUNSHINE LAW.
SO WE CAN'T HAVE ONE CITY COMMISSIONER SERVE WITH THE BOARD.
UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
DENISE MATSON, HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR.
I DID PROVIDE IN YOUR PACKETS THREE OPTIONS WHICH YOU'VE ALL DISCUSSED HERE TONIGHT ALREADY, THE ONE BEING THE USING A FIRM IN MY CAREER OF 38 SOME YEARS IN HUMAN RESOURCES AND IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
TYPICALLY WE HAVE USED OR I HAVE USED A FIRM WHEN WE'VE DONE RECRUITMENTS FOR CITY MANAGER OR OTHER EXECUTIVE LEVEL POSITIONS IN THE CITY.
I HAVE DONE THE HYBRIDS USING A CITIZEN COMMITTEE OR AN EMPLOYEE COMMITTEE AND USING THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FIRM OR SOLELY, BUT BY AND LARGE, IT'S BEEN A FIRM THAT WE'VE USED IN IN MY CAREER AT LEAST.
ALL RIGHT, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? VICE MAYOR? THAT WAS IT.
I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO HEAR HER OPINION, AND BASICALLY IT SAYS IT'S WIDE OPEN.
WE COULD PICK ANYTHING WE WANT FOR YOUR HAIL MARY PASS.
I JUST THINK THE HEAVY LIFTING, WE SHOULD LEAVE THAT TO A FIRM.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT THE PRICE WILL BE $50,000 YET.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT I'M NOT OPPOSED, BRADLEY, BECAUSE I REALLY DO, TO SPEAK TO YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS, I DO THINK WE COULD PICK A VERY GOOD CANDIDATE, BUT WILL WE PICK THE BEST CANDIDATE? I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT.
SO ANYWAYS, I JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ROSS, THANK YOU FOR THE JOB THAT YOU DO AND YOU DO A GOOD JOB AND YOU HAVE A FULL TIME JOB NOW, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH BUSY 40 HOURS A WEEK, CORRECT? YES, SIR. FINDING A NEW CITY MANAGER IS PROBABLY A FULL TIME JOB FOR ABOUT 4 OR 6 WEEKS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO YOU'RE GOING TO STOP DOING EVERYTHING ELSE AND JUST DO THIS? PROBABLY NOT GOING TO WORK TOO WELL.
THANK YOU, AND JUST ONE OTHER QUESTION, MISS DENISE.
HOW MANY APPLICATIONS CAME IN FOR OUR POLICE CHIEF POSITION? 60, I BELIEVE 60-61.
61 APPLICATIONS, AND THAT WAS JUST WE POSTED THE JOB FOR POLICE CHIEF AND WE RECEIVED 61 APPLICATIONS, AND HOW MANY OF THOSE APPLICATIONS WOULD YOU SAY WOULD BE PEOPLE THAT WERE REASONABLY QUALIFIED TO DO SUCH A JOB IF YOU JUST HAD TO LIKE THROW OUT THE ONES THAT WEREN'T REASONABLY QUALIFIED? I WOULD GUESS AT LEAST 50% OF THEM.
ISN'T PART OF THE PURPOSE OF A SEARCH FIRM THAT THEY DO ALL THE BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS, THEY DO ALL THE FOLLOW UP THEY CALL ALL THE REFERENCES, WHICH IS ALL VERY TIME INTENSIVE? YES.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE PAYING SOMEBODY A LOT OF MONEY TO DO TO SPEND ALL THAT TIME.
THEY DO ALL THE ADVERTISING FOR THE POSITIONS AND REACH OUT TO CANDIDATES THAT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE LOOKING FOR A JOB, BUT SOMEONE WHO MAY BE VERY WELL QUALIFIED AND THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES AND STAFF TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO THOSE AND THAT'S THEIR FULL TIME BUSINESS AND THAT'S WHAT THEY DO FOR A LIVING. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MS. DENISE, AND I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
SO, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO ONE MORE TIME REITERATE THE.
WHAT WAS THAT, COMMISSIONER ROSS? NOTHING.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WANT TO REITERATE ONE MORE TIME.
THE PLAN WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD GET THESE APPLICATIONS IN.
[00:30:02]
WE WOULD HAVE OUR OWN CITIZENS NARROW IT DOWN AND THEN WE WOULD COME IN FOR THAT FINAL SWOOP.AGAIN, I THINK THAT IS THE PLAN, AND WE HAVE A VERY CAPABLE HR TEAM, AND THIS IS WHAT I MEAN, JUST YES, IF YOU HIRE AN OUTSIDE FIRM TO DO A JOB, THEY WILL DO IT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN HR TEAM THAT DOES DO JOBS LIKE THIS.
THEY JUST DID A POLICE CHIEF SEARCH.
THEY DO THINGS OF THIS NATURE.
SO I WILL ONCE AGAIN JUST GO TO THE COMMITTEE, US THIS BOARD.
SO WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? ALL RIGHT.
I MEAN, I JUST WOULD THERE BE A HARM IN GOING TO THE RFP? I MEAN, WE'RE GETTING THE COMMITTEE TOGETHER.
WE'RE GETTING THAT PROCESS STARTED.
PLEASE, YOU KNOW, PICK THE BEST ONE OUT OF THE RFP.
I MEAN, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT REALLY IS GOING TO HURT BY US GOING TO RFP FOR A FIRM? AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GOING TO COME BACK TO US IN A RELATIVELY QUICK MANNER AND WE CAN THEN MAKE A DECISION IF WE WANT TO GO WITH THEM OR NOT, AT LEAST WE WOULD HAVE THE OPTION DOWN THE ROAD.
I THINK I'M LOOKING AT IT MORE OR LESS.
WE CAN GET CITIZENS FEEDBACK ON WHETHER THEY WANT A FIRM OR THEY DON'T WANT FIRM AND WE CAN ALSO OUR COMMITTEE COULD GET TOGETHER AND THEY COULD TELL US WE WOULD PREFER TO DO IT ON OUR OWN OR NO, WE REALLY WANT HELP, AND I'M [INAUDIBLE].
IS THERE ANY HARM IN JUST GETTING THE RFP STARTED? THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT.
THE ONLY HARM WOULD BE THE TIME, AND THE TIME IS SOMETHING THAT WE THAT IS PRECIOUS DOING THIS.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY WANT TO FOCUS ON AND GETTING STARTED IMMEDIATELY WITH EITHER PLAN.
WELL, DARRON KIND OF TOOK THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH.
HE WAS ALREADY SAYING IT, BUT I THINK THAT THE SECOND HIS OPTION, I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE RFP, I UNDERSTAND THE TIME BUT TAMMI WHAT WOULD BE A REASONABLE TIME FOR THIS RFP FOR A CITY MANAGER SEARCH FOR A FIRM TO HIRE ABOUT? 30 DAYS AT A MINIMUM, BUT 60 IS MORE STANDARD.
I SURE AS HECK DON'T WANT TO WAIT 60 DAYS.
I WOULD GO WITH 30 DAYS IF I WAS GOING TO GO THAT ROUTE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO WAIT FOREVER.
OKAY, SO WHERE IS IT LEGALLY? 30 DAYS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO GIVE.
NO, NO, THERE'S NO LEGAL MINIMUM UNDER OUR CODE OR UNDER STATE LAW.
SO YOU CAN DO IT FOR 14 DAYS BECAUSE THAT'S THE NUMBER.
A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL WILL TAKE THE CITY STAFF ABOUT A WEEK TO PUT TOGETHER.
WE CAN I MEAN, MY OFFICE CAN AND WITH HR CAN PUT TOGETHER THE FORM.
THEN IT GOES TO THE CITY'S PURCHASING AGENT TO PUT STANDARD DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL THAT ARE REQUIRED BY OUR CODE, AND THEN IT GETS SENT OUT AND IT GETS SENT OUT TO YOU CAN DIRECT IT TO ALL THE FIRMS THAT YOU WANT TO, BUT THEN IN ADDITION, THERE ARE WEBSITES AND THINGS LIKE THAT THEY WOULD. SO IF WE PICKED HOW MANY OF OUR FIRMS WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, IT'S A SHORT AMOUNT, RIGHT? IT IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
IF WE'RE DOING A NATIONWIDE SEARCH, I'M GOING IS IS IS A FORMAL RFP PROCESS THAT WILL GO OUT TO ANYBODY AND IT'S NOT GOING TO HAVE BETWEEN SO WHAT IF WE WHAT IF WE AS A COMMISSION SAID WE'LL TAKE EVEN IF IT'S SO 6 OR 8 FIRMS AND SAID ASK THEM FOR A PROPOSAL, OKAY, GIVE THEM TEN DAYS TO GIVE US A PROPOSAL BACK.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WHEN I SAID IF YOU WANTED TO AVOID THE LENGTHY RFP, I THINK THAT'S A BETTER IDEA, AND ALL OF THE RED TAPE, YOU CAN SAY WE DO HAVE SHORT AN ADVERTISEMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE CAN DIG ALL OF THIS STUFF UP AND YOU CAN DIRECT IT TO CERTAIN FIRMS OR YOU CAN SAY
[00:35:08]
HOWEVER MANY FIRMS YOU WANT US TO.WHICH TEN SHOULD WE PICK? YOU KNOW, WE'LL NEED A LITTLE BIT OF HELP WITH THAT BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S IT'LL BE UP TO CITY STAFF TO PICK THE FIRMS AND HOW WE PICK THEM IN THE CRITERIA COULD BE THERE'S PROBABLY IT LOOKED LIKE ABOUT 20 TO 30 FIRMS TOTAL ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY BETWEEN THE TWO LISTS THAT WE HAVE.
I'M NOT SURE THAT WE WANT TO SEND OUT THAT TO THAT MANY FIRMS. I WOULD I WOULD THINK THAT IF WE DISCUSSED THIS AND EVEN IF WE PICKED ALL THE FIRMS THAT EVERYBODY MENTIONED THIS EVENING, THE FIRM THAT MISS METZ, OUR HR DIRECTOR, SAID, HEY, HERE'S THE THREE FIRMS. WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THOSE THREE FIRMS THIS EVENING.
SO IT CAN'T BE THAT COMPLICATED.
I DON'T THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE A SUPER COMPLICATED PROCESS PICKING A FIRM IF WE'RE GOING THAT ROUTE.
BUT I'M NOT SAYING, BRADLEY, THAT I'M GOING THAT ROUTE.
I'M SAYING THAT I WANT TO SEE THE NUMBERS.
SO AND THAT'S FINE TO SEE THE NUMBERS, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY. LET ME GET MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT HOW THIS CITIZENS COMMITTEE WOULD WORK.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD TIME JUST TO JUMP GO BACK TO THE WELL.
THE COMMITTEE WOULD LOOK AT ALL THE APPLICATIONS.
THEY WOULD NARROW IT DOWN JUST BY LOOKING AT APPLICATION, THE TOP TEN, THEY WOULD INTERVIEW THOSE ON ZOOM, RIGHT? THE TOP TEN PEOPLE WOULD MEET ON ZOOM.
RIGHT? SO THAT'S HOW THAT'S THE THREE STAGE.
THAT IS A, I THINK, A VERY EXPEDIENT.
THE REASON I'M INTERESTED IN DOING IT THIS WAY IS BECAUSE JUST PICTURE THE TIMELINE HERE.
REVIEWING THEM OVER ONE WEEK, THEY WOULD PICK OUT THE TOP TEN AND THEY WOULD HAVE A MEETING WHERE THEY WOULD DO INTERVIEWS, THEY WOULD INTERVIEW ALL THE ALL THE POSSIBLE CANDIDATES THAT THE TOP TEN CANDIDATES, IT WOULD COME DOWN TO THE FINAL THREE, AND THOSE FINAL THREE WOULD THEN COME BEFORE THIS BOARD FOR FINAL DISCUSSION.
SO THAT IS THAT'S THE GAME PLAN.
LET'S GO. VICE MAYOR STURGES YOUR LIFE SALON.
YOU WANT TO TALK? NO, I'M DONE.
I THINK WE SHOULD DO THE 30 DAY RFP.
I THINK 14 DAYS MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO SHORT, BUT I THINK 60 DAYS WOULD BE A LITTLE TOO SLUGGISH, AND IF A FIRM IS HUNGRY AND THEY WANT THIS BUSINESS, THEY'RE GOING TO WORK FOR IT IN 30 DAYS, AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD SHUT THE DOOR ON GOING TO ALL OF THEM FOR THAT NATURE.
BECAUSE JUST TO PLAY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A RANGE OF 25 TO $50,000, WHAT IF THAT ONE FIRM WE DIDN'T SEND AN EMAIL TO WOULD HAVE DONE IT FOR 20 GRAND CHEAPER AND DONE JUST AS GOOD OF A JOB? I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT ALL ANGLES HERE AND WE SHOULDN'T CLOSE THE DOOR ON ANY OPTIONS.
ALL RIGHT, AND FINALLY, COMMISSIONER ROSS, SO LET'S BE CLEAR.
WHAT THESE FIRMS DO IS THEY BEFORE THEY EVER GET TO US, THEY'VE ALREADY DONE THE BACKGROUND.
INVESTIGATIONS TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO CRIMINAL PROBLEMS. THEY DO. WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY TO DO THAT ON THE CITY STAFF.
AS WAS POINTED OUT, IT'S A FULL TIME JOB, AND ANY ON YOUR CITIZEN COMMITTEE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THEM ARE HAVE THE SKILLS TO DO BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS, AND THAT'S WHAT THESE SEARCH FIRMS ARE DOING TO WEED OUT PEOPLE THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE, AND THAT'S WHY YOU NEED TO HIRE A PROFESSIONAL.
IT'S NOT ONCE THEY SCREENED OUT THE PEOPLE, YOU CAN HAVE YOUR COMMITTEE LOOK AT THEM, THAT'S FINE, BUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS SCREENING OUT PEOPLE THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE AND IT'S NECESSARY.
THANK YOU. MR. ANTUN YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT AND ALSO SAY THAT I DO THINK IN ADDITION TO WHAT COMMISSIONER ROSS JUST SAID AND WHAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING AS FAR AS THEM HELPING US NARROW IT DOWN, THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE CAN ALSO HELP US CREATE A LIST OF WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR AND REFINE THAT FOR THE SEARCH FIRM, AND WHEN THEY HELP THE SEARCH FIRM DECIDE, THEN THEY CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A POINTED APPROACH AND THEN THEY'LL COME BACK AROUND WHEN THE SEARCH FIRM GIVES US THOSE 10 OR 20 TOP CANDIDATES AND REENGAGE.
I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO KEEP OUR CONSTITUENTS INVOLVED.
LET THE EXPERTS STILL DO THEIR JOB AND KIND OF HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS THERE.
THIS BEING A WORKSHOP, WE DO NOT HAVE VOTING AUTHORITY, BUT WE CAN GET CONSENSUS.
SO I THINK THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT WOULD BE TO I'LL HEAR A MOTION OF SOME KIND TO MOVE FORWARD, AND DO I HEAR ANY MOTION? I MOVE THAT WE CREATE A SEARCH COMMITTEE THAT WILL BE APPOINTED BY EACH CITY COMMISSIONER, ONE PERSON THAT THEY WILL PICK THEIR OWN CHAIRPERSON BECAUSE IF CITY COMMISSIONER IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE ON THAT PER STATUTE AND THAT DURING THAT TIME WE ALSO HAVE CITY STAFF PREPARE A RF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL WITH A 30 DAY TIME LIMIT FOR RETURNS AND PRESENT THAT AT THE
[00:40:04]
NEXT CITY COMMISSION MEETING.THERE'S A MOTION IN THE SECOND.
I'M JUST FINE. SO TO BE CLEAR, AN RFP IS IS FOR THE SEARCH FIRM.
SO AFTER 30 DAYS, THAT'S THE DEADLINE FOR ANY AND ALL SEARCH SEARCH FIRMS TO GET IN THEIR PROPOSALS.
CORRECT. THE A LOT OF TIMES THE CITY STAFF PUTS TOGETHER A COMMITTEE.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU THEN HAVE A WORKSHOP WHERE YOU GO OVER DEPENDING ON HOW MANY, AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT IN FUTURE MEETINGS.
ONCE THE FIRM IS HIRED, THAT'S WHEN THEY START THEIR CITY MANAGER WORK AND THAT'S WHEN THEY PUT TOGETHER AN ADVERTISEMENT THAT GETS SENT OUT NATIONWIDE, AND THAT WILL TAKE USUALLY I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THEY SEND IT OUT FOR, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE PROBABLY 90 DAYS.
IT DOES NOT HAPPEN IN 30 DAYS.
THE 30 DAYS TO 60 I WAS TALKING ABOUT IS TO FIND A SEARCH FIRM.
I KNOW AFTER THAT IS WHEN THAT SEARCH FIRM THAT YOU PICK IS GOING TO GO OUT AND FIND YOU THE APPLICATIONS, AND SO THOSE APPLICATIONS WILL ALL COME BACK, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CITIZEN COMMITTEE WILL THEN BE CHARGED WITH.
YOU KNOW, NARROWING THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS, IF I UNDERSTOOD IT RIGHT.
SO SO IF I GATHER THIS CORRECTLY, AFTER WE DECIDE WHO THE SEARCH FIRM WOULD BE IF THIS MOTION WERE TO PASS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER 60 DAYS AT LEAST BEFORE WE GET APPLICATIONS BACK.
ARE WE ABLE TO CONSIDER ANY APPLICATIONS THAT COME IN OTHERWISE? OR IT WOULD ONLY BE LIKE IF WE HAD APPLICATIONS THAT CAME IN THROUGH HR, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO REFER THEM TO THE SEARCH FIRM FOR THAT PURPOSE, TO THE SEARCH FIRM AND THE COMMITTEE? THE SEARCH FIRM? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
IS THERE ANY TIMEFRAME TO BE ABLE TO SHORTEN THAT? BECAUSE FOR ME, I WOULD IF WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH A SEARCH FIRM, I'M JUST LOOKING AT A CALENDAR.
14 DAYS AFTER THAT, WE WOULD HOPEFULLY HAVE THOSE RFPS BACK BY APRIL THE 4TH, WHICH WOULD BE OUR.
ANY OTHER ANY APPLICANTS THAT WE WOULD GET IN, WE COULD SEND TO THEM AND THEY COULD START THE PROCESS WITH THAT EARLY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE TIME FRAME SHORTENED, AND IF THAT'S IN THE RFP THAT WE'VE SHORTENED THE TIMEFRAME TO GATHER APPLICANTS AND THEN GO THROUGH IT, THEN I THINK WE'RE MOVING ALONG WITH THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS OF HAVING A PROFESSIONAL COME IN AND CHECK EVERYTHING ALONG WITH OUR CITIZENS DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE THROUGH THE COMMITTEE.
VICE MAYOR STURGES THANK YOU, MAYOR.
SO THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GETTING TO ABOUT THE PROPOSAL, THE PART THAT TAMMI BROUGHT UP.
INSTEAD OF GOING OUT FOR RFP, IF WE JUST PICKED 8 OR 10, IF THE STAFF JUST PICKED 8 OR 10 TO SEND THEM OUT TO AND THEN WE GOT THIS PROPOSAL BACK WITHIN 14 DAYS.
DARRON WE WOULD HAVE OUR ANSWER.
WE HAVE TEN OPTIONS FOR THIS HYBRID THAT WE'RE THAT I'M SUGGESTING.
THIS SPEEDS UP THE PROCESS LIKE 30 DAYS IS A LONG TIME FOR US TO WAIT FOR SOMEBODY TO RESPOND.
YEAH, I'M GOING TO BID ON THAT OR I'M NOT I'M, I'M NOT MESSING FERNANDINA BEACH.
THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY FOR ME, YOU KNOW, SO TYPICALLY I THINK WE CAN GET A FASTER RESPONSE IF WE PUT IT OUT FOR PROPOSAL INSTEAD OF GOING OUT FOR RFP OR TAMMI SAYS WE NEED IT TO BE 30 DAYS.
I THINK WE PICKED THE NAMES OF THE FIRMS OR COME UP WITH 8 OR 10 OF THEM AND WE BROADCAST IT TO THEM, AND THEN BASED ON THOSE, HI, WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR A FIRM TO PULL THE HEAVY LIFTING.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE IN A RANGE THEN.
[00:45:06]
I THINK IT'S MUCH FASTER.WE'RE SHORTENING THE TIMELINE.
THAT'S IT. THAT'S ALL I'D SAY. ALL RIGHT, AND LET'S GO BACK TO COMMISSIONER AYSCUE REAL QUICK.
I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. I MEAN, SHORTENING THE TIMEFRAME AND ND SPEEDING UP THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO USE A SEARCH FIRM NOT, YOU KNOW, GETTING GETTING THAT TOGETHER AND GETTING IT MOVING WOULD BE WOULD BE THE KEY, AND THEN THAT WAY WE CAN WE CAN WE CAN GET THIS PROCESS STARTED AND START GETTING THE NAMES IN AND START START FILTERING THROUGH THEM.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS YOUR MOTION MIGHT.
GO AHEAD. NO, THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
THAT'S THE MOTION YOU MADE THAT MOTION.
I DID. SO IS THE OBJECT HERE TO DO IT FAST OR IS THE OBJECT HERE TO GET A GOOD, GOOD, GOOD.
I MEAN, WHAT WE WANT TO SPEED, SPEED, SPEED.
WELL, MAYBE SLOW DOWN AND DO THE JOB RIGHT AND GET A GOOD CITY MANAGER.
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO TAKE 6 TO 8 MONTHS, 4 TO 8 MONTHS.
I MEAN, YOU MAY TAKES A COUPLE OF DAYS TO PUT TOGETHER TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CITY IS ABOUT.
THEY DO THEIR HOMEWORK AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
DO YOU WANT A CONSULTANT TO JUST WILLY NILLY OR DO YOU WANT SOMEBODY GOOD? TAKE SOME TIME TO DO THINGS AND IT'S EXPENSIVE FOR THEM TO DO THINGS.
SO YOU WANT A GOOD EFFORT HERE, YOU WANT TO GET THE BEST CITY CANDIDATES POSSIBLE AND THAT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME, AND I JUST THINK PUTTING OUT AN EMAIL BLAST DOESN'T GET YOU A MAYBE NOT YOUR BEST OPTION FOR GETTING A GOOD CITY MANAGER.
SO WHAT I WOULD JUST TO FINISH WHAT I WOULD DO YOU HAVE YOU PUT TOGETHER, PUT YOUR RFP OUT AND THEN IT'S GOING TO COME BACK AND AT THAT POINT DURING THAT TIME COME UP WITH YOUR PARAMETERS THAT YOU WANT, WHAT YOU'RE WILLING TO PAY THIS PERSON, WHAT THE OTHER PARAMETERS ARE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, AND THAT ALL READY TO GO AND HAVE YOUR COMMITTEE DO THAT, THAT'S FINE, AND THEN HAVE THE SEARCH FIRM, HERE'S WHAT WE WANT, HERE'S THE PAY RANGE WE'RE WILLING TO PAY AND GO FROM THERE, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS TO DO THIS.
THIS ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN IN TEN MINUTES, AND GIVE ME SOMEBODY 14 DAYS.
THAT USUALLY DOESN'T WORK REAL WELL.
HIRING FIRMS. I'VE HIRED FIRMS LIKE THIS IN THE PAST.
SO SPEED IS NOT NECESSARILY THE ONLY THING HERE.
WE NEED SOME TIME TO GET SOMEBODY GOOD.
I WAS SPEAKING OF SPEEDING UP THE PROCESS TO GET THE SEARCH FIRM.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE TO.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE TO WAIT MONTHS TO GET A SEARCH FIRM.
I THINK WE CAN GET THAT DONE IN A RATHER IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER, AS THE VICE MAYOR SUGGESTS, AND IT REALLY IS ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT THE VICE MAYOR SUGGESTED.
IF WE CAN GET A REACH OUT TO THESE FIRMS AND A TURNAROUND TO US, AND IN 14 DAYS OR SO, THEN WE WILL HAVE NUMBERS AND THEN WE CAN DECIDE.
THEN I MEAN, LIKE VICE MAJOR, LIKE VICE MAYOR STURGES SAID, MAYBE ALL OF THEM ARE SITTING AT 75 OR $80,000, THAT'S WHAT THEY COME BACK TO, AND WE GO, ALL RIGHT, THAT'S WE'RE NOT WILLING TO SPEND THAT MUCH AND WE'RE GOING TO GO THE ROUTE OF THE MAYOR OR, YOU KNOW, WE WE FIND ONE THAT'S THAT IS YOU KNOW, THEY THEY ALL ARE COMPARABLE AT 15 OR $20,000.
WE AT LEAST HAVE THE OPTION IN A VERY QUICK MANNER OF TIME WITH THE FIRMS THAT WE'VE ALREADY FOUND.
LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND GET THOSE COSTS BACK, COME BACK AND THEN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO USE A FIRM AT THAT POINT IN TIME BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE BETTER INFORMATION ON THE NUMBERS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. BEFORE WE GET A SECOND FOR THIS MOTION OR NOT.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN A SECOND. OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS THE WAY WE'RE GOING.
CITY CLERK WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE VOTE? COMMISSIONER ROSS YES.
[00:50:08]
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE THE SAME MOTION THAT I MADE BEFORE, BUT NARROW IT DOWN TO 15 DAYS.I HAVE A NEW MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION WHICH ACCOMMODATES YOUR CONCERN OF THE TURNAROUND? TWO WEEKS. IS IT RFP OR ARE WE JUST GOING TO THE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION OR ARE WE JUST GOING TO GO TO THESE FIRMS THAT ARE HERE OR ARE WE GOING OUT TO RFP FOR 15 DAYS? RFP BUT THE RFP CAN CERTAINLY BE LIMITED TO WHOEVER YOU WANT TO SEND IT TO.
AND IT CAN BE IF YOU WANT TO AMEND IT, TO LIMIT IT TO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO LIMIT IT TO.
WILL THAT BE WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET THAT BACK IN TIME BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING, OR IS THAT GOING TO BE THE FOURTH BEFORE WE'LL HAVE THE NUMBERS BACK ON THE ON THE ON THE RFP? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO HAVE IT BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
APRIL 4TH IS IS A POSSIBILITY, AND THEN IN THE MEANTIME, WE CAN HAVE THE COMMITTEE GET TOGETHER, START GETTING THEIR PARAMETERS, AND THEN WHEN THESE PROPOSALS COME BACK AND LET'S JUST SAY APRIL 4TH, WE CAN MAKE A DECISION, THEN WHETHER OR NOT TO GO WITH THE FIRM OR TO START TAKING APPLICATIONS THROUGH THE COMMITTEE.
I THINK THAT GIVES US A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET FEEDBACK FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT WHETHER WE DO WANT TO GO WITH A FIRM OR WHETHER WE DON'T WANT TO GO WITH A FIRM , AND THEN IT WILL THAT SPEEDS UP THE PROCESS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET US TO THE FIRST PART OF APRIL WHERE WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
IS THAT AGREEABLE? THAT WORKS UNDER THE MOTION.
OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. CITY CLERK.
WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE VOTE? COMMISSIONER ROSS? YES. COMMISSIONER ANTUN? YES. COMMISSIONER AYSCUE.
CITY CLERK YES, MA'AM. WE JUST WANTED TO LET THE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU APPOINTED TO SERVE ON THE CITIZENS ACADEMY NEED TO CONTACT THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE WITH THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION. THEY.
IF ANY OF YOU INDIVIDUALS ARE IN THE ROOM NOW, YOU ARE OPERATING UNDER THE SUNSHINE LAWS NOW, SO DON'T DISCUSS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY MANAGER HIRING PROCESS WITH ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S BEEN APPOINTED, AND VICE MAYOR STURGES, YOU'LL HAVE YOUR INDIVIDUAL YOU'LL CONTACT ME WHEN YOU'VE MADE YOUR SELECTION AND THAT INDIVIDUAL CONTACT THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AS WELL.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MAY I? YES, MA'AM.
YES, IT IS A SUNSHINE LAW COVERED COMMITTEE.
SO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT AS OF RIGHT NOW.
THEY WILL MEET IN PUBLIC WITH NOTICE MINUTES.
[4.2 FEES AUDIT]
ALL RIGHT. SO IT IS 553.WE HAVE ITEM 4.2, THE FEES AUDIT.
THERE IS SOMETHING THAT THIS MIGHT BE A LONGER DISCUSSION THAN SEVEN MINUTES.
I MAY BE ABLE TO KNOCK IT OUT REALLY QUICKLY.
IN THAT CASE, LET US GO RIGHT ON ME ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.
I CAN PROBABLY JUST PRESENT EVERYTHING FITS THAT FITS WITHIN IT.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO TO COMMISSIONER AYSCUE.
LET ME LET ME RUN DOWN A QUICK A QUICK REVIEW.
THEN IT WOULD GO TO THE AUDITOR GENERAL.
SHE GAVE US SOME PRICES AND WE WE WERE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
THEN COMMISSIONER ROSS REACHED OUT TO DEREK NOONAN ON FEBRUARY 20TH, GOT US A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS AND HOW WE WOULD PROCEED GOING FORWARD IF WE WANTED TO DO A AUDIT THROUGH THE AUDITOR GENERAL.
I FOLLOWED UP ON MARCH THE 1ST WITH THE SAME INDIVIDUAL, MR. NOONAN, AND WHEN I TALKED TO HIM, I WAS BASICALLY TRYING TO DESCRIBE WHAT I THINK OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE LOOKING FOR IS THEY'RE LOOKING FOR US TO STAY WITHIN THE LAW WHEN IT COMES TO OUR IMPACT FEES.
SO WHEN I EXPLAINED THIS TO HIM AND HE DID CONFIRM A LOT OF WHAT COMMISSIONER ROSS SAID, HEY, IF WE GO THROUGH THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE AUDIT COMMITTEE, IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE TILL NEXT SESSION THAT WE GET IT.
AFTER THAT, IT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD 6 OR 7 MONTHS AFTER THAT FOR US TO EVEN GET THIS AUDIT BACK.
[00:55:04]
HE ADVISED AND GAVE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR CITY ATTORNEY COULD DO, OR WE COULD HIRE AN OUTSIDE FIRM, GATHER OUR IMPACT FEES, GET TOGETHER WITH STATE LAW, AND REACH OUT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, ASHLEY MOODY, WHO'S A FINE PATRIOT HERE, WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL LEADER IN OUR STATE, AND GET A ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION.SO THAT WOULD BASICALLY THEN KIND OF NARROW US DOWN TO JUST GETTING IS THIS LEGAL, SO TO SPEAK, AND WHEN THEY GO THROUGH THE AUDITOR GENERAL, WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE AUDITOR GENERAL, THEY OFTENTIMES WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT IS THIS LEGAL, THEY WILL GO AND LOOK FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS ALREADY. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR ATTORNEY COULD DO PROBABLY IN 6 TO 8 HOURS PUT TOGETHER AND REQUEST FOR MRS MOODY'S OFFICE TO PUT TOGETHER AN OPINION.
OR WE COULD WE COULD HIRE AN OUTSIDE FIRM PROBABLY ABOUT 10 TO 20 BILLABLE HOURS AT THE MOST.
THEY WOULD GATHER ALL THE INFORMATION.
THEY WOULD ASK MS.. MOODY FOR A FOR AN OPINION, AND THEN WE COULD GO FROM THERE WHETHER OR NOT THAT INFORMATION WOULD BE AND THAT'S GOING TO THEN GET US OUT OF OF OF THE STRICT TIME FRAME THAT WE WOULD HAVE.
WE WOULD HAVE A BUDGET SEASON THAT WE COULD DISCUSS IF WE WANTED TO DO AN AUDITOR GENERAL AND BUDGET FOR IT, DISCUSS THE STUDY AS WELL IN OUR BUDGET SEASON THAT GETS THIS INTO NEXT BUDGET SEASON WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT MONEY AND GOING THROUGH AUDITS OR GOING THROUGH THE STATE FOR AN AUDIT AND IT GETS US SOMETHING RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE STRICTLY AT YOUR AT YOUR YOUR PLEASURE COMMISSION.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. YOU. SO JUST TO CLARIFY WHAT YOU SAID, SENDING THIS INFORMATION TO MS..
MOODY'S OFFICE IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD DO AS A SERVICE TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA FOR US.
IS THAT WHAT THEY WOULD DO? THEY WOULDN'T BE WE WOULD BE WE WOULD HAVE TO WE WOULD HAVE TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY OR WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE MADAM ATTORNEY PUT TOGETHER THE INFORMATION, WHICHEVER WE CHOSE, BUT THEY ARE THE ONES THAT WOULD BE THE COST, BUT YES, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MS..
MOODY'S OFFICE WOULD ISSUE AN OPINION AND IT WOULD NOT BE A CAUSE, TO MY UNDERSTANDING.
OH, UNDERSTOOD. THAT'S A THAT'S GREAT NEWS.
OTHER THAN THE COST OF OF HIRING THE FIRM TO DO IT, IF THAT WAS THE CHOICE.
IF THAT WAS THE CHOICE. COMMISSIONER ROSS, GO AHEAD.
YOU'RE ASKING FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION? YES, SIR. SO WHAT'S THE QUESTION OF LAW THAT YOU WANT TO ANSWER? BECAUSE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION IS STRICTLY ON A QUESTION OF LAW.
SO WHAT'S THE QUESTION OF LAW THAT YOU WANT THEM TO ANSWER? OUR IMPACT FEES KEEPING WITHIN ON THE STATE LAW, AND WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE AN ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, IT'S ALREADY OUT THERE.
I MEAN, I'VE READ HUNDREDS OF ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINIONS AND IT'S A QUESTION OF LAW.
LET ME FINISH. OKAY, AND THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN REFERRED TO THE STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO WHETHER IT'S LEGAL, IT'S ANY, QUOTE, UNLAWFUL BEHAVIOR GOING ON.
I'M NOT LOOKING TO JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS ISN'T A HEADHUNTING MISSION.
WE'RE NOT OUT HERE TO BLAME OUR STAFF OR ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
SO AS FAR AS LAW ENFORCEMENT GOES, I'M NOT TRYING TO GET INTO THAT.
I'M SIMPLY TRYING TO GATHER WHAT I THINK OUR CITIZENS ARE LOOKING FOR, WHICH IS TRANSPARENCY.
ON WHETHER OUR IMPACT FEES FALL WITHIN STATE LAW, AND WE CAN HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO ASK OUR ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR HER OPINION ON THIS OR IF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WON'T GIVE US AN OPINION ON IT, THEY THEMSELVES COULD ISSUE AN OPINION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT FALLS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE LAW, AND I THINK THAT IS JUST A VERY EASY, SIMPLE WAY THEN WE CAN DISCUSS DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS IF WE WANT TO GO TO THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND OR DO THE STUDY THE IMPACT FEES.
THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER AYSCUE, I APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR COMMENTS THERE.
NOW, I THINK WE NEED TO DO THIS, AND THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE I AM VERY CONFIDENT THAT OUR CITY WILL COME OUT LOOKING GOOD, AND FOR THAT REASON, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GO AHEAD AND SEND THESE DOCUMENTS.
WHAT DO WE HAVE TO LOSE BY SENDING THEM TO MISS MOODY? MAKE SURE SHE GIVES US A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH, JUST GETTING THE CHECKUPS.
[01:00:01]
MISS BOB. THANKS, MISS.GOOD. I LET MISS GAGA I HAVE READ THE SAME ARTICLES THAT YOU HAVE READ, AND I WOULD RESPECTFULLY SUGGEST THAT YOU HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 15 YEARS, SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF THEM HAVE BEEN DIRECTED AT ME AS CULPABLE FOR THE FEES NOT BEING LEGAL, ALLEGEDLY.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THEY ARE.
I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ADOPTION OF THEM OR THE FEE STUDIES, BUT I THINK OUTSIDE COUNSEL, IF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND I JUST WANT TO SAY IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMISSIONER AYSCUE.
COMMISSIONER AYSCUE IS NOT MAKING UP THE FACT THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE ISSUES OPINIONS RELATED TO QUESTIONS LIKE THIS WHEN CITIZENS ARE QUESTIONING THE FEES OR TRANSPARENCY.
MR. NOONAN. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S COMPLETELY OUT THERE TO SUGGEST THEY WOULD ISSUE AN OPINION.
SO BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU USE OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
OR IF NOTHING IS FOUND, MY HANDS ARE NOT ON IT.
IT WILL BE SOMEBODY THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW BUT HAS AN EXPERTISE IN THIS AREA.
THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER ROSS, CAN YOU WRITE OUT EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO THE SCOPE OF WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO? BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO SAY TO YOU, WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO? SURE, I CAN GET WITH STAFF AND WE CAN WE CAN PROBABLY DISTRIBUTE THAT.
MISS MOODY AND GET AN OPINION.
I DO WANT TO SAY, MR. NOONAN SAID THAT THIS IS A VERY, VERY COMMON THING THESE DAYS HERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
IT'S NOT JUST IMPACT FEES AND BUILDING FEES, TDC FEES.
SO WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THIS.
I JUST WANTED TO REASSURE EVERYONE OF THAT.
MOODY FOR AN OPINION, THEN THAT'S WHERE I WOULD BE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. VICE MAYOR STURGES HEY, I APPRECIATE IT.
60 SECONDS. THANK YOU, DARRON FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
I THINK THAT'S A LOT OF WORK AND DUE DILIGENCE THAT YOU PUT IN TO GET US TO THIS POINT.
I THINK WE SHOULD FOLLOW THROUGH WITH IT.
I DON'T WANT TO SPEND A BOATLOAD OF MONEY TO RESEARCH IT, BUT I THINK IT DOESN'T.
IF IT DOESN'T COST US A BOATLOAD OF MONEY TO GET REASSURANCE TO OUR CITIZENS THAT OUR IMPACT FEES ARE ARE LEGALLY CAN BE CHARGED, WHAT WE'RE CHARGING AND THEY'RE CORRECT.
BUT IF WE WANT, WE STILL HAVE TO DO AN AUDIT.
I DON'T WANT TO GO TOO FAR IN THE WEEDS.
WE STILL HAVE TO DO AN AUDIT EVENTUALLY TO DETERMINE IF OUR FEES NEED TO GO UP OR DOWN, AND I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THEY PROBABLY WON'T GO DOWN, BUT IF THEY'RE GOING TO GO UP AND HOW MUCH THEY'RE GOING TO GO UP.
PEOPLE THINK THAT WHEN THEY GO TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT OR WHEREVER THEY GO, THEY'RE PAYING THE CITY OF FERNANDINA BEACH $18,000, WHEN IN REALITY, 16,000 OR 13,000 GOES TO NASSAU COUNTY, AND THE MINOR, THE LITTLE PART GOES TO THE CITY.
SO ANYWAYS, THAT'S ALL I WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT, FOLLOW THROUGH.
I THINK YOU'VE GOT MY CONSENSUS TO MOVE FORWARD AND DO IT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE CONSENSUS IS EVERYONE IS.
DO WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS CONSENSUS HERE? WE HAVE CONSENSUS TO COME UP WITH A SCOPE OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO AND BRING IT BACK SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT.
I CAN DO THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
IN THAT CASE, IT'LL BE ON THE NEXT AGENDA.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MISS BEST.
WE APPRECIATE THAT. SO WITH THAT, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE A CONSENSUS THERE.
I WILL WE WILL ADJOURN UNTIL 610.
WE WILL COME BACK. WE'LL TAKE A SIX MINUTE BREAK.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.