[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:18]
INVOCATION. IF SCOTTY TAYLOR COULD STEP ON UP TO THE MIC.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. ALL PLEASE RISE AND REMAIN STANDING. -- THANKFULLY FOR OUR -- SENDING OUR LORD AND SAVIOR AND MESSIAH TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS, AND THANK YOU FOR THE MANY BLESSINGS.
ALSO, GIVE US WISDOM AND GUIDANCE AS WE GO ABOUT OUR BUSINESS TONIGHT. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
>> AND WE HAVE STEVE LEADING US IN THE PLEDGE OF
ALLEGIANCE. >> PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO SCOTTY AND STEVE FOR THAT.
[WELCOME]
ALL RIGHT. SO THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR COMING HERE, BEING HERE. IT IS CHRISTMAS EVE WEEK AS IT WERE. I'M SURE EVERYONE IS VERY EXCITED AND GETTING READY TO ENJOY THE CHRISTMAS SEASON, THE HOLIDAY SEASON, AND, BELIEVE ME, I'M RIGHT THERE WITH YOU. AND WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR.SO I TELL YOU, I JUST HAVE TO MENTION THIS WEEKEND.
I WANT TO SEND A SHOUT- OUT AND A THANK YOU TO COUNTY, TOWN AND CITY STAFF ACROSS CLAY COUNTY.
THEY PUT ON A -- JUST A NUMBER OF FANTASTIC PARADES, FESTIVITIES. IT WAS JUST SUCH A JOY TO WATCH.
I HAD THE PLEASURE OF JOINING THE CLAY REC PARADE BOAT AND OAKLEAF PARADE. MIDDLEBURG, I KNOW RHONDA LED THAT OUT IN MIDDLEBURG. SCOTTEY, YOU DID SUCH AN AMAZING JOB, KIND OF HELPING US WITH THE LOGISTICS OF ALL OF THAT.
SO I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS BECAUSE REALLY WITHOUT THEM PARTICIPATING AND SHOWING UP, WE WOULDN'T REALLY HAVE A NEED FOR A PARADE. SO THANK YOU JUST TO EVERYONE FOR DOING THAT. I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE LOOK FORWARD IN CLAY COUNTY, IS YOU GUYS REALLY SHOWED UP AND SHOWED OUT.
SO IT WAS JUST FANTASTIC. I ALSO WANT TO SEND OUT A SHOUT- OUT TO SHERIFF COOK. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ATTENDING, AMONG OTHEROTHER PEOPLE, A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT HER COMMAND CENTER AT THE CLAY T EOC. IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE AND WATCH HER TEAM SO COORDINATED, HAVE EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL.
TRULY A FANTASTIC WORK. BASED ON WHAT SHE WAS SHARING WITH EVERYONE, THEY START THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR THAT ROUGHLY FOUR WEEKS IN ADVANCE AS WELL AS THE EMERGENCY MANAGER TIM DEVON AND HIS TEAM, DID A FANTASTIC JOB. PRETTY COOL TO SEE THAT.
SO WE HAVE TREMENDOUS LEADERS HERE.
SO VERY THANKFUL FOR ALL OF THAT.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO A ROLL CALL.
I WILL NOTE THAT SHERRY IS ABSENT TO TODAY.
SHE HAD A FAMILY MATTER TO ATTEND TO.
MR. NGUYEN ALSO CALLED ME EARLIER TODAY TO LET ME KNOW HE WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT DUE TO WORK COMMITMENTS. LET'S GO AHEAD STARTING WITH KURT, IF YOU WANT TO START US OFF. ANNOUNCE YOUR NAME FOR ROLL CALL. KURT MUSSER.
>> LET'S HAVE THE BELL, IF YOU COULD GRAB THE MIC FOR ME. I APOLOGIZE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S ON THE MIC. KURT, IF YOU COULD RESTATE THAT
[00:05:02]
>> THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THAT. AND I BELIEVE WE DO HAVE A QUORUM HERE TO DO BUSINESS DESPITE THESE TWO
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ABSENCES. SO WE'RE GLAD TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. LET'S MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF MINUTES. OUR LAST MEETING WAS HELD NOVEMBER 17TH. EVERYONE IN THEIR PACKET WAS INCLUDED A COPY OF THOSE MINUTES. COULD I HAVE A MOTION FORAPPROVAL? >> I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 17TH
>> SECOND. >> IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY MOTIONED AND SECONDED. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, CAN I GET AN AYE.
>> AYE. >> ALL OF THOSE OPPOSED, BY SAME. HEARING NONE, THE MOTION IS
>> OKAY. WE HAVE ONE ABSTENTION.
ALL RIGHT. ANY FURTHER ABSTENTIONS? OR DISCUSSION. OKAY. MOTION REMAINS MOVED AND APPROVED. ALL RIGHT.
WE HAVE FOR DISCUSSION TODAY TWO TOPICS.
I WOULD LIKE TO JUST PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF A PREFACE BEFORE WE HAVE OUR SPEAKER.
WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE COMMISSIONER JIM RENNINGER TO PROVIDE SOME EXPERT GUIDANCE ON OUR DISCUSSIONS AND OUR TOPICS TODAY.
[1. District vs. At Large - Speaker]
THE TWO TOPICS FOR REVIEW MOVING INTO ARTICLE TWO TODAY IS VOTING FOR COMMISSIONERS, THE DISTRICT VERSUS AT- LARGE CONSIDERATION, FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION OF COMMISSIONER SALARIES. NOW, ALSO INCLUDED WERE YOUR -- IN YOUR PACKETS WERE TWO SUMMARY REPORTS FROM OUR LAST TWO CRC MEETINGS, WHICH PROVIDED AN OVERVIEW OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED, WHAT FELL OFF THE DISCUSSION AND THEN WHAT WAS PROCEEDED AND APPROVED FOR AMENDMENT, THAT WAS PUSHED FORWARD.FOR 1718 CRC WITH REGARDS TO THE VOTING, AND I WILL ADDRESS SALARIES A LITTLE BIT LATSD.LATER.
FOR THE VOTING DISTRICT VERSUS AT- LARGE, THAT WAS DEBATED BUT NOT SUPPORTED FOR ANY FURTHER ACTION. SIMILARLY IN OUR 21 TO 22 CRC, THAT TOPIC CAME UP. IT WAS DEBATED BUT, AGAIN, NO FURTHER ACTION WAS TAKEN WITH THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC.
SO WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING, AND, LIKE I SAID, THAT INFORMATION IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET.
I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME COMMISSIONER RENNINGER UP. HE IS OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT FOR SOME DISCUSSION ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC BEFORE WE MOVE INTO OUR DISCUSSION. COMMISSIONER, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
>> WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR INVITING ME HERE TONIGHT, AND RIGHT UP FRONT I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING VOLUNTEERS FOR THIS IMPORTANT REVIEW OF THE CHARTER.
WE HAVE BY -- IN THE CHARTER A REQUIREMENT TO REVIEW IT EVERY FOUR YEARS, AND IT IS TIME. SO A LOT OF YOU I KNOW FROM PAST ASSIGNMENTS, YUL, WE GO BACK 30-PLUS YEARS I THINK, AND VAN PROBABLY TEN YEARS AND RHONDA AND KRISTY.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW ME, FORMER NAVY PILOT, 26 YEARS, AND THEN I GOT OUT OF THE SERVICE AND RAN FOR TOWN COUNCIL UP IN ORANGE PARK.
I DID NINE YEARS OUT OF THERE. I STAYED OUT OF POLITICS ABOUT FOUR YEARS WHILE WORKING FOR FSCJ FOR 11, 12 YEARS, AND THEN I DECIDED I WOULD GET BACK INTO POLITICS AND CAME HERE FOR -- BEEN HERE, MY FIRST TERM WAS UP LAST YEAR.
I RAN FOR REELECTION UNOPPOSED AND I'M BACK FOR A SECOND GO AT IT HERE NOW.
SO COMMUNITY SERVICE, SERVING THE PUBLIC IS IN MY BLOOD, OKAY. THAT'S NOT THE CASE FOR EVERYBODY, AND I'M MATURE ENOUGH RIGHT NOW TO BE -- I CAN SELF- SUPPORT MYSELF WITHOUT WORKING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE. SO I'M FORTUNATE THAT I CAN HOURS AS I WANT TO HERE. YOU KNOW, 40 HOURS WOULD BE A SHORT WEEK FOR ME AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER. BUT WE ARE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AT- LARGE AND DISTRICT WIDE ELECTIONS.
SO LET'S GET INTO IT. OH, DO I DO IT? WHICH BUTTON DO I PUSH? UP? THE YELLOW ONE? ALL RIGHT. YOU KNOW, IN THE CHARTER IT SAYS, AND I'M NOT SURE IT READS CORRECTLY TO ME, BUT THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE COUNTY SHALL BE A BOARD OF
[00:10:03]
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, OPPOSED OF FIVE MEMBERS SERVING STAGGERED TERMS OF FOUR YEARS.THERE SHALL BE PURSUANT TO COUNTY LAW ONE GENERAL COMMISSIONERS TO EACH COMMISSION, ELECTORS IN THE COUNTY'S OWN DISTRICT. I'M NOT SURE IF IT READS DIRECTLY, ANYWAY IT IS FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO DECIDE.
EACH COUNTY COMMISSIONER DURING THE TERM SHALL ALSO RESIDE IN THAT DISTRICT.
SO TODAY WE WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT -- IT WAS A PINK BUTTON. YOU DO IT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS WHERE ALL OF THE DISTRICTS ARE. THIS IS DISTRICT ONE, FLEMING ISLAND. YOU SEE THAT IS DOCTORS LAKE AND IT ENCOMPASSES EAGLE HARBOR AND ALL OF THOSE SMALL DEVELOPMENTS, WHICH ARE SMALL COMPARED TO THE ONES WE WILL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT HERE.
THEN LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE. THAT'S DISTRICT ONE. DISTRICT TWO IS THE OAKLEAF AREA. COMMISSIONER COMPERE.
JOHN SGROMOLO WAS DISTRICT ONE. COMMISSIONER COMPERE.
ALL OF THESE DISTRICTS ARE PREDICATED ON POPULATION.
EVERY TEN YEARS WE DO A CENSUS LOOK, AND THEN IT IS A REDISTRICTING AT THAT POINT BECAUSE PEOPLE MOVE, DEVELOPMENTS COME AND MORE COME THAN GO, BUT THERE'S MIGRATION OF PEOPLE WITHIN A COUNTY.
AND WE ARE DISTRICTED BY POPULATION, NOT BY AREA.
SO THAT'S DISTRICT TWO, THE OAKLEAF.
DISTRICT THREE, NEXT SLIDE, IS ORANGE PARK.
FAIRLY DENSE, FAIRLY CONDENSED DISTRICT UP THERE.
AND THEN DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH IS HUGE.
THAT SALMON- COLORED AREA WITH THAT GRAY AREA MEANING CAMP BLANDING. YOU SEE IT ENCOMPASSES 47% OF THAT DISTRICT WITH ALMOST NO RESIDENTS LIVINGLIVING THERE, VOTING RESIDENTS EXCEPT FOR THERE'S LITTLE SALMON ON THE NORTH SIDE OF KINGSLEY LAKE THERE.
THOSE ARE OUR CONSTITUENTS THERE THAT WE HAVE TO SERVE.
IT IS A VERY SMALL NUMBER AND THEY'RE ALL, I THINK, LAKEFRONT PROPERTY.
AND THEN DISTRICT FIVE IS LAKE ASBURY. YOU CAN SEE IT IS A FAIRLY LARGE DISTRICT, BUT THERE IS WHERE THE GROWTH IN THE COUNTY IS GOING TO -- GOING TO MOVE TO.
THAT'S WHERE IT IS GOING TO CHANGE OVER THE NEXT CENSUS.
EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW, REALIZE THAT THE GOVERNOR IS TRYING TO REDISTRICT RIGHT NOW MIDWAY THROUGH TO ACCOUNT FOR THE MIGRATION OF PEOPLE AND LOOKING AT REPRESENTATIVE SEATS AND REPRESENTATIVE INCREASES BECAUSE, QUITE HONESTLY, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO FLORIDA. THEY'RE GETTING OUT OF NORTHERN STATES. THEY DON'T -- ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR. IT IS SNOWING UP THERE.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET ANY SNOW HERE.
ANYWAY, THOSE ARE THE FIVE DISTRICTS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL -- LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL FIVE DISTRICTS YOU WILL SEE THAT DISTRICT FOUR IS ABOUT HALF THE COUNTY GEOGRAPHICALLY, BUT IT ONLY REPRESENTS ABOUT 20% OF THE POPULATION.
SO IT IS SPARSELY POPULATED, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I PUT THE NEXT SLIDE IN THERE BUT LET'S SEE. YEAH. YOU CAN SEE THAT DISTRICT FIVE, I PUT A MARKER THERE WITH THAT SALMON COLORED.
YOU ARE GOING TO SEE DISTRICT -- WELL, FIRST OF ALL WE WILL RE-EVALUATE, DURING THE CENSUS WE WILL RE- EVALUATE POPULATION DENSITIES AND YOU WILL SEE THAT LAKE ASBURY IS GOING TO INCREASE WITH A LOT OF POPULATION.
SO WE'RE GOING TO -- AND TO BALANCE IT ALL OUT, AND I THINK DISTRICT ONE, TWO AND THREE ARE GOING TO GAIN A LITTLE BIT OF GEOGRAPHY BECAUSE THE WHOLE POPULATION IN THE COUNTY IS INCREASING. SO TO MAKE THEM ALL EQUIVALENT, MY PREDICTION IS ONE, TWO AND THREE, THOSE THREE DISTRICTS ARE GOING TO INCREASE A LITTLE BIT GEOGRAPHICALLY, BUT DISTRICT FIVE IS GOING TO DECREASE GEOGRAPHICALLY. SARATOGA SPRINGS AREA, GOVERNORS PARK AND WHERE WE HAVE UPWARDS OF 14,000 HOMES THAT COULD BE BUILT IN THAT AREA, SO IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW MANY HOMES VAN IS GOING TO SELL IN THAT AREA AND HAVE PEOPLE MOVING, HOW MANY PEOPLE FROM NEW YORK AFTER THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK TRIES TO DO WHATEVER HE IS GOING TO DO UP IN NEW YORK.
THAT'S KIND OF CRAZY. BUT ANYWAY, SO YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THE DISTRICT'S COMPLEXION CHANGE A LITTLE BIT, GEOGRAPHICALLY AS WELL AS POPULATION. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE -- WELL, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. RIGHT NOW, THIS IS SOME OF THE
[00:15:02]
THINGS I THINK YOU OUGHT TO CONSIDER.JUST TO RUN A CAMPAIGN, HAS ANYBODY -- WELL, VAN, YOU HAVE RUN A CAMPAIGN.
>> COUNTYWIDE? WELL, I DID ONE FOR MY WIFE COUNTYWIDE FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, AND I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW IT IS NOT EASY. THIS IS A BIG COUNTY, BUT MONEY TO RUN A CAMPAIGN.
AND I WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU, OUR CONSTITUENTS AREN'T REAL BENEVOLENT IN THEIR FUNDS. SO, QUITE HONESTLY, YOU NEED A PRETTY THICK WALLET. I NEEDED A PRETTY THICK WALLET TO RUN FOR THIS COUNTY SEAT, AND I'M ESTIMATING $20,000 FOR DISTRICT WIDE.
IF YOU PUT ME IN A SIX WHERE I'M GOING TO RUN COUNTYWIDE, I'M LOOKING AT $80,000 TO $100,000 TO RUN THAT CAMPAIGN. SO YOU ARE LOOKING AT -- IS THERE A LIMIT ON DONATIONS? I THINK IT IS $1,000, I THINK.
$1,000? SO YOU ARE LOOKING AT, YOU WILL GET A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS, BUT YOU WILL GET IT FROM DEVELOPERS. WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING A CAMPAIGN LIKE THAT, YOU ARE LOOKING AT REALLY DEEP POCKETS TO FUND YOUR CAMPAIGN, YOURS INCLUSIVE.
THE OTHER THING IS JUST THE GEOGRAPHY.
DISTRICT THREE, IF I MOVED -- IF I MOVE MY CAR TEN MILES WITHIN THE DISTRICT, I PROBABLY CAN GO FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER. YOU MAKE ME RUN COUNTYWIDE AND IT IS 38 MILES, 40 MILES FROM MY HOUSE TO KEYSTONE. OKAY.
THAT'S ONE WAY, AND THEN YOU GOT TO COME BACK, YOU SEE.
SO IT IS A REAL CHALLENGE TOTO A COUNTYWIDE CAMPAIGN.
POPULATION RIGHT NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT 43,000 PEOPLE WHO HAVE POTHOLES. THEY HAVE DERELICT VEHICLES IN THEIR DISTRICT. THEY HAVE RAMP -- RENEGADE DOGS THAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH. I HAVE TO DEAL WITH. THOSE ARE MY CONSTITUENTS.
YOU PUT ME IN A COUNTYWIDE, I HAVE 230,000 CONSTITUENTS NOW.
SO SOMEBODY -- TODAY IF SOMEBODY CALLS IN FROM KEYSTONE, USUALLY KNOW THE PERSON, AND SO I'LL HELP THEM OUT.
BUT I ALWAYS HAVE THE OUT TODAY THAT IF I DON'T KNOW THE PERSON, WELL, THAT'S BETSY'S DISTRICT, YOU KNOW. YOU OUGHT TO CALL THAT COUNTY COMMISSIONER. COUNTYWIDE, I WON'T HAVE THAT LUXURY.
LAND USE. EVERY -- I THINK I HAVE SOME AGRICULTURAL LAND IN MY DISTRICT, BUT VERY LITTLE. AGRICULTURAL RULES ARE BETTER THAN COMMERCIAL.
WE ALL HAVE THOSE CATEGORIES IN OUR DISTRICT, BUT THE DISTRICT FOUR IS THE ONE THAT HAS A LOT OF AGRICULTURAL IN IT. SO SHE -- BETSY GETS TO DEAL WITH AG- TYPE QUESTIONS. COUNTYWIDE, IT IS FREE, EVERYBODY IS IN THAT POCKET THERE. SOCIOECONOMIC.
WE HAVE ANYWHERE FROM HOMELESS TO ESTATES, OKAY.
BUT THEY VARY IN NUMBERS DEPENDING ON DISTRICT THAT YOU ARE IN.
I HAVE VERY FEW ESTATES AND VERY FEW HOMELESS PEOPLE.
I HAVE ESTATES ALONG THE RIVER, BUT VERY FEW HOMELESS, AND THERE'S A COMMUNITY IN OUR COUNTY THAT LACKS RUNNING WATER. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WHEN I GOT HERE, AND IT JUST -- IT WAS A SLAP IN THE FACE TO REALIZE THAT THERE'S SOME TRAILER HOMES THAT DON'T HAVE THEIR OWN WELL AND THEY RUN A HOSE FROM THEIR BUDDY'S WELL NEXT DOOR INTO THEIR TRAILER. WE HAVE A NONPROFIT THAT PROVIDES PUBLIC SHOWERS, OKAY.
SO THAT WAS NEWS TO ME AS WELL. SO THE PROBLEMS THAT COUNTY COMMISSIONER HAS, LET ME SAY, IT IS KEYSTONE, DISTRICT FOUR, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A NONPROFIT CALLED THE MISSION OF THE DIRT ROAD. I THOUGHT IT WAS A CRAZY NAME BECAUSE I HAD NEVER HEARD OF IT, BUT IT IS REAL AND THEY PROVIDE SERVICES TO THAT SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION.
WHEN I WENT DOWN TO LOOK AT IT JUST TO GET EYES ON, I MEAN I HAD TO TAKE MY FOUR- WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE DOWN THERE, MY OLD ONE, BECAUSE THEY SAID IF YOU DON'T HAVE A FOUR- WHEEL DRIVE YOU ARE GOING TO GET STUCK IN THE SAND IN THE ROAD. NOT OFF ROAD, YOU ARE IN THE STUCK. SO IT IS ONE OF OUR FOCAL POINTS IN THE COUNTY.
WE HAVE THREE FOCAL POINTS IN THE COUNTY.
IT IS GATEWAY TO CLAY WHICHWHICH WELLS ROAD WHICH WAS GETTING DEPRESSED THERE SO WE'REWE'RE AT WAYS TO HELP THAT. COLLEGE DRIVE IS THE SECOND AND THE THIRD IS HIGHWAY -- WHAT IS IT? I HAVE A MENTAL BLOCK HERE. DOWN IN KEYSTONE.
[00:20:09]
IT IS A 1950S HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THAT THE DEVELOPER NEVER DEVELOPED, AND SO HE LAID OUT THE ROADS AND THEN PEOPLE JUST MOVED IN, BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, DIRT ROADS.HIGHRIDGE. HIGHRIDGE ESTATES. IT IS NOTHING EVEN CLOSE TO BEING AN ESTATE. SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR MOST DEPRESSED AREAS IN CLAY COUNTY.
THIS JOB WAS SOLD TO ME AS A PART- TIME JOB, OKAY.
IT IS ONLY 40 TO 60 HOURS A WEEK, OKAY. SO -- AND I TREAT IT LIKE THAT.
I SPEND 40 TO 60 HOURS EVERY WEEK DOING THIS JOB.
YOU TELL ME I'M COUNTYWIDE, AND I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT FULL TIME, AND THAT MEANS 80 TO 90 HOURS A WEEK. OKAY. THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M USED TO IN THE NAVY ANYWAY. SALARY? I TOLD COURTNEY I'M NOT GOING TO SKIRT THIS PROBLEM, BUT SALARY IN 2008 WE HAD AN ISSUE.
I GUESS THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE COMMISSIONERS.
THERE WAS -- THERE WERE SOME WAYWARD COMMISSIONERS AND HAD AN INDIVIDUAL THAT PERSUADED THE PUBLIC TO PUT IT IN THE CHARTER TO PUT OUR SALARY, COUNTY COMMISSIONER SALARY EQUIVALENT TO A STARTING TEACHER'S SALARY.
AND SO IN 2008 IS WHEN IT WAS PUT IN THE CHARTER THAT THE SALARY WILL BE $37,000, AND THERE HASN'T BEEN A PAY RAISE FOR 18 YEARS. SO I ALWAYS SAY -- AND I DON'T CARE. I WOULD DO THIS FOR FREE ACTUALLY, BUT IF YOU TALK ABOUT EMPLOYEES AND, YOU KNOW, WORKING FOR THE COUNTY, AND IF YOU DIDN'T GIVE YOUR EMPLOYEES A PAY RAISE IN THE LAST 18 YEARS, HOW MANY WOULD STILL BE HERE? WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO, YOU KNOW, PAY RAISE FOR PART- TIME, PAY RAISE FOR FULL-TIME, $37,000. IT DOESN'T MATTER.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE ASSISTANT FOR FIVE COMMISSIONERS.
OTHER COUNTIES HAVE THEIR OWN LITTLE STAFF THAT DO RESEARCH AND STUDY OF DIFFERENT PROCESSES THAT ARE OUT IN THE COUNTY, OUT IN THE STATE.
BUT WE HAVE ONE, ONE ASSISTANT PER FIVE COMMISSIONERS.
TERESA HERE KEEPS US ALL IN LINE. THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS THAT -- AND THIS IS MY PHILOSOPHY, IS I WAS ELECTED AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER, NOT A DISTRICT COMMISSIONER. SO -- BECAUSE EVERYTHING WE DO IS COUNTYWIDE. YOU CAN'T GET AWAY FROM IT.
IT IS AN ORDINANCE THAT APPLIES, IT IS PEANUT BUTTER ACROSS THE WHOLE COUNTY.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE -- NOTHING IS GREAT FOR EVERYBODY, OKAY. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOVE YOU, SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HATE YOU.
BUT THE ORDINANCES AND THE RESOLUTIONS WE PASS ARE COUNTYWIDE. SO YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER WHAT THIS ORDINANCE DOES TO ORANGE PARK AS WELL AS KEYSTONE, YOU KNOW, THE NORTHERN AND THE SOUTHERN PART. SO IF IT IS GOOD FOR EVERYBODY, YOU GOT TO DO IT, OR GOOD FOR MOST OF THEM,YOU GOT TO DO IT. SO THE FACT THAT -- THE PERCEPTION THAT MAYBE A COMMISSIONER DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ANOTHER DISTRICT, IF THAT COMMISSIONER DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ANOTHER DISTRICT, WELL, THEN, THEY'RE NOT DOING THEIR JOB, BECAUSE WHEN THEY PUT THEIR STAMP OF APPROVAL ON AN ORDINANCE IT IS COUNTYWIDE.
SO THAT'S THAT. LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE QUICK.
THESE ARE SOME THINGS I THINK YOU OUGHT TO CONSIDER.
THE ELECTION YEAR 2020, ONE COMMISSIONER -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TERM LIMITS, WHICH IS ANOTHER TALLAHASSEE ISSUE RIGHT NOW, TERM LIMITS FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. THEY PUT THEM ON OTHER PEOPLE -- THE SCHOOL BOARD. THEY PUT THEM ON JUST ABOUT ALL OF YOUR CONSTITUTIONALS BUT THEY'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING THEM ON COMMISSIONERS AS WELL.
WELL, WE ALREADY HAVE ONE SO IT DOESN'T MATTER, BUT IN SOME OF THE SMALLER COUNTIES THEY CAN'T GET PEOPLE TO RUN FOR OFFICE. WE HAVE FIVE SEATS AND WE HAVE FIVE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO RUN, THAT'S IT.
WE HOPE NOTHING HAPPENS LIKE WE LOST A COMMISSIONER IN BAKER COUNTY, A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, HAD A CAR ACCIDENT AND IT KILLED HIM. THEY HOPE IN THE SMALLER COUNTIES THAT HEALTH ISN'T A PROBLEM OR ACCIDENT ISN'T A PROBLEM.
2020 WE HAD ONE COMMISSIONER THAT DIDN'T RUN FOR A SECOND TERM, AND ELECTION YEAR '24
[00:25:03]
WE HAD THREE OPENINGS, THREE COMMISSIONERS UP FOR REELECTION WITH NO -- NO CHALLENGERS.SO THAT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING. IN '26 WE HAVE ONE COMMISSIONER THAT'S NOT GOING TO RUN FOR THE SECOND TERM.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A PLETHORA OF COMMISSIONERS LOOKING -- PEOPLE LOOKING FOR THIS JOB. TODAY I THINK WE HAVE TALENTED, HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL -- I COULDN'T ASK FOR A BETTER GROUP OF PEOPLE TO WORK FOR IN THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE TALENTED.
WE HAVE A DOCTOR, WE HAVE A LAWYER, WE HAVE A PILOT.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE HIGHEST OF ALL.
AND FORMER PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER.
SO I THINK CLAY COUNTY OUGHT TO BE VERY PLEASED WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE PROFESSIONAL AND THEY'RE RESPONSIVE. WE RARELY HAVE SOMEBODY SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSION ISN'T DOING THEIR JOB. TOMORROW, I'M NOT SURE.
I FEAR, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT BASICALLY FOR TOMORROW. NONE OF THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT ME AT ALL. I COULDN'T CARE LESS, BUT I DO -- FOR ME I DON'T CARE LESS, I DON'T CARE ANY AT ALL, BUT FOR THE FUTURE I DO CARE.
WHO IS GOING TO REPRESENT ME AND MY NEIGHBORS IN THE NEXT GO AROUND HERE? WE'VE HAD SOME LESS-THAN- OPTIMAL CANDIDATES THROW THEIR HAT IN THE PAST, AND IN MY OPINION÷÷OPINION ANYWAY, AND THIS IS NOT -- THIS IS NOT CHILD'S PLAY.
I'M TELLING YOU. WE HAVE AN $800 MILLION BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S GETTING CLOSE TO THE "B" WORD.
WE HAVE 2,000- PLUS EMPLOYEES, AND WE -- I BROUGHT THIS ALONG JUST TO SHOW YOU. THIS IS A FLORIDA TAX WATCH DOCUMENT THAT JUST CAME OUT CONCERNING CLAY COUNTY AND WHERE WE STAND WITH THE OTHER 66 COUNTIES, 67 COUNTIES. I QUICKLY PERUSED IT THISTHIS MORNING, AND THERE MUST BE 60 OR 70 CHARTS HERE, AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF THEM SHOW THAT CLAY COUNTY IS REPRESENTED ABOVE THE STATE AVERAGE.
WE ARE BELOW THE STATE AVERAGE IS EVERY CATEGORY. AND I'M TALKING TAXES HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, SCOTTY USES THE TERM "PUNCHING ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT" TYPE STUFF.
I THINK WE ARE PUNKING ABOVE OUR OUR -- PUNCHING ABOVE OUR WEIGHT.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN LOOKED AT BY THE DOGE PEOPLE, THAT'S OUR JOB. THAT'S WHAT I DO EVERY MEETING, I'M DOGEING.
ASK OUR STAFF. IN FACT, I JUST LEFT A MEETING WITH ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ON EXPRESS SCRIPTS. WE SPEND $250, $300,000 A MONTH ON DRUGS, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. LUCKILY I HAVE BEEN HEALTHY MY WHOLE LIFE AND I DON'T TO SPEND $250,000, $300,000 ON DRUGS, NOT DOCTOR VISITS.
I'M TALKING JUST THE DRIPS. YOU KNOW, WITH HIPAA, I LIKE TO -- I LIKE TO -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO RATIFY ALL OF THE PAYMENTS THAT THE COUNTY MAKES. EVERY MEETING, WE HAVE PROBABLY 1,000 PAYMENTS I'M ASKED TO RATIFY.
WELL, I ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT -- ON EVERY MEETING I ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RATIFICATION OF CERTAIN ITEMS ON THAT LIST, AND ONE OF THE ONES I HAVE -- USUALLY CAN GET PRETTY GOOD VISIBILITY, TRANSPARENCY IN THE BILLING CYCLE. WHAT WAS IT? DID WE BUY A GRADER? I GO OUT AND LOOK, YEAH, WE REALLY GOT A GRADER. WITH EXPRESS SCRIPTS, HIPAA, I DON'T HAVE THE TRANSPARENCY I REALLY LIKE. WE HAVE CONTRACTORS I'M TOLD ARE LOOKING AT THIS. TO ME, PERSONALLY, THAT KIND OF MONEY IS -- IT IS OPEN FOR FRAUD.
ONE OF MY FIRST QUESTIONS WAS, EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW WHAT GLP IS. MY FIRST QUESTION IS ARE WE FUNDING GLP, YOU KNOW, INOCULATING -- YOU KNOW, THE INJECTION IN YOUR BELLY TO REDUCE WEIGHT? BECAUSE I CAN THINK OF ANOTHER WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT, ALTHOUGH I SHOULD BE -- I SHOULD BE DOING IT MYSELF.
BUT ANYWAY, BUT, NO, WE DON'T FUND GLP FOR WEIGHT LOSS.
SO THAT WAS -- THAT WAS THE FIRST QUESTION I ASKED.
BUT I HAVE TIME TO DO THAT. WITH THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE TODAY, THE OTHER FOUR DON'T HAVE TIME TO REALLY -- SOME OF THEM DO A GREAT JOB, YOU KNOW, APPROACHING THAT, BUT IT IS -- IT IS WIDE AND IT IS DEEP. SO, ANYWAY, TOMORROW, I'M NOT SURE. SO THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL HAVE TO CONSIDER IN YOUR
[00:30:02]
DELIBERATIONS TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT NEXT NOVEMBER.I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
IT ACTUALLY HELPED ME OUT QUITE A BIT.
WE ARE TRYING TO LOOK AT GETTING ON THE BALLOT TO INCREASE THE PAY FOR THE COMMISSIONERS.
WHAT ARE THE COUNTIES THAT ARE LIKE CLAY COUNTY THAT WE CAN GET HOLD OF TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH THEIR COMMISSIONERS -- NOT DUVAL, NOT ST. JOHNS. PEOPLE THAT ARE LIKE US, WHO CAN WE CONTACT?
>> THERE IS -- THE STATE HAS A RECOMMENDED SALARY SCHEDULE.
THAT IS WHAT ALL OF THE OTHER COUNTIES USE AS A GUIDE.
NOW, WHETHER THEIR VOTERS OR, YOU KNOW, APPROVE OF THAT, BUT WE'RE PROBABLY IN THE LOWER -- WE'RE PROBABLY IN THE LOWER 10% OF THE COUNTIES IN THE SALARY FOR COMMISSIONERS. AND I HAVE FRIENDS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE 67 COUNTIES, AND THEY ALL KNOW IT, THAT WE'RE BEING HOBBLED BY A CHARTER HERE, CHARTER STATEMENT, CHARTER REQUIREMENT, AND THEY ALWAYS LIKE TO RAZZ ME A LITTLE BIT.
HEY, HOW IS THAT SALARY THING DOING, YOU KNOW? WHATEVER.÷÷NO, THE STATE HAS A RECOMMENDED SALARY. NO, THE STATE, THE STATE OF FLORIDA. COURTNEY, DO YOU KNOW WHO PUTS THAT OUT?
>> YEAH. >> I ACTUALLY HAD IT PRINTED OUT. I NEVER GOT TO BRING IT.
BUT I SAW THAT, LIKE, FOR OUR COMMISSIONERS, THE STARTING IS LIKE 20 -- THERE'S A RANGE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE --
>> FOR THE POPULATION. SO WE'RE ABOVE THE MINIMUM BUT WE'RE NOT EVEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEN YOU LOOK AT ST.
JOHNS, WHAT THEY GET PAID VERSUS WHAT OUR COMMISSIONERS GET PAID --
>> I THINK EVEN PUTNAM PAYS THEIR COMMISSIONERS MORE THAN WE DO, I THINK.
LIKE I SAID, I DON'T LOOK AT IT THAT CLOSE,
BUT -- >> YEAH, IT IS A SET AMOUNT.
>> LIKE -- POPULATION- BASED FORMULA, AND OUR POPULATION HAS GONE UP EVERY YEAR. LIKE I SAID, 18 YEARS, THAT'S KIND OF LONG. YOU KNOW, I DON'T MIND BEING USED, BUT IT IS APPROACHING ABUSE, AND SO THAT BUGS ME A LITTLE BIT, THAT PEOPLE THINK SO LITTLE OF WHAT THE COMMISSIONER DOES UNTIL THEY NEED 'EM. THEN YOU'RE THE GOD SEND. YES, SIR?
>> WHO'S RESPONSIBLE -- BECAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER READING IN THE CHARTER, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING THE STAFF?
>> YEAH. >> WELL, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER -- THE COUNTY MANAGER RECOMMENDS TO THE COMMISSIONER, THEN WE APPROVE IT IN THE BUDGET.
>> OKAY. SO WHEN YOU GET 10 OR 15 REQUESTS IN A WEEK TO DO SOMETHING, WHO IS DOING IT? JUST ONE PERSON TIMES FIVE?
>> ARE YOU TALKING -- WHEN I GET A REQUEST TO DO SOMETHING, LIKE CREATE THIS SLIDE SHOW? FIVE OF US LOOK TO HER, ONE, IF THAT'S YOUR QUESTION.
IF I WANT TO RESEARCH -- LET'S SAY I WANT TO RESEARCH -- RIGHT NOW THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH SOLAR FARMS, AND THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE PREEMPTIG THE DESIGN AND BUILDING OF SOLAR FARMS ON ANY AG LAND WITHOUT OUR INPUT.
BY STATUTE. IF IT IS DESIGNATED AG-TYPE LAND, FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT CAN PUT A SOLAR FARM ON THAT LAND, WITHOUT OUR APPROVAL. ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO DO RESEARCH IS THE DATA CENTERS.
THEY'RE GOING UP ALL OVER THE NATION. THEY'RE GOOD, BUT YOU NEED POWER FOR THOSE DATA CENTERS, AND THEY TEND TO PUT A POWER STATION -- NOBODY LIKES A POWER STATION IN THEIR BACK YARDS. NOBODY LIKES A DATA CENTER EITHER, BUT POWER STATION IS EVEN LESS LIKED. BUT THE POWER STATION IS -- RIGHT NOW THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH POWER STATIONS GOING INTO LESS DESIRABLE PLACES, AND MY N TRANSMISSION LINES ACROSS - PROPERTY TO GET TO JACKSONVILLE TO A DATA CENTER, YOU KNOW.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO RESEARCH ALL OF THAT, HOW THAT WORKS, AND PREEMPT OR AT LEAST HAVE SOME SAY ABOUT THAT. THAT'S A PROBLEM IN THE NATION TODAY, AND CLAY COUNTY HAS NO DEFENSE AGAINST A POWER -- YOU KNOW, IF FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT PUTTING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ININ CLAY COUNTY RUNNING UP
[00:35:05]
TO DUVAL. AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, WE HAVE CARS ON THE ROAD, TRUCKS ON THE ROAD, AND THEN THE NEXT STEP IS AVIATION. THEY'RE DOING IT IN DUBAI RIGHT NOW. I WOULD LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AND HOW IT IS GOING TO INTERFACE WITH WHAT WE DO HERE IN CLAY, BUT IT IS THE 60TH AND 70TH HOUR OF MY WORKWEEK AND I DON'T HAVE STAFF TO HELP LOOK AT THOSETHINGS. >> I WOULD SUGGEST IT HAS EXPOSED A REAL HOLE. IF COMMISSIONERS, ONE, ARE BEING PAID VIRTUALLY NOTHING TO DO THE JOB AND THEY'RE BEING REQUIRED TO DO AS MUCH ON THIS WORK ON THEIR OWN IF NOT THROUGH ONE PERSON, THEN THAT HAS EXPOSED A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE THAT WE CAN
AND KEEP THAT -- PUT THAT ON YOUR NOTES BECAUSE WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO COMMISSIONER PAY.
THAT'S THE SECOND DISCUSSION TOPIC.
THE FIRST ONE, ONCE WE GET THROUGH SOME PUBLIC COMMENTS, SOME OLD BUSINESS, WE WILL MOVE INTO IS THE VOTING COUNTY
VERSUS -- >> RIGHT, BUT I THINK WHAT THE COMMISSIONER HAS EXPOSED HERE IS THAT AS GROWTH CONTINUES, SO TOO WILL THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE COMMISSIONER TO SPEND MORE OF THEIR DEDICATED TIME IN SOLVING THE PROBLEMS. AND IF YOU HAVE A STAFF OF ONE TIMES FIVE, THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO -- I MEAN I HAVE A STAFF OF 36 AND 64 LAWYERS.
SO WHEN YOU CAN'T -- YOU CAN'T DO THAT KIND OF BUSINESS ON YOUR OWN WITH A STAFF OF
VERY TRUE. >> AND THEN EXPECT POSITIVE RESULTS. EVEN TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH WHO HAVE A STAFF WHO CAN DEFEAT YOU AT VIRTUALLY
GO AHEAD. >> I WANT TO JUMP IN BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WANT TO GET BACK ON TASK, BUT WHAT COMMISSIONER RENNINGER IS THERE, I WANT TO GO ON RECORD BECAUSE I MIGHT SNEAK OUT. ONE, I SUPPORT DISTRICT BY DISTRICT BECAUSE I RAN COUNTYWIDE AND I THINK Y'ALL DO A GOOD JOB OTHERWISE. BUT IN A RESPONS, IF YOU WANTED TO PUT IN THE BUDGET EACH OF Y'ALL HAD A STAFF, THAT'S A POSSIBILITY, IS THAT NOT CORRECT?
>> THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY.
>> THEY ACTUALLY CONTROL THAT PART. WE WOULD NOT -- THAT'S NOT LEGISLATIVE THAT SAYS ONE FOR FIVE.
WE DON'T LEGISLATE THAT IN ANY
THAT IN -- >> BUT I MEAN THEY HAVE THE OPTION IF THEY WANTED TO EACH ONE HAVE A STAFF, THEY MAY HAVE TO CUT PUBLIC WORKS, BUT THAT'S A DECISION -- DON'T GET ME WRONG, I UNDERSTAND. I BEEN THERE.
>> YOU'RE GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE
DOWN THERE. >> I'VE BEEN THERE, BUT WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS THAT PARTICULAR ÚDECISION IS Y'ALL'S DECISION.
>> THAT'S TRUE, YEAH. BUT IT IS -- LIKE I BROUGHT THIS THING IN HERE BECAUSE THE BOTTOMBOTTOM LINE IS CHANGES COST MONEY.
>> AND THIS -- THIS SEGMENT, THIS POPULATION IS VERY ADVERSE TO TAXATION, FEES AND THINGS AS SUCH. TO WIT WE ARE -- I'M GOING TO TELL YOU OUT OF 70 DIFFERENT EVALUATIONS, WE ARE BELOW STATE AVERAGE ON EVERY ONE.
>> IT IS GOING TO TAKE A PUBLIC EFFORT ON OUR PART AS A PUBLIC TO PUSH THROUGH THAT PAY RAISE, AND I, FOR ONE, AM COMMITTED TO MAKING A PUBLIC PUSH FOR THAT BECAUSE THE LAST TWO TIMES WE TRIED IT, IT SAT ON THE BALLOT AND THE ONLY ONES THAT SHOWED UP WERE THE ONES THAT WERE AGAINST IT.
THAT'S WHAT IT IS GOING TO TAKE
I BELIEVE. >> MR. RENNINGER, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND YOUR COMMENTS.
I HAD A QUESTION JUST TAKING IT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ISSUE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND IF THE CHARTER IS A FOUNDATIONALFOUNDAT IONAL DOCUMENT, WHY AS A SALARY -- WHY ARE THEY GETTING THAT GRANULAR IN THAT DOCUMENT? THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN OPERATIONAL LEVEL DETERMINATION.
WHY WOULD THAT BE PUT IN THAT TYPE OF DOCUMENT?
>> YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK THE GUY WHO SPEARHEADED THAT, THE AMENDMENT TO THE STATUTE -- TO THE -- NOT CONSTITUTION, TO THE CHARTER, BUT HE IS DEAD. THAT'S DERWOOD SCHMIDT.
HE LED A PUBLIC OPINION EFFORT THAT GOT IT ON THE BALLOT AND PASSED, AND IT WAS PUT IN. LIKE I SAID, EVEN HE WOULD NOT AGREE TO THIS NUMBER.
>> OKAY. >> IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE IT WAS KEY TO A STARTING TEACHER'S SALARY IN 2008.
NOW, THEIR SALARIES HAVE NOT BEEN STAGNANT FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS.
>> AND THAT'S WHY WHEN I CAME, YOU KNOW, REALLY LOOKING AT THE CHARTER IS MEANT TO ESTABLISH STRUCTURE AND POWER OF GOVERNMENT, NOT TO GET THAT GRANULAR.
AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STOOD OUT TO ME WHEN I FIRST READ THE CHARTER, OF WHY IS THIS -- THIS IS THE ONLY AREA THAT IT GOES THAT GRANULAR.
>> EXACTLY. >> AND SO IF THAT WASN'T EVEN IN THE CHARTER, THAT WOULDN'T EVEN
[00:40:01]
BE A DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW FOR US.>> NO. IT WOULD BE A DISCUSSION SOMEWHERE ELSE.
>> ROGER. >> BUT IT WOULDN'T BE THE CHARTER. IN THAT REGARD I'M HAPPY YOU PUT IT IN THERE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT, BUT THAT'S NOT THE REASON I RAN FOR OFFICE, TRUST ME. BUT I'M TELLING YOU, THERE ARE SOME COMMISSIONERS -- YOU KNOW, PEOPLE MOVE AROUND, JOB TO JOB. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GET PERMISSION FOR MOST EMPLOYERS TO DO THIS JOB, AND IF YOU MOVE THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE NEXT EMPLOYER IS GOING TO APPROVE YOUR STANDING ON THIS COMMISSION. SO -- AND GIVEN THE SALARY HERE AND THE SALARY THERE, I GUARANTEE YOU THE SALARY THERE WILL BE HIGHER THAN THIS. SO YOU KNOW WHICH ONE THEY'RE GOING TO MOVE TO.
>> YEAH. >> IF THE FLORIDA STATUTE IS ALREADY PUT OUT ACROSS THE STATE, THEN HOW IS THE COUNTY ABLE TO BRING THAT LOWER THAN WHAT THE FLORIDA
STATUTE IS? >> WE'RE A CHARTER COUNTY.
>> OKAY. >> IF WE WEREN'T A CHARTER COUNTY -- I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT IS A RECOMMENDED SALARY IN THE STATUTE OR NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T APPLY TO US. WE'RE A CHARTER COUNTY AND IT IS IN OUR CHARTER.
GO AHEAD. >> JUST A QUICK NOTE TO GO BACK TO WHY. I THINK FOR A WHILE THERE THIS COMMITTEE, UNFORTUNATELY, WAS WEAPONIZED, AND I THINK THERE WERE SOME THINGS GOING ON BACK IN THE DAY.
I WAS AROUND BACK THEN. THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AS UPSTANDING FOR THE COUNTY AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN, AND I THINK IT WAS A -- THIS IS WHAT YOU GET, HA-HA-HA KIND OF MOMENT, PUTTING IT POLITELY.
VAN, YOU WERE AROUND BACK THEN.
>> IT WAS VERY WEAPONIZED. '60, SINGLE- MEMBER DISTRICTS SINCE THEN. IN '06 VOTERS CREATED AN AT- LARGE SEAT, BUT IN AN '08 ELECTION AN AMENDMENT ABOLISHED THE SEATS BEFORE THE INDIVIDUALS COULD TAKE OFFICE. SO IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, EH, NEVER MIND. JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT BACKGROUND. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT MAY -- I PERSONALLY AM NOT A BIG FAN OF AT-LARGE.
I THINK THAT THAT CREATES A LOT OF UNDUE BURDENBURDEN WITH THAT WE EXPECT PART-TIME. I EXPECT FULL- TIME FROM MY COMMISSIONERS, AND I THINK WE NEED TO PAY THEM ACCORDINGLY. NO ONE, AND I BELIEVE NO ONE IN THIS COUNTY WOULD GO 18, 20 YEARS DOING A JOB WITHOUT GETTING A RAISE.
>> IT IS THAT SIMPLE. WE QUADRUPLED IN POPULATION. QUADRUPLED. NOT ADDED TEN MORE PEOPLE. QUADRUPLED IN THIS COUNTY, AND WE'RE ONLY GROWING. FOR THOSE WHO SAY THAT WE DON'T WANT THE GROWTH, THE GROWTH IS HERE. IT IS WHAT YOU WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S A HARSH THING TO SAY, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS. SO I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE EXPECT FROM OUR COMMISSIONERS AND WHAT WE GET IS WHAT WE EXPECT, AND WHAT WE GIVE IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT OF IT.
RIGHT NOW A LOT OF OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE HAVING TO WORK, SOME OF THEM ARE IN A BLESSED POSITION TO BE RETIRED -- CONGRATULATIONS -- OR ARE IN POSITION TO RETIRE, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE HAVING TO WORK OTHER JOBS, AND THEY'RE DOING THIS. THEY'RE GETTING PAID, BUT YOU HAVE TO LOVE THIS JOB TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS JOB AND GO OVER THIS COUNTY.
YEAH, IT IS COUNTY DISTRICTS, IT IS DISTRICT- DRIVEN, BUT THEY ALL KNOW IT AFFECTS OUR WHOLE COUNTY. IT IS 80- 20, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS. IS IT GOING TO AFFECT 80% OF OUR COUNTY, LET'S GET TOGETHER ON THIS OR NOT GET TOGETHER ON THIS. SOME PROJECTS ARE PET PROJECTS FOR YOUR DISTRICT, I GET IT, THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. BUT TO HAVE THE EXPECTATION -- CASE IN POINT, 27 EVENTS THIS WEEKEND AND WE EXPECTED OUR COMMISSIONERS TO BE AT EVERY ONE OF THEM. IT IS
UNFATHOMABLE. >> THERE WERE 26 EVENTS.
I MADE THREE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
>> I JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON -- THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT DID GO OUT, AND THEN YOU GET KEYSTONE TELLING OAKLEAF -- AND I'M PICKING ON THEM BECAUSE AT FURTHEST ENDS OF THE COUNTY, TELLING OAKLEAF, THIS IS WHO WE WANT YOU TO HAVE, AND THAT'S -- MAYBE THE WORD "FAIR" IS NOT THE RIGHT WORD, BUT IT IS NOT FAIR TO THAT DISTRICT. YOU HAVE NO IDEA FROM KEYSTONE WHAT IS GOING ON UP IN OAKLEAF AS A COMMUNITY. WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU HAVE ALL OF THE ROAD MAPS, YOU HAVE ALL OF THAT, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW. THAT'S NOT BEING HARSH, YOU DON'T.
>> GOOD CASE IN POINT, OAKLEAF HAD NO -- HAS NO LIBRARY, EXCEPT USE OF THE DUVAL COUNTY LIBRARY WHICH IS JUST ACROSS COLLINS ROAD I THINK.
BY THE WAY, DUVAL DOES NOT ALLOW THEM TO COME IN FREE.
[00:45:02]
THEY HAVE TO PAY A FEE TO USE DUVAL COUNTY LIBRARY.THE NEXT CLOSEST LIBRARY I THINK IS ORANGE PARK LIBRARY, I THINK. ORANGE PARK? AND I SAY THAT WITH RESERVATIONRESERVATION BECAUSE WE JUST APPROVED THE BUILDING OF A LIBRARY IN OAKLEAF, OKAY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, KEYSTONE HAS THEIR OWN LIBRARY, ORANGE PARK HAS THEIRS, FLEMING ISLAND HAS THEIRS, GREEN COVE HAS THEIRS.
>> NOBODY KNOWS THE DISTRICT BETTER THAN THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> ONE MORE QUESTION.
>> HAS THERE EVER BEEN A -- BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE IT ANYWHERE IN THE HISTORY -- WHERE THIS PARTICULAR PORTION WAS READDRESSED OR CONSIDERED TO BE
EXPUNGED? >> WHEN YOU SAY "THIS PORTION," WHAT ARE YOU POINTING TO?
>> THIS WHOLE SALARY THING. BECAUSE WHAT IT REQUIRES IS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VOTE, AND IT IS OF THE GENERAL ELECTION. WHEN IS THE LAST TIME IT WAS CONSIDERED? WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME IT WAS PUT ON THE
BALLOT? >> 17-18. IT WAS PART OF THE CHARTER
21-22. >> 21- 22 CHANGED THE AMOUNT.
17- 18 ACTUALLY IN THE CHARTER AMENDMENT WAS TRYING TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE -- OF THE --
>> -- CHARTER, EXACTLY, AND TURN IT BACK.
THAT WAS A PART, AND THAT GOT DEFEATED.
AND THEN THE ONE IN 2020 -- 21-22.
>> '22. >> IT WAS STRICTLY A DOLLAR CHANGE.
>> RIGHT. >> THAT'S WHAT I WAS
GETTING AT. >> SO IN A PAST MEETING WE ASKED TO SEE WHAT THE VERBIAGE WAS ON THE BALLOT BECAUSE I THINK THE VERBIAGE MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE ON WHETHER VOTERS WOULD APPROVE IT OR NOT SUPPORT IT.
>> AND WE DO HAVE IT IN THIS PACKET, YES.
WE CAN -- >> JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT BECAUSE I THINK IF WE SHIFTED THE VERBIAGE, I THINK WE WOULD SEE A BETTER RESPONSE.
>> BUT WOULD IT BE -- AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE NEXT SECTION, BUT WOULD IT BE MORE APPROPRIATE THAT WE AMEND THIS TO INCLUDE A COST-OF- LIVING ADJUSTMENT WITHOUT VOTER CONSENT?
>> THAT IS ALL -- ALL OPTIONS THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY INCLUDE IN OUR DISCUSSION, WHICH WE WILL HAVE IN JUST A BIT. SO RIGHT NOW IS REALLY JUST I WOULD LIKE TO LIMIT IT TO QUESTIONS FOR OUR COMMISSIONER SO THAT WE COULD GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON PER THE AGENDA. SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR -- OKAY. KURT, IF YOU COULD GRAB THE MIC.
>> THIS IS -- AND I HAVE GOT -- BECAUSE THE OTHER THING, ONE OF THE THINGS I BROUGHT UP AT THE VERY BEGINNING ABOUT THE COMMISSION WAS THE IDEA OF EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS FROM FIVE TO THE NEXT LOGICAL NUMBER WOULD BE SEVEN BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT POPULATION. WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT COMMISSIONERS ARE BASED UPON THE POPULATION, CORRECT? WELL, AS WE STAND RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, I LOOKED AT WHAT IN 1991 CLAY COUNTY HAD 219,000 PEOPLE.
WE'RE, WHAT? 400,000 AND WE'RE GOING --
>> 236. >> BECAUSE, AGAIN, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT -- WE'RE NOW GETTING READY TO START 2026.
I TOLD YOU, I LOOKED AT THE SCHEDULES FOR THE TOLL ROAD CONTRACTORS EVERY MONTH. IT IS OPEN TO 17.
GOOD LUCK ON SHANDS BRIDGE. I DON'T THINK -- BUT THE REST OF THE TOLL ROAD, THE GUY IS 18 MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER, FROM THE RIVER TO SILVER LEAF. THE CONTRACTOR WHO IS GETTING READY TO START FROM SILVER LEAF TO I- 95, HE IS A GREAT CONTRACTOR.
I'M TELLING YOU, 2030 IS A BIG DATE. ALL OF THE TOLL ROAD WILL BE OPEN. BRIDGE THINKS IT WILL BE OPEN, BUT I WOULD -- I WOULDN'T BET ON IT.
IF I RUN ROBIN HOOD RIGHT NOW I WOULD BE BETTING ON ODDS IT IS LATER BUT 2030 IS A BIG YEAR BECAUSE THIS COUNTY, THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO JUST CONTINUE TO EXPLODE. AND SO WHEN I BROUGHT UP THE IDEA OR THOUGHT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE IDEA IS WE'RE BASED ON POPULATION AND YOU LOOK AT HOW THE COUNTY -- AND I LOVE YOUR CHART WHERE YOU SHOW THE DIFFERENT COMMISSON DISTRICTS NOW.
YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE JOHN SGROMOLO IS MY COMMISSIONER AND FLEMING ISLAND IS PRETTY MUCH BUILT OUT. BUT THE PROBLEM IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOUR POPULATION, AND IT GOES OUT AND WHAT DIRECTION YOU GO IN. SO I GUESS I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK YOU WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ON STAYING -- IF YOU STAY WITH NUMBER -- BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE YOU REPRESENT, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE, IF YOU ARE IN THAT LAKE ASBURY AREA, YOU ARE SCRAMBLING BECAUSE YOUR POPULATION JUST IS EXPLODING ON A DAILY BASIS. JOHN IS STUCK IN THE AREA WHERE
[00:50:06]
HE IS. I GUESS THE NUMBER THAT COVERS KEYSTONE IS PRETTY STABLE RIGHT NOW. BUT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON, INSTEAD OF FIVE TO SEVEN SO THAT THEY COULD STILL AS A DISTRICT COMMISSIONER KEEP THE SAME LEVEL OF POPULATION FOR THE PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR?>> YEAH, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT -- RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 235,000 PEOPLE IN CLAY COUNTY, 235, 240, SOMEWHERE IN
>> 240. I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT -- YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, WE REBALANCE AFTER A CENSUS NORMALLY. WE HAVE A CENSUS EVER TEN YEARS AND WE REBALANCE SO THAT GEOGRAPHY IS GOING TO CHANGE, LIKE I SHOWED THAT SECTION OF DISTRICT FOUR -- YEAH, DISTRICT FIVE GOING TO DISTRICT FOUR BECAUSE DISTRICT -- LAKE ASBURY IS EXPLODING
RIGHT NOW. >> IT WILL CONTINUE
GOING NORTH. >> OH, YEAH, IT WILL CONTINUE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT MIAMI, THEY ONLY HAVE SEVEN COMMISSIONERS, MIAMI. I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
WITH STAFF, YOU CAN DO IT, OKAY, BUT WHEN YOU ARE THE LONE RANGER IT GETS TAXING SOMETIMES BECAUSE YOU HAVE CODE -- YOU KNOW, AND WITH STAFF AND PUBLIC WORKS AND ANIMAL CONTROL AND THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU CAN GET BY, TOO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT COSTS MONEY, AND THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT THIS THING HERE. WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT 61 OF 67 COUNTIES, 64 OF 67 COUNTIES AND, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC IS SAYING, OH, WE'RE TAXED TOO MUCH.
AND WITH A.I. AND WE ARE LOOKING -- YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL OF THE LEVERS THAT WE CAN PULL TO MAKE OURSELVES MORE EFFICIENT. SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER -- YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, TWO MORE COMMISSIONERS, THAT'S ANOTHER WHATEVER, $70,000 YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND.
>> SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING YOU CAN LOOK AT.
I DON'T KNOW. YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONERS, COUNTYWIDE DISTRICTS, LOOK AT THAT.
LIKE I SAID, I LOOK AT THE COUNTY AS THIS IS MY HOME. THE ORDINANCES, THE RESOLUTIONS WE PASS ARE COUNTYWIDE, SO I GOT TO MAKE SURE -- I TRY TO MAKE SURE IT IS AS BENEFICIAL -- YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, RHONDA. OAKLEAF TO KEYSTONE, IT HAS GOT TO BE BENEFICIAL ACROSS THE BOARD.
>> SORRY, VAN. I HAD ONE QUESTION.
A FEW MINUTES AGO YOU MADE A STATEMENT TO THE FACT -- I'M NOT HOLDING YOU TO THIS, IT IS JUST A QUESTION.
I GUESS WHEN WE ARE TALKING OUR OPTIONS, DO YOU THINK -- YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE MORE STAFF, IS
I SAID. >> BUT IS IT A ROAD WE NEED TO LOOK AT AND HAMMER OUT? I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT SALARIES. WE ARE EXPECTING FULL- TIME RESULTS FROM A PART- TIME JOB, MAYBE THAT MUCH AT BURGER KING. NONETHELESS, GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION, IS THAT SOMETHING DOABLE, IN YOUR OPINION? I'M NOT HOLDING YOU TO IT, AND I HOPE WE ALL DO OUR OWN RESEARCH ON THAT, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK I KEEP HEARING IS THAT, AGAIN, YOU NEED MORE STAFF.
>> YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE CORRECT, BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT A CHARTER ISSUE.
>> YOU KNOW, WE CAN SOLVE THAT WITH DIRECTION TO THE COUNTY MANAGER, HIRE US MORE STAFF.
OH, BY THE WAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PASS AN AD VALOREM, YOU KNOW, RATE INCREASE.
OH. >> BUT AT THE SAME TIME THOUGH WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE AND DO SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT IN THE PAST HASN'T BEEN DONE BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD SELF- AGENDAS OR THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT GETTING REELECTED AND IT IS WHAT IT IS. WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD AND SEE WHAT IS GOING TO BENEFIT OUR COUNTY, WHAT STRUCTURE, AND THIS IS INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> RHONDA, I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR COMMENTS AND EVERYTHING.
IF YOU COULD JUST HOLD THAT FOR THE DISCUSSION A LITTLE BIT LATER, BECAUSE WE ARE RUNNING LATE ON TIME HERE.
>> PASS. >> LET ME JUST ADD -- COMBINE TWO STATEMENTS THAT I HEARD.
[00:55:01]
ONE IS THE CHARTER, THE GRANULARITY OF THE CHARTER, DOES THIS BELONG IN THE CHARTER.I WOULD SAY IT DOESN'T. SO IF A RECOMMENDATION TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE CHARTER MIGHT BE -- I THINK YOU OUGHT TO CONSIDER THAT.
JUST TAKE IT OUT OF THE CHARTER. QUITE HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I WOULD LIKE IT OR NOT BECAUSE THEN THE BURDEN WILL BE ON OUR SHOULDERS TO ESTABLISH WHAT THAT NUMBER IS. IF IT IS NOT IN THE CHARTER, THEN WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A NUMBER BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE SUPPORTED WITH TAXES.
THAT WON'T BE FUN, I'LL TELL YOU THAT NOW, BUT MAYBE I WON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
SO -- >> OR WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT MAYBE THE LANGUAGE JUST SHIFT TO COUNTY COMMISSIONER PAY IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH
FLORIDA STATUTE? >> DELETE THIS SENTENCE IN THE
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. >> BEST SAID, YOU KNOW.
>> ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A QUESTION
HI. I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO WHAT WE -- I THOUGHT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE NUMBER OF DISTRICT IT, SINGLE MEMBER VERSUS COUNTYWIDE.
>> CORRECT. >> SO IN YOUR OPINION, HOW DO YOU GUYS DO A BETTER JOB FOR THE COUNTY? IS IT INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS OR WOULD IT
BE COUNTYWIDE? >> THE WAY IT IS NOW, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THAT MOST COMMISSIONERS CARRY THE MAIL FOR THEIR DISTRICT, OKAY. IRRESPECTIVE OF THE BENEFIT TO THE COUNTY.
OKAY. I'LL TELL YOU, WE HAD A VOTE FOR AN AD VALOREM INCREASE TO SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO -- WE WERE TRAINING GROUND FOR FIREFIGHTERS. WE TRAIN THEM AND THEY GO TO ANOTHER COUNTY BECAUSE THEIR SALARY IS SO LOW.
AND SO WE HAD A MOTION TO INCREASE -- WE HAD AFTER MOTION TO INCREASE AD VALOREM A HALF MILL TO PROVIDE THE FUNDS TO KEEP OUR FIREFIGHTERS HERE, WHICH, BY THE WAY, IT WORKED BUT IT ONLY PASSED 4- 1 BECAUSE THE ADVERSITY OF RAISING TAXES WAS TOO MUCH FOR A COMMISSIONER, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE THAT'STHAT'S REPRESENT -- THAT'S THE REPRESENTATION THAT THOSE PEOPLE WANTED ON THE COMMISSION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY, I DON'T FEEL -- PERSONALLY, I FEEL I'M GOING TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE COUNTY. YOU KNOW, IF -- THERE IS NO ONE, YOU PUT A REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT TO REDUCE PROPERTY TAX, THEY'RE ALL GOING TO VOTE FOR IT, I'LL TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW. BUT I'M GOING TO POLITIC AGAINST IT BECAUSE THAT'S -- THAT'S WHERE WE GET OUR POLICE AND FIRE FROM, YOU KNOW, AD VALOREM.
SO I PERSONALLY THINK THE DISTRICT IS THE WAY TO GO.
THE COUNTY TRIED THE AT- LARGE AND I GUESS, RHONDA, YOU SAID THEY DELETED IT BEFORE IT WAS ENACTED. WE HAD TWO PEOPLE ELECTED FOR THOSE AT- LARGE SEATS AND NEVER -- NEVER WERE SEATED.
I DON'T -- I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO LOOK AT HOW THAT REALLY HAPPENED, BUT WE HAD TWO PEOPLE ELECTED AND WERE READY TO TAKE POSITION. DID THEY EVER TAKE THE SEAT?
NOT. >> IT WAS IN '06 AND IT TOOK EFFECT, BUT IN '08 THE BALLOT MEASURE NULLIFIED THAT AND THEY NEVER TOOK OFFICE. THEY WERE -- ESSENTIALLY THEY WON AND THEN IT WAS LIKE, EH, NO,
JUST KIDDING. >> IN THAT, IT WAS A MONEY ISSUE. I THINK WHEN THEY ROLLED IT BACK, AND THAT JUST SOLIDIFIED THE WHOLE THING ABOUT THE CHARTER IS THAT IT IS GOING TO COST US MORE TO HAVE TWO MORE COMMISSIONERS, AND YOU GO, ALL RIGHT, SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT -- AND THOSE TWO WERE AT- LARGE AND THE OTHER BY DISTRICT.
SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH SALARY, YOU MIGHT AS WELL TAKE THAT OFF THE BOARD BECAUSE IT WILL BE AN UPHILL FIGHT ANYWAY, ONE THAT I THINK WE SHOULD WIN, WE BETTER WIN FOR ALL OF THE REASONS THAT YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT. BUT THAT WAS -- IT WAS A MONEY ISSUE THEN. THE OPPOSITION SAID, LOOK AT WHAT IT IS GOING TO COST, WE CAN BARELY AFFORD WHAT WE'VE GOT AND NOW WE'VE GOT TO DO THIS, WE'RE NOT DOING IT, CLICK. AND THAT WAS IT.
>> ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR COMMISSIONER HERE? COMMISSIONER?
>> ONCE AGAIN, YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR IT -- WHATEVER YOU RECOMMEND IS PROBABLY GOING TO COST MORE BECAUSE WE ARE AS EFFICIENT AS YOU CAN GET RIGHT NOW. WE ARE BARELY OPERATE -- I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, WE ARE OPERATING AT THE BARE MINIMUM. SO ANYTHING YOU RECOMMEND TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND IMPROVE PARKS AND REC, IMPROVE LIBRARIES IS GOING TO COST MONEY, AND THE PUBLIC IS ALREADY OF THE OPINION WE PAY TOO MUCH TAX ALREADY.
THE PROOF IS HERE. THAT'S NOT TRUE.
>> ALL RIGHT. WE DO HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION FROM DEBBIE.
>> I JUST ACTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR PERSONAL OPINION BECAUSE YOU SAID YOU SPEND MAYBE 80 HOURS A WEEK DOING THIS JOB, AND YOU WOULD DO IT FOR FREE. I DON'T THINK THAT YOU REPRESENT THE AVERAGE PERSON THOUGH.
[01:00:01]
>> DID I STAY THAT? IS THAT ON THE RECORD?
>> SO MY QUESTION IS, IS YOUR -- IT IS MY OPINION, IS IT YOUR OPINION THAT WE WOULD ATTRACT HIGHER QUALITY PEOPLE WHO WOULD TAKE THE JOB SERIOUSLY IF WE PAID THEM ACCORDINGLY?
>> IN FACT, I HAD A -- LIKE I STATED EARLIER, I THINK YOU HAVE A HIGH QUALITY COMMISSION RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK WE'RE -- I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE.
I SPOKE WITH AN INDIVIDUAL TODAY THAT HAS 25, 30 YEARS OFOF EXPERIENCE WHO IS GOING TO RETIRE SOME DAY AND MIGHT WANT TO BE A COMMISSIONER, BUT HE SAID HE WOULD NEVER DO IT FOR THIS SALARY. SO THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE MORE QUALIFIED THAN MYSELF AND THE OTHERS ON THE COMMISSION RIGHT NOW, BUT JUST -- THEY JUST CAN'T MAKE ENDS MEET TO, YOU KNOW, LOSE FAMILY TIME, LOSE WORK TIME. I THINK SOME OF THESE COMMISSIONERS THAT AREN'T RUNNING FOR A SECOND TERM, THEY'RE TRYING TO BUILD THEIR BUSINESS BECAUSE THAT'S -- THAT'S WHAT PAYS THE BILL.
SO YOU'RE LOSING SOME GOOD PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THIS.
NOW, WHETHER YOU GET A GOOD PERSON OR YOU GET SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE FUTURE, I CAN'T TELL. MY CRYSTAL -- BY MY CRYSTAL BALL IS YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ATTRACT QUALITY WITH SALARY, TRUST ME.
NOBODY IS GOING TO COME HERE FOR THE SALARY.
SO THAT WHOLE SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION IS GONE.
IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE CRAZY LIKE MYSELF WHO, YOU KNOW, FIRST YEAR IN THE NAVY I THINK I EARNED $5,000 A YEAR, IN THE NAVY. I HAVE NEVER WORKED -- AND WORKED FOR COLLEGE, NOT A BIG PAYDAY THERE.
AN ADMIRAL -- YOU KNOW WHAT WE EARNED WHEN WE STARTED, NOTHING. OH, BY THE WAY, THOSE WERE 80 TO 100, MAYBE 200 HOURS A WEEK. SO, YOU KNOW, I WAS ONLY ORDERED TO MY RACK ONCE. I WAS ORDERED BY MY BOSS, YOU GO TO BED. PARDON ME?
>> YEAH, 26 CENTS AN HOUR. MINIMUM WAGE, SHOOT, I'M WORKING FOR BELOW MINIMUM WAGE RIGHT NOW.
IT IS THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE YOU WORK FOR.
YEAH, WHAT WAS YOUR FINAL QUESTION?
>> IT WAS JUST A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR OPINION OF WHAT YOU -- YOU WOULD ATTRACT, A DIFFERENT QUALITY -- A DIFFERENT --
>> YOU ARE ATTRACTING A DIFFERENT QUALITY RIGHT NOW.
QUITE HONESTLY. >> AND YOU WOULD HAVE A BROADER SPECTRUM OF PEOPLE WHO WERE STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE IF IT APPROPRIATELY COMPENSATED THEM FOR DOING THE JOB?
>> REMUNERATION IS A FACTOR IN THIS JOB, AND IT IS -- THEY DON'T COME HERE FOR THE MONEY, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT.
>> ALL RIGHTY. COMMISSIONER RENNINGER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
>> YOU SET US ON A GOOD FOUNDATION.
ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE? ALL RIGHT.
[1. Acceptance of Resignation from the Charter Review Commission- Randy Bowman]
HEARING AND SEEING NONE, I WILL CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT, BRING IT BACK HERE. WE WILL MOVE ON TO OLD BUSINESS.THE FIRST ITEMS IS ACCEPTANCE OF RESIGNATION FROM THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION. MR. RANDY BOWMAN, JUST DUE TO SOME WORK CONFLICTS AND EXTRA RESPONSIBILITIES. HE, UNFORTUNATELY, HOWEVER WILLING, HE HAD TO SUBMIT HIS RESIGNATION FROM THIS COMMISSION. CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT HIS RESIGNATION?
>> IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY MOVED. DO I HAVE
SECOND. >> IT IS PROPERLY SECONDED.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN. IT IS PROPERLY APPROVED.
[2. Updated Charter Topic List]
RESIGNATION IS ACCEPTED. MOVING ON TO ITEM TWO IN OLD BUSINESS IS AN UPDATED CHARTER TOPIC LIST THAT WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN EVERYONE'S PACKET. IT HAS BEEN CROSSED OUT WHERE WE'VE DECIDED ITEMS. YOU WILL SEE THE -- UNDER "OTHER ITEMS" AT THE BOTTOM THERE, UTILITY TAX WAS ADDED AT OUR LAST MEETING, NOVEMBER 17TH, '25.JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION.
ANY DISCUSSION FOR THAT ADDITION? THE FACT THAT IT HAS BEEN ADDED.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET INTO IT NOW.
[3. CRC Final Reports of 17/18 CRC and 21/22 CRC]
OKAY. THE LAST ITEM FOR "OLD BUSINESS" IS CRC FINAL REPORTS FOR THE '17, '18, AND 21-2[01:05:01]
2 CRC. NOTHING TO DO HERE, JUST THE FACT IT WAS INCLUDED AND THAT WAS BY REQUEST AT OUR LAST MEETING JUST TO HELP GUIDE THE DISCUSSION FOR THIS PARTICULAR SESSION.ALL RIGHT. ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON EITHER THREE OF THOSE ITEMS? ALL RIGHT. BEFORE I GET INTO NEW BUSINESS, I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT MR. VAN ROYAL HAD TO LEAVE TO ADDRESS A CONFLICT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE MR. SALTER ARRIVED SOON AFTER WE STARTED. SO WE STILL DO HAVE A QUORUM IN THE EVENT WE DO NEED TO CONTINUE ON WITH ADDITIONAL
[1. Article II Organization of County Government, Section 2.2: Legislative Branch, A. The County Commission]
MOTIONS. ALL RIGHT.MOVING ON INTO NEW BUSINESS. OUR FIRST TOPIC OF DISCUSSION IS ARTICLE TWO, ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT, SECTION 2.
2, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.IT IS PARAGRAPH A, THE COUNTY COMMISSION. DISTRICT VERSUS AT-LARGE VOTING.
I WILL OPEN IT UP. RHONDA, I CERTAINLY DID NOT MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT NOW THAT WE'RE INTO THE DISCUSSION PHASE OF TODAY'S SESSION, I JUST WANT TO OPEN IT UP AND TO SEE WHERE OUR MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW THIS. WHERE DO WE WANT
TO GO? >> CHAIR, BEFORE WE DIFFERENT TOO DEEP INTO THIS, WE ARE SETTING THE FOUNDATION MOVING FORWARD AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER ROAD -- IF IT IS MAKING SUGGESTIONS TO ADD MORE PEOPLE, IF IT IS THE RAISE, IF IT IS ADDING ADDITIONAL COUNTY COMMISSIONER SEATS, I WOULD LIKE US TO DO A NEW PATH AND REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT THE NEETSDS OF THIS COUNTY ARE GOING TO BE.
IT IS HARD TO HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL, BUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, AS YOU CAN TELL FROM WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH TODAY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE. I LOOK AT THIS LIKE OUR ROADWAYS.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE OUR -- OUR GROWTH IS EXPLODING.
WE KNOW THAT. WHAT CAN WE PROVIDE AND LOOK AT IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE IS REPRESENTED. PERSONALLY, I HAVE ISSUES WITH AT- LARGE, BACK TO WHAT I SAID EARLIER. I HAVE LIVED HERE SINCE '89 AND I -- AS MUCH AS I'M IN THIS COUNTY, I CAN'T TELL YOU EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON FROM KEYSTONE TO OAKLEAF.
I RELY ON THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, THAT CREATE THOSE COMMUNITIES. GREEN COVE HAS THEIR LITTLE COMMUNITY, BUT WE ALL WORK TANDEMLY TOGETHER, AND THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. FOR ME TO SEE AN AT- LARGE IS AN ISSUE FOR ME. I THINK IT REALLY WEAPONIZES THE BALLOT BOX EVEN FURTHER. I THINK WE ARE CREATING THAT PERSPECTIVE, TOO. THAT'S MY THREE CENTS.
I THINK IT WAS THREE INSTEAD OF TWO. SO --
>> SO I WOULD LIKE TO SECOND THAT.
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED HERE TODAY IS SCARY.
I DID NOT REALIZE -- AND I HAVE ONLY LIVED HERE FOR COMING UP ON FOUR YEARS.
BUFF BUT I DID NOT REALIZE WHEN I TALKED TO BETSY THAT I WAS TALKING TO THE ONE AND ONLY.
TO ME THAT'S EXTREMELY SCARY, UNDERSTANDING THAT IN THE FOUR YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED HERE MORE THAN 25,000 HOMES HAVE GONE UP IN A 6 1/2- MILE RAID DIUS AT THE INTERSECTION OF 23 AND OLD JENNINGS. THAT SAME GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS IS RESPONSBLE, PLUS ONE, WHO SHE DISAPPEARED, TO BOTH UNDERSTAND AND COMPREHENSIVELY PROVIDE LEADERSHIP NECESSARY TO MAKE A DECISION, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ELECTED THEM TO DO. SO I TOO AM EXTREMELY SCARED THAT AN AT- LARGE WOULD MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO CONCENTRATE ON ONE SPECIFIC AREA, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT I WON'T NAME THE STATE, BUT I WAS IN A REGION IN WHICH THE AT- LARGE BECAME THE CHOICE, AND LESS THAN A YEAR LATER THE GOVERNOR SHUT IT DOWN. BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITIES AND THE COMPLAINTS FROM LOCAL VOTERS TO THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE STATE THAT THIS BECAME SUCH A DISASTER, AND THAT THEY FELT THEY WERE NO LONGER REPRESENTED IN THE AT- LARGE ENVIRONMENT. SO I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO ADDRESS, WE ADDRESS WHAT WE HEARD HERE TODAY, SOME WAY, SOMEHOW. I THINK THAT -- AGAIN, I THINK YOU'RE SPOT ON, RHONDA. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS FOR THE FUTURE, AND THE FUTURE MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEING AND HEARING
[01:10:01]
FROM OURCOMMISSIONERS. >> JUST TO ADD REAL QUICK.
TERESA, BLESS YOU AND I'M SORRY.
>> OKAY. ACTUALLY, ONE, I PROPOSE THAT WE MOVE SOME UN- MICCED PEOPLE TO MICCED SEATS BECAUSE IT MIGHT MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM
TO TALK. >> WELL, WE HAVE -- KURT, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND GRABBING THE MIC YOU'VE GOT, YOU CAN LEAVE IT ON YOUR TABLE SO IT WILL BE EASIER. WE WILL JUST WORK WITH THAT.
>> SORRY. THAT WAS ME MICROMANAGING.
ONE IS THIS ASSISTANT WHO WORKS FOR FIVE PEOPLE AND JUGGLES ALL OF THOSE BALLS, I HOPE SHE GETS PAID
AND NOT KNOWING WHAT SHE GETS PAID, IT MAKES SENSE TO ME THAT FOUR÷÷FOUR THE COMMISSIONERS, EITHER GIVE EACH ONE A HELPING AND/OR INCREASE THE PAY. THAT'S -- JUST LOOKING AT THE WORKLOAD AND UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WOULD BE LESS IF THEY HAD NOT A FIFTH OF A PERSON BUT A WHOLE PERSON, THAT WOULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
AHEAD. >> IT GOES TO THE VERBIAGE IN OUR CHARTER, AND I FORGET -- I THINK IT WAS YOU THAT BROUGHT IT UP. SHOULD WE REMOVE THAT PARTICULAR DOLLAR AMOUNT FROM IT? DOES IT DEFAULT TO THE STATE WITHOUT IT GOING TO A BALLOT, OR AM I STATING THE OBVIOUS?
>> NOT TO BE A DEBBIE DOWNER HERE, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE GETTING NOT TO WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT.
>> WELL -- >> SO I MEAN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT DISTRICT VERSUS AT-LARGE. LIKE -- SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE FOCUS ON THAT, AND THEN WE SPEND TWO MEETINGS ON THE MONEY AND THE SALARY INCREASE.
THAT'S JUST MY OPINION, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE BOUNCING BACK AND FORTH HERE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M STAYING ON TRACK AND STAYING ON
IT WAS JUST A QUESTION ON MY BRAIN, DON'T FORGET TO ASK THAT BECAUSE IT WOULD DICTATE HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SECOND ONE.
IT ALSO KIND OF DICTATES WHAT WE DO WITH
SO I MEAN RIGHT NOW UNDER DISCUSSION -- AND ALL EXCELLENT POINTS. I MEAN EXCELLENT POINTS TO BE MADE, AND I THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER THOSE, EACH AND EVERYONE'S POINT AT OUR NEXT DISCUSSION TOPIC SHOULD WE GET THERE. BUT THE CURRENT TOPIC UNDER DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW IS DISTRICT VERSUS AT-LARGE.
SO LET'S ALL REMEMBER, RIGHT NOW AS IT STANDS WE HAVE DISTRICT VOTING. ALL RIGHT. WE DO NOT HAVE AT-LARGE.
SO THE QUESTION IS, IS THERE A PROBLEM BEFORE US THAT WE NEED TO FIX.
DO WE NEED TO TRANSITION THIS IN SOME SHAPE, WAY OR FORM TO AT- LARGE, OR DO WE WANT TO -- AND AS A MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION, KEEP IT WITH THE STATUS QUO AS ITIT DISTRICT WIDE VOTING FOR EACH COMMISSIONER? THAT IS CURRENTLY WHAT IS BEING ASKED OF US. NO, NO, AND I'M NOT POINTING FINGERS AT ALL. I APPRECIATE MATT'S DISCUSSION ON THAT, BUT, YES, SO THAT'S -- SO IS THERE A PROBLEM? AND IF SO WITH DISTRICT VERSUS AT- LARGE, HOW DO WE PROPOSE TO ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM? KRISTY?
>> I WOULD JUMP IN AND SAY I ALSO AGREE WITH RHONDA IN KEEPING IT AT DISTRICT AND NOT AT- LARGE, AND THERE'S A SAYING THAT YOU CANNOT GET VERY GRANULAR IF YOU ARE SPREAD REALLY THIN.
SO YOU END UP BEING A MASTER AT NONE, AND THAT'S WHAT THESE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERSCOMM ISSIONERS SITTING UP HERE FOR WHEN THEY GET TOGETHER.
THEN THEY CAN HAVE A BROADER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE COUNTY WRIT LARGE, BUT THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE DETAILS AND THEY NEED TO GET THAT GRANULARITY WITHIN THEIR DISTRICT TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND, AND THEN WHEN THEY COME TO THE GROUP TO AGGREGATE THAT INFORMATION.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS KEEP THE SINGLE- MEMBER DISTRICTS IN THE VERBIAGE THE WAY IT IS.
>> DO WE GO AHEAD AND PUT IT TO
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE OTHER VOICES OF THE MEMBERS HERE ARE NOT SILENCED. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE EVERYONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
SO ANY ADDITIONAL MEMBERS ON THIS COMMISSION HERE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT BEFOREBEFORE WE MOVE INTO MOTION?
>> SO THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS -- YEAH, I SUPPORT THE DISTRICT MODEL, I DO. I THINK, YOU KNOW, EVERY DISTRICT HAS THEIR QUARTERBACK, THEIR GO- TO PERSON TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT.
THE QUESTION IS CONSIDERING THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING NOW AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE
[01:15:02]
GOING DOWN THE ROAD, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER RENNINGER MAY HAVE MENTIONED IT OR ALLUDED TO IT, IS IT POSSIBLE TO INCREASE OR REASSIGN THE DISTRICTS, BUT YOU STILL HAVE THAT FOCUSED PERSON FOR THE DISTRICT.SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS REALLY THE QUESTION, MAYBE IT IS A LEGAL QUESTION.
>> LET ME JUST ADDRESS THAT. I THINK WHEN HE WAS UP THERE HE DID MENTION WITH AN UPCOMING CENSUS THEY MAY BE REDISTRICTING BASED ON THE POPULATION, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THE DISTRICTS ARE ASSIGNED, BASED ON THE POPULATION.
>> OKAY. >> SO WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHEN THE NEW CENSUS COMES UP.
WE'LL GET TO BILL FIRST AND THEN WE WILL MOVE OVER.
>> TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ON HOW THEY'RE DOING THE CENSUS IS THEY ACTUALLY TAKE THE TOTAL POPULATION, DIVIDE IT BY FIVE. SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE OR FOR US TO EVEN TALK ABOUT MAYBE IN THE NEXT MEETING, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT ON THOSE. I WILL WAIT FOR THOSE WHEN WE DO THE CRC MEMBER COMMENTS. SO I'LL
>> I GUESS THE ONLY THING THAT COMES TO MIND IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD OVER THE DISTRICT ISSUES ARE THE ABILITY FOR THE DISTRICTS TO DEFINE FOR ANOTHER DISTRICT WHEN THE DISTRICT VOTES IN THE NEGATIVE AND THE REST OF THE DISTRICTS VOTES IN THE POSITIVE. THIS IS IN PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT AND REZONING. ONE, WHEN I HAVE ASKED MY FOLKS THROUGHOUT MY COMMUNITY WHAT % THEY THOUGHT, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP WAS THAT THE FOUR OTHER COMMISSIONERS DECIDE WHAT GOES INTO MY COUNTY BECAUSE MY COMMISSIONER IS VOTING IN THE NEGATIVE AND THEY'RE ALL VOTING IN THE POSITIVE AND WE END UP WITH IT.
>> I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE A DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT PARTICULAR COMMISSION, THE
>> HIS OR HER PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE OR WHAT SHOULDN'T BE DONE WITHIN THAT DISTRICT, IT IS DIFFICULT TO -- TO APPLY ONE'S PERSPECTIVE TO ALL FIVE COMMISSIONERS. I MEAN THAT'S JUST A CHALLENGE OF BEING ON A MULTI- COMMISSIONER BOARD
VALID QUESTION. >> BUT IT IS SOMETHINGSOMETHING THAT BE DONE BY CHARTER, IF YOU LOOK AT HOW THE VOTE COULD BE DONE AND BE PUT TO A DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITY.
>> WELL, CERTAINLY MAYBE SOMETHING TO JUST NOTE DOWN, AND WE COULD SHOW EVERYONE AGREE A LITTLE BIT LATER ON, WE COULD ADD IT TO THE LIST OF OTHER ITEMS TO POTENTIALLY DISCUSS SHOULD WE HAVE THE TIME TO DO
SO. >> BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT COMING UP, THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO I ASKED WHO HAD BEEN INVOLVED AND HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME, THAT OTHER COMMISSIONERS ARE DICTATING THEIR WILLS BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT IT IN THEIRS, THEY DO WANT IT AT SOMEPLACE ELSE, AND THEY'RE VOTING TO REZONE AND THEY'RE BEING OUT VOTED.
>> AGAIN, I THINK JUST IT IS -- IT IS THE CHALLENGES OF --
>> IT IS. >> -- WORKING TOGETHER AND NOT WORKING TOGETHER, BUT THAT'S REALLY DEPENDENT ON WHO THE COMMUNITY ELECTS AS COMMISSIONER.
GO AHEAD. >> NOT TO BE SO BLUNT, BUT I GUESS IS QUESTION IS DOES ANYBODY UP HERE SEE A BENEFIT TO AT-LARGE? THAT'S WHAT -- WE'RE DANCING AROUND THIS, BUT I THINK WE ALL KIND OF AGREE AGREE DISTRICT IS WHERE IT IS.
IT HAS WORKED WELL, IT IS NOT BROKE, SO I DON'T KNOW WHY WE HAVE TO FIX IT. LOOKS LIKE IT IS GREAT TO ME.
>> I THINK THAT WE HAVEHAVE -- UNLESS ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY MORE TO SKUTS DISCUSS ON THIS, I'M OPEN TO ACCEPT A MOTION TO MOVE ON THIS
DELETE THE -- >> NO OTHER DISCUSSION, WE WILL KEEP IT AT DISTRICT. IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY MOVED. CAN I GET A SECOND?
>> I HAVE A SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN. HEARING NONE, SO MOVED.
[2. Article II Organization of County Government, Section 2.2: Legislative Branch, C. Salaries and Other Compensation]
ALL RIGHT. LET'S MOVE ON INTO TOPIC NUMBER TWO UNDER NEW BUSINESS. ARTICLE TWO, ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT, SECTION 2. 2, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, PARAGRAPH[01:20:03]
C, SALARIES AND OTHER COMPENSATION.LET'S JUST PREFACE THIS, I KNOW WE'VE TOUCHED ON THIS.
SO PRIOR CRC, 17- 18 DID DISCUSS SALARIES.
WHAT WAS MOVED INTO AN AMENDMENT, WHICH ACTUALLY WENT TO THE COMMUNITY BUT VOTED DOWN, WAS TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT WITHIN OUR CHARTER THAT THE APPROVAL BY THE MAJORITY OF ELECTORS IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, AND INCREMENTALLY ADJUST THE SALARY TO EQUAL ONLY 70% OF SALARIES SET BY GENERAL LAW, IN NON- CHARTERED COUNTIES. THAT WOULD BE PHASED OVER FOUR YEARS, AND THAT'S THE VERBIAGE THAT YOU WILL SEE IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL.
THAT WAS VOTED DOWN. THEN AT OUR NEXT -- THE LAST CRC, '21 INTO 2022, THE ONLY LANGUAGE THAT THEY WENT WITH, THE ONLY AVENUE THAT THEY PURSUED WAS AN ANNUAL COST OF LIVING, AND THAT WAS APPROVED.
THAT WENT TO AN AMENDMENT, BUT IT WAS ALSO VOTED DOWN BY THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO IN THE LANGUAGE, WE DO HAVE THAT AGAIN IN OUR PACKET.
WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT TO REFERENCE THROUGHOUT THIS DISCUSSION, BUT I JUST GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP TO MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE.
HOW CAN WE -- BASED ON WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST AND WHAT HAS BEEN VOTED DOWN IN THE PAST, HOW CAN WE APPROACH THIS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY? WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK WILL STICK THIS TIME THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL ALSO PERHAPS AGREE WITH? KRISTY?
>> I WOULD JUST LIKE TO JUMP IN HERE AND SAY, ONE, WE COULD EITHER GO FOR OPTION A IS JUST REMOVE THE PARAGRAPH ALL TOGETHER AND, B, THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE, IS ALIGN COUNTY COMMISSIONER SALARIES TO THE FLORIDA STATUTE AND LEAVE IT AT THAT. I THINK THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY PUT IN THE BALLOT IS VERY CONFUSING. IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, IT IS REALLY HARD TO READ THROUGH AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR AND WE ARE PUTTING DOLLAR AMOUNTS AGAIN.
I THINK REALLY WE EITHER ALIGN TO THE FLORIDA STATUTE OR I THINK WE TAKE IT OUT OF THE CHARTER COMMISSION. I THINK IF WE PROVIDE CLARITY, IT IS EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO THE BALLOT TO VOTE ON AND KNOW WHAT THEY'RE VOTING ON, WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
>> ALSO, I'M NOT PICKING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS ALSO BY FLORIDA STATUTE.
SO THE BCC ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE FLORIDA STATUTE.
>> SO POKE INTO THE COLUMNS OF WHICHEVER ONE YOU WANT IT TO GO IN.
>> LEN, DID ANY COMMENTS COMING BACK?
>> I THINK IT IS -- I THINK IT IS THE EASIEST WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
I THINK THATTHAT AT THE VERY SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT IS NOT A VERY SMART WAY TO GO, WHEN INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTAND THAT THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS ALONE ARE EXPECTED BY VIRTUALLY EVERYONE OUT THERE, BUT YET YOU ARE TELLING THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU ARE STUCK IN SOMETHING THAT WAS MADE 18 YEARS AGO BECAUSE IT IS IN A DOCUMENT.
I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS CONSIDER AS KELLY -- KRISTY HAS SUGGESTED, REMOVING THE LANGUAGE AS IT CURRENTLY APPEARS AND REWRITING IT SO THAT THAT ADJUSTMENT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE STATE. THEN IT BECOMES THE COMMISSIONERS' REQUIREMENTS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIT IT INTO THE BUDGET. BUT THE VOTER DOESN'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT TO RESTRICT THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE DUTIES THAT THEY ARE NOW TAKING ON AS A RESULT OF THE
VOTERS' CHOICE. >> GOOD POINT.
I HAVE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF YOU WITH REGARDS TO CONSIDERING STAFF AS ANOTHER PAYMENT CONSIDERATION. DO WE WANT TO LOOK AT THAT, OR AS I'M HEARING FROM MULTIPLE MEMBERS HERE JUST STICK WITH A SIMPLIFIED APPROACH, ALIGNED TO FLORIDA STATUTE? I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I KNOW MANY OF YOU HAVE ALREADY
DONE THAT. >> I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION. WHAT WOULD BE THE SALARY IF IT IS ALIGNED TO FLORIDA STATUTE FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS?
>> I BELIEVE IT IS A FORMULA THAT THEY USE BASED ON THE POPULATION.
>> YOU WANT ME TO READ IT TO YOU? I CAN.
>> YEAH, I MEAN IF SOMEONE HAS JUST THE NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF THEIR -- READING IT.
>> I PULLED THIS TODAY AND IT IS OFF THE STATE SITE, WELL, THE GOVERNMENT SITE. CURRENTLY IT WOULD BE -- 24- 25 WOULD BE 93.
[01:25:02]
>> SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A $40,000 INCREASE PER COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
SO MY CONCERN -- I'M A "NO" VOTE ON THIS, 100%.
MY CONCERN IS WHERE ARE WE GOING TO FIND THAT MONEY FOR THAT. AND THEN, SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TEACHERS WHO ARE MAKING $48,500, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE, WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE FIELD FOR 25 YEARS, WHO HAVE NOT SEEN A RAISE.
OKAY. THOSE ARE MY CONCERNS. I'M A CONSERVATIVE.
I DON'T AGREE WITH RAISING TAXES.
I ALSO DON'T AGREE WITH YOU -- YOU COME ON HERE AND YOU SERVE NO MATTER WHAT THE SALARY INCREASE IS OR WHAT THE SALARY IS, OKAY.
THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I STAND ON THIS, AND THAT'S A BIG JUMP TO -- FROM WHERE THE CURRENT SALARY IS TO WHERE IT WILL BE. 90,000.
THAT'S WHAT CONCERNS ME. I WILL HAVE TO BE A NO ON
THIS. >> THEY ARE GOING TO BE PAYING PROPERTY TAXES, SO I THINK WE WILL HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR MORE TEACHERS' SALARY.
I'M FOR THAT TOO. I WOULD LIKE THE IDEA OF TAKING IT OUT COMPLETELY THE VERBIAGE TO ALLOW THE STATE TO KIND OF GIVE US GUIDANCE ON PAYING THE COMMISSIONERS. I FEEL WE WILL HAVE THE MONEY BY
PROPERTY TAXES. >> WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PROPERTY TAXES GET REMOVED?
>> I'M NOT VOTING FOR THAT ONE
LET RHONDA -- >> I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
>> JUST BECAUSE WE EXTEND IT OUT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THE BOARD WOULD EXTEND THAT OUT. THIS IS 20 YEARS.
HAD THE BOARD BEEN DONE INCREMENTAL GROWN, WE WOULD BE WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. I GET IT, APPLIED TO TEACHERS, I GET IT, BUT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE EXPECTATIONS WE HAVE FOR THEM. I'M A CONSERVATIVE, TOO.
GIVE ME A STONE AND I'LL GET BLOOD FROM IT AND MAKE IT WORK.
THE REALITY IS WE'VE MADE IT ALMOST 20 YEARS AND QUADRUPLED IN OUR POPULATION. OUR EXPECTATION HAS EXCEEDED WELL BEYOND THAT POKING THE BEAR BACK IN THE DAY. THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET, HA-HA- HA, YOU.
THAT'S WHAT IT WAS. I WAS HERE.
SO WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE -- BACK TO INFRASTRUCTURE. YOU KNOW, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE ABOUT ROADS, INFRASTRUCTURE ABOUT THAT, BUT OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT SET MOVING FORWARD OR WE'RE GOING TO BE BACK HERE IN 20 YEARS.
>> YEAH, I WANT TO CLARIFY AND I WANT TO OPEN IT UP.
I DON'T KNOW WHO -- SO SCHOOL BOARD -- OR THE FUNDING OF SCHOOLTEACHERS, DOES THAT COME FROM THE COUNTY BUDGET OR DOES THAT COME FROM THE STATE TO IDENTIFY THOSE FUNDS? CAN WE CLARIFY THAT?
>> YES, IT COMES FROM THE STATE. AGAIN, I WASN'T USING -- I WAS USING THAT AS AN EXAMPLE, COMPARING -- IT WOULD BE APPLES TO ORANGES, RIGHT? BUT I WAS JUST USING THAT SALARY BASE AS AN EXAMPLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING -- IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT 18 YEARS THERE'S BEEN NO COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT OR SALARY INCREASE. OKAY, WELL, THAT GOES THE SAME FOR OTHER PROFESSIONS AS WELL. AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE COMMISSION SHOULD BE IN THAT SAME VOTE, RIGHT, BUT THIS IS NOT A FULL- TIME JOB BUT A PART-TIME JOB THEY SIGNED UP TO DO, AND THEY DO IT WELL. 100%, DO I THINK THAT THEY DESERVE MORE MONEY? ABSOLUTELY. I THINK AT THE TIME THAT WE ARE IN CURRENTLY, I JUST DON'T THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA.
>> I WOULD ALSO SAY -- SORRY. I WOULD ALSO SAY TO THAT IS THAT IF WE GET A COUNTY COMMISSIONER THAT THIS IS THEIR PRIMARY JOB, THAT THEY'RE NOT COMPETING WITH ANYTHING ELSE, THEN THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ADVOCATE EVEN FOR SOME OF THE TEACHERS' SALARIES BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE IN POSITION TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, TO LOOK AT THE BROADER PICTURE.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT TALENT COMING IN, WORKING WITH THE GROWTH OF CLAY COUNTY, BEING ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT SO THAT THEY CAN HELP THE OTHER PEOPLE LIKE THE TEACHERS INCREASE THEIR SALARY. AND I AGREE, PUBLIC SERVICE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I SPENT TV 26 YEARS IN THE ARMY,
[01:30:04]
AND I TELL YOU WHAT, I HAD TO GET PAID AND I HAD TO GET RAISES OR I COULDN'T HAVE SUPPORTED MY FAMILY AND SERVED THAT LONG. I AGREE THAT PUBLIC SERVICE IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT I ALSO KNOW THEY HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE THEIR FAMILY AND BE COMPARABLE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, AND WE HAVE TO COMPENSATE THEM FOR THAT WORK. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT WE CANNOT ALSO HOLD THOSE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE THINGS THAT WE NEED THEM TO DO FOR CLAY COUNTY, AND ONE COULD BE LOOKING AT TEACHERS' SALARIES. IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT IS WORKING A FULL- TIME JOB RAISING A FAMILY AND TRYING TO BE AA COUNTY COMMISSIONER, WE ARE ONLY GOING TO GET A PORTION OF WHAT THEY CAN GIVE.IN ALL FAIRNESS WE SHOULDN'T ASK FOR MORE BECAUSE WE ARE NOT COMPENSATING THEM FOR MORE THAN THAT. A LOT ARE GIVING MORE BECAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT THETHE COUNTY.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FROM AN OBJECTIVE WAY TO SAY, IF WE GET THE RIGHT TALENT AND THIS ISIS PRIMARY ROLE THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THOSE ISSUES. IF WE NEVER GET SOMEBODY IN THE SEAT TO MAKE A VOTE ON THAT, THOSE TYPE OF ISSUES WILL NEVER COME TO THE TABLE AND GET FIXED
THERE'S A NUMBER OF MEMBERS WHO WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT.
I WILL GO TO DEBBIE AND THEN TO BILL AND THEN TO BRANDON, YOU RAISED YOUR HAND. IT LOOKS LIKE LEN AND THEN VICE CHAIR. DEBBIE GO.
>> KRISTY, EVERY TIME I HAVE AN IDEA YOU SAY IT BETTER THAN I SAY IT, BUT WE HAVE THE SAME BRAIN.
I WROTE IT DOWN, IT IS NOT GOOD AS HER. ANYWAY, BETTER PAY ATTRACTS MORE COMPETITION AND THAT INTRODUCES A HIGHER QUALITY PERSON COMING INTO THE JOB. SO BETTER COMMISSIONERS ARE MORE VALUABLE. IF YOU HAVE VALUABLE COMMISSIONERS YOU GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK, SO THEY ARE PAID MORE BUT THEY DO THEIR JOB BETTER BECAUSE YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE COMING IN AND SAYING, HEY, I WILL TRY.
SO I BELIEVE FIRMLY THAT THIS IS A HARD JOB.
THEY ARE NOT PAID WELL. IF THEY GET PAID WELL, WE ARE GOING TO BRING IN MORE PEOPLE TO STEP IN AND SAY THEY WANT TO DO IT, AND YOU AUTOMATICALLY HAVE GOT A HIGHER QUALITY COMMISSIONER JUST BECAUSE YOU INTRODUCED MORE PEOPLE PUTTING THEIR HAT IN THE RING.
>> TO KRISTY'S POINT AS WELL AS DEBBIE'S -- I DON'T THINK DEBBIE IS SAYING THAT OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT QUALIFIED OR ANYTHING. HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO ASK A QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THAT ADJUSTMENT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE 90,000. IS THAT, IF THEY DO THAT ARE THEY CONSIDERED FULL TIME? I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A DESCRIPTION WE HAVE AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER THAT HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HOURS THEY HAVE TO DEVOTE TO THIS POSITION. IF YOU GO TO THIS -- THIS OTHER ITEM HERE, IT IS A REQUIREMENT FOR THEM TO BE FULL- TIME BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY CAN WORK THIS JOB FULL- TIME AND HAVE A LIVING OFF OF IT AS WELL. I DON'T THINK THERE'S
A -- >> THERE IS NO JOB DESCRIPTION BECAUSE IT IS AN ELECTED POSITION. IF YOU HAVE A JOB DESCRIPTION, THEN YOU WILL BE A HIRED POSITION.
>> OKAY. SO THEYGET ELECTED FOUR YEARS AND THEY SAID, OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GOING TO EARN THE $37,000 AND I'M NOT GOING TO DO A DARN THING.
I MEAN THEY WILL ONLY BE THERE ONE TERM OR, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THEY GET RECALLED, BUT MY POINT IS THEY -- IF WE WERE -- THERE'S NOT A SET NUMBER OF HOURS. NOW, J.B. HAS ALREADY SAID HE WORKS 60- PLUS HOURS AND I BELIEVE IT. I HAVE SEEN HIM DO IT AND I HAVE SEEN ALL OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BEING OUT THERE AND DOING THAT. SO IF WE ARE TO GO TO THIS, WHICH I'M IN FAVOR OF, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE -- AND I CAN TOUCH ON THIS LATER -- THAT THERE IS MONEY THAT WE COULD PROBABLY DO. J.B. SAID HE DOGES.
I THINK THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER THINGS AND WE WILL GET YOUR POINT, KRISTY, I THINK IT IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO. I UNDERSTAND, MATT, WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, THAT OTHER PROFESSIONS NEED TO BE -- YOU KNOW, HAVE A RAISE, BUT I THINK THAT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS. I THINK THAT'S MORE OF A STATE LEVEL. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE
I MEAN -- >> YOU KNOW HOW I AM ABOUT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. I MEAN I HAVE THAT SAME ARGUMENT FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS BUT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BEFORE WE GET TO BRANDON REAL QUICK, AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT, BILL, PERHAPS CONSIDERING THE LEVEL OFOF THAT FUND LEVEL IS, CURRENTLY 93 -- AND THIS IS JUST AN ASSUMPTION ON MY PART. IN THE LANGUAGE IN THE 17- 18 CRC THEY CRAFTED IT WHERE IT REACHES ONLY 70% OF WHAT IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERAL LAW. THAT WAS THEIR WAY OF KIND OF PLACING A BARRIER ON HOW FAR, HOW MUCH CAN BE PROVIDED.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY
[01:35:02]
SOMETHING THAT WE COULD PURSUE, BUT I THINK IT GOES TO YOUR POINT. BRANDON.>> YEAH, THANK YOU. I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH LEN AS WELL. PLACING A DOLLAR AMOUNT OR SOME SORT OF FIXED AMOUNT ON THIS THING IS PROBABLY A LOSING IDEA AS WE'VE SEEN FROM THE LAST THREE OR SO.
MY SORT OF QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE PROPOSAL HERE? ARE WE LOOKING TO COMPLETELY ERASE THE CURRENT LANGUAGE AS IS AND THEN LET IT RESET TO A DEFAULT? AND TO RHONDA'S POINT, WOULD THAT DEFAULT ESSENTIALLY BE STATUTORY? IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE ALL IN SORT OF CONSENSUS, AT LEAST THE MAJORITY OF US ARE IN CONSENSUS. SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PROPOSAL HERE FOR THE EDIT, WOULD BE
MY QUESTION? >> WELL, AND PERHAPS VICE CHAIR MAY -- HIS QUESTIONS MAY GO TO THAT, BUT BEFORE WE KIND OF JUMP INTO THE PROPOSAL LANGUAGE, LET ME JUST PROVIDE AN OPEN MIC FOR THE
THANK YOU, CHAIR. HE ANSWERED THE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, I WAS LOOKING FOR. IN ADDITION TO THAT I WILL TELL YOU IN FULL DISCLOSURE, I SAT ON THE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I JUST DID NOT HEAR A REASONABLE JUSTIFICATION FOR DOING WHAT OCCURRED.
SO I THINK WE'RE HERE TODAY AND WE HAVE A VERY TOUGH DECISION TO MAKE, AND WE HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, REGARDING OUR COUNTY, OUR HOME, OUR COMMUNITY. AT THE END OF THE DAY I THINK YOU CANCAN MOST ANY GROUP YOU WANT TO POLL.
LET'S JUST BE REALISTIC AND CANDID.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US AS A GROUP TO ADDRESS IT. LET'S ADDRESS IT AND MOVE FORWARD. WE CAN'T KEEP HURTING THE COMMUNITY LIKE THIS.
THIS COMMUNITY HAS CHANGED. I HAVE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME,' '89, I BELIEVE. WE SHARE A SIMILAR YEAR, IN AND OUT.
THIS COMMUNITY HAS CHANGED. WE HAVE TO COME TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, AS A MAJORITY AND MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS FOR OUR
>> KURT. >> YEAH, ALONG WITH THAT, I THINK -- I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT MOST OF US FEEL LIKE THE COMMISSIONERS ARE REALLY NOT BEING COMPENSATED FOR THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT THEY HAVE TO DO, BUT I HAVE SEEN THE LAST TWO COMMISSIONS PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT TO CHANGE THAT AND THEY GOT TURNED DOWN.
SO MY THOUGHT IS MAYBE THIS COMMISSION WE CAN TRY TO BE CREATIVE, BUT I THINK THE BURDEN ON THAT FALLS UPON THAT GENTLEMAN RIGHT THERE.
>> I SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE ASK SCOTT TO PUT TOGETHER A COUPLE OF PROPOSED WORDINGS, CREATIVE WORDINGS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT, THAT WE COULD VOTE ON TO DECIDE THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO PUT ON THE BALLOT, THAT MIGHT HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF GETTING PASSED BY THE COUNTY AS OPPOSED -- WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THE LAST ONES ARE WRITTEN, PEOPLE SEE THE
DOLLAR AMOUNTS. >> THE PROBLEM IS YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF WHATEVER IT IS THAT IS DECIDED TO BE PROPOSED TO THE VOTERS.
>> SO -- >> LET ME ASK YOU THIS THOUGH.
ONE OF THE CREATIVE WORDINGS PUT ON THE BALLOT IS THE ONE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT OVER ON THIS SIDE, ABOUT JUST ELIMINATING THAT PORTION OF THE CHARTER.
WOULD THAT REQUIRE -- I MEAN DO YOU HAVE TO PUT THAT CHARTER ON THE BALLOT --
>> AS TO WHETHER IT WOULD DEFAULT BACK TO THE STATE, I WOULD SAY YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF LANGUAGE IN THERE. BEING YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT FROM 37,000 TO 93,000, AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE VOTERS ARE GOING TO DO. BUT I WOULD SAY I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY POPULAR.
>> I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WHY -- WHY WOULDN'T YOU JUST BE ABLE TOTO SAY ALIGN TO THE FLORIDA STATE STATUTE AND LEAVE IT AT THAT? WHY DO WE HAVE TO -- WHY DO WE HAVE TO BOIL THE OCEAN?
>> WELL, YOU HAVE TO DISCLOSE THAT.
>> BUT THE FLORIDA STATUTE IS OPEN SOURCE.
ANYBODY COULD GO AND READ IT AND SEE WHAT THAT -- HOW THAT WOULD APPLY TO CLAY COUNTY.
>> I WOULD SAY THAT'S NOT SUFFICIENT.
I MEAN THAT'S A NICE THOUGHT FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, BUT THAT'S --
>> SO, GLEN, IN THE BACK OF OUR -- IN THE BACK OF OUR PACKAGE, ALL RIGHT, SO THIS WAS SOMETHING WE PUT TOGETHER LAST TIME WITH -- TALLAHASSEE DID THIS.
[01:40:03]
THEY PUT WORDING IN THERE. I WILL JUST READ THE WORDING BECAUSE I THINK IT KIND OF SATISFIES WHAT GLEN WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT. IT JUST SAYS, SHALL THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF TALLAHASSEE BE AMENDED TO PROVIDE THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COMMISSION BE PAID AN ANNUAL SALARY EQUAL TO THE ANNUAL SALARY SET BY STATE LAW.THAT'S IT. THERE'S YOUR GUIDELINE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT -- THAT'S ALL THAT HAS TO BE SAID. SAID.
>> I MEAN THERE'S NO NUMBER, NOTHING TO DO
WITH THAT. >> THERE'S NOT A NUMBER -- THERE'S NOT AN ACTUAL NUMBER IN THE AMENDMENT.
>> NO. >> BUT THE AMOUNT STILL WILL HAVE TO BE DISCLOSED.
>> THIS IS WHAT THE CITY CHARTER
THE BALLOT. >> THAT'S WHAT THE BALLOT SAID.
>> I WOULD SAY IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL LITERATURE THAT GOES WITH THE AMENDMENT THAT'S RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC.
HOLD ON. BILL, CAN YOU GIVE THE MIKE TO SCOTTY, PLEASE?
>> I THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUNTY CHARTERS AND CITY CHARTERS, IS THERE NOT?
>> SO I THINK -- CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MR. ATTORNEY.
IF THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE THE SALARY FROM WHAT IT IS NOW TO WHAT IS RECOMMENDED BY THE STATE IS FOR CLAY COUNTY NOT TO BE A CHARTERED COUNTY.
THEN IT WILL REVERT BACK THE OTHER WAY.
BUT ALSO WHAT WE DO COLLECTIVELY IS MAKE RECOMMEND -- WE RECOMMEND TO THE VOTERS THAT THEY DO THIS. WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. WE RECOMMEND THAT WE INCREASE THE PAY TO THE -- FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
LIKE YUL SAID EARLIER, WE'VE BEEN ON OTHER COMMISSIONS BEFORE AND WE TRIED TO TIE IT TO THE CPI, WE TREED TRIED TO TIE IT TO THE INDEX, WE TRIED TO GIVE THEM A SMALL PERCENTAGE RATE.
EVERY TIME VOTERS VOTED -- LAST TIME I THINK IT WAS 60-40, NO, WE DON'T WANT IT. PEOPLE MOVE TO CLAY COUNTY FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. ONE REASON IS WE HAVE GREAT SCHOOLS HERE. WE HAVE GREAT SCHOOLS.
AND WE HAVE LOW TAXES. SO WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT RATE -- HEY, WE WANT TO GIVE THE SCHOOLTEACHERS A RAISE. WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO RAISE OUR TAXES.
WE WANT TO PAY OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. YEAH, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO RAISE OUR TAXES. WE ARE ALSO BEING FACED IN THIS NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING AWAY WITH AD VALOREM TAXES, AND IN CLAY COUNTY IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, AD VALOREM TAXES ONLY PAY FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S ALL AD VALOREM PAYS. NOW, ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, WE WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, THEY GET FEDERAL MONEY, THEY GET STATE MONEY, THEY GET COUNTY MONEY.
THEIR REVENUES COME FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
UNLIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, CONGRESS VOTES ON THEIR PAY RAISE.
SO THEY WANT A PAY RAISE, THEY VOTE IT IN, AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THEM VOTING "NO" ON THAT. SO LIKE KEEP IN MIND AGAIN, ALL WE DO IS MAKE RECOMMENDATION TO THE VOTERS, THAT WE DO WHATEVER WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO DO.
MADAM CHAIR. >> APPRECIATE THAT.
I NOTICED THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, CAN I JUST -- ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION TO WHAT SCOTTY HAD SAID WITH REGARDS TO US HAVING TO BE A NON- CHARTERED COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO SOMEHOW REVISE THE COMMISSIONERS' PAY. IS THAT CORRECT? OR UNDER THE CURRENT AVENUE THROUGH THE CRC, CAN WE PROPOSE SOME TYPE OF REVISION?
>> YOU CAN PROPOSE A REVISION. SO THE CHARTER WAS IN PLACE AND THEN BY INITIATIVE IT WAS AMENDED. SO -- BY THE VOTERS. LIKEWISE, ANOTHER AMENDMENT COULD BE MADE TO CHANGE THAT PROVISION WITHOUT SIMPLY GOING TO BE A NON-CHARTER.
I THINK WHAT MR. TAYLOR WAS REFERENCING, JUST THAT THAT'S -- MIGHT BE THE ONLY MEANS TO GET IT OVER THE HURDLE IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET VOTERS TO VOTE ON
IT. >> GOT YOU. UNDERSTOOD. I APPRECIATE THAT.
>> APPRECIATE YOU BOTH. MR. SALTER, I SEE YOUR HAND IS
UP. >> I WAS JUST CURIOUS, GLEN, AS TO WHAT THE -- YOU KNOW, GOVERNING STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR THE DISCLOSURE THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DISCLOSED?
>> I DON'T HAVE THAT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE BUT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO GET THAT.
>> YEAH, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE HELPFUL.
THAT WAY WE COULD LOOK AT WHAT THE -- YOU KNOW, WHAT THE POST IS ON IT.
>> AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS IF TALLAHASSEE WAS ABLE TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT THAT WAY, WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THEM THAN
[01:45:01]
US THAT WE COULDN'T USE SIMILAR VERBIAGE?ANSWER. >> JUST SOME QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT. I AGREE.
I THINK THE MORE SIMPLE WE MAKE IT, THE EASIER IT IS FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE ASKING THEM
TO DO. >> SUSAN FIRST AND THEN I WILL GO OVER TO KURT.
>> STEVE, DID THAT AMENDMENT GET PASSED IN TALLAHASSEE?
>> SO DID THEY DO SOME TYPE OF EDUCATION FOR -- LIKE IS THAT SOMETHING WE WOULD DO AS A GROUP, WE WOULD GET THAT VER BADGE OUT TO MAYBE FLYERS OR SOMETHING TO SEND OUT TO PEOPLE TO EXPLAIN WHY WE WANT TO DO THAT?
DO THAT? >> YEAH, THAT'S A POTENTIAL -- ARE YOU AWARE OF WHAT THE PAY MIGHT BE IF WE WERE TO PURSUE THE SIMPLIFIED LANGUAGE THAT TALLAHASSEE PURSUED?
>> I MEAN I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT IN THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE THAT GETS INCLUDED ON THE BALLOT. I MEAN OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE MAY HAVE QUESTIONS BUT I'M NOT AWARE IT HAS TO BE IN SPECIFIC LANGUAGE. I WOULD LEAVE THAT TO YOUR ATTORNEY TO MAKE THE DEFINITE, DEFINITIVE ANSWER
SURE. >> I WOULDN'T SAY IT HAS TO GO ACTUALLY IN THAT LANGUAGE. THAT'S THE LANGUAGE THEY HAVE IN THE BALLOT, BUT IT HAS TO BE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF ANY AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAVE, HAS TO ALSO BE PROVIDED.
>> THE .03%. >> SO HAVE YOU SEEN THIS PARTICULAR -- OKAY. SO YOU HAVE
READ THAT? >> YES, AND I'M NOT SURE IF -- IS WHAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO IS THE FINANCIAL IMPACT IN CONNECTION WITH AN ORDINANCE REVISION WHERE IT REQUIRES THE BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT? SO THERE IS A FLORIDA STATUTE THAT IF THE COMMISSION ADOPTS AN ORDINANCE WE HAVE TO INCLUDE A FINANCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT. THIS IS DIFFERENT IN THE SENSE IT IS NOT AN ORDINANCE. THIS WOULD BE AN AMENDMENT THAT GOES TO THE VOTERS. I'M NOT SURE AND I WOULD LEAVE IT TO MR. TAYLOR TO RESEARCH WHETHER THAT STATUTE THAT APPLIES TO ORDINANCES AND REQUIRES THE BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT WOULD ALSO APPLY.
AND WE'LL GET OVER TO LEN, BUT I THINK IT IS A SEPARATE ISSUE. WE COULD DECIDE -- AND I THINK WE SHOULD, IF POSSIBLE DECIDE TONIGHT WHAT LANGUAGE WE WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE FOR THE AMENDMENT.
AND THEN, SEPARATELY, GIVE OUR ATTORNEY SOME TIME TO DO ADDITIONAL RESEARCH WITH REGARDS TO ARE WE REQUIRED OR TO HAVE THAT EDUCATION AND THE BUSINESS IMPACT WITH THAT PARTICULAR AMOUNT, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
WITH THAT SAID LET ME GO OVER TO LEN.
>> I JUST WANT TO SAY I AM A CONSERVATIVE FROM THE VERY HEART OF WHAT IS CONSERVATIVE, BUT I THINK IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE KRISTY AND RHONDA ARE BOTH SPOT ON.
IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT WE ALLOW THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE WHO ARE ELECTED TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES WITHOUT A FEAR THAT THIS 40 TO 60 HOURS PER WEEK WILL HAVE A SERIOUS DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON THEIR PERSONAL LIFE OR THEIR FINANCES. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WOULD CONTEND TO YOU, NICK, THAT THE REASON WHY -- AND I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THIS SINCE I GOT HERE. THE REASON WHY CLAY COUNTY IS HAVING DIFFICULTY -- AND I HAVE SPOKEN TO BETSY ABOUT A FEW OF THESE, YOU SIMPLY DON'T HAVE THE HORSEPOWER IN CLAY COUNTY TO CHAMPION YOUR NEEDS IN TALLAHASSEE.
DO YOU HAVE A LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT OR LEGISLATIVE STAFF THAT THE COMMISSIONERS CAN GO TO TO SAY, "GO BUILD ME A STATEMENT TO THE LEGISLATION THAT DEFENDS CLAY COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITIES OR REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHERS' PAY?" BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE DECISIONS ARE MADE.
AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE ONE, WE HAVE FIVE COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE SITTING HERE HOPING AND PRAYING THAT IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
SO I THINK YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT AND THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS THING FOR THE FUTURE, AND THEN I'M GOING TO SAY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE I WOULD LOOK AT MY LAWYERS AND SAY TELL ME HOW I HAVE TO WRITE THIS SO THAT IT IS RIGHT. IT SATISFIES THE REQUIREMENTS.
GO BACK AND DO THE RESEARCH BUT TELL ME HOW I HAVE TO WRITE SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE.
[01:50:01]
EITHER I CAN OR I CAN'T.>> AND WRITING IS NOT A PROBLEM. I STILL -- I WILL RESEARCH IT FURTHER, BUT I JUST -- MY UNDERSTANDING, AND MAYBE IT HAS CHANGED OR MAYBE -- MAYBE I'M MISTAKEN BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I AM, THAT IT HAS TO BE -- IN A WAY I WOULD HOPE IT HAS TO BE DISCLOSED. I WOULD HATE TO THINK PEOPLE COULD PASS THESE RULES AND SLIP SOMETHING IN LIKE THAT THAT COULD BE BIGGER. I MEAN THAT --
WE WIN? >> WE DISCLOSE IT AND VOTERS VOTE ON IT. THAT'S HOW WE -- I MEAN I DON'T HAVE ANY OPINION IN THIS, I JUST DO WHAT YOU GUYS TELL ME TO DO.
>> ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. KURT, I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING. GO
RIGHT AHEAD. >> I'M JUST SAYING, I THINK WE ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT, WE WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S CREATIVE AND WE WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S SIMPLE, AND THE WAY THIS -- NOW, AGAIN, IT USES THE WORD "ORDINANCE" BUT, AGAIN, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY WAS SAYING WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN AMENDMENT, NOT AN ORDINANCE. THE BURDEN IS ON YOU, SCOTT, O LOOK UP AND DO THE RESEARCH TO FIGURE OUT IF THIS THING WERE WRITTEN AS IT IS BUT YOU CHANGED THE WORD "ORDINANCE" TO "AMENDMENT" IN A WAY, IS THAT GOING TO FLY, WILL THAT FLY?
>> RIGHT. AND THOSE TWO TASKS AREN'T MARRIED TOGETHER. LIKE I SAID, WE CAN APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE ONE TONIGHT BASED ON HOWEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE THAT, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT LANGUAGE WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME INTO NEXT YEAR FOR OUR ATTORNEY TO DO THE THE RESEARCH. I KNOW DEBBIE HAD A QUICK QUESTION OR COMMENT.
>> I DID WANT TO CLARIFY. I DID NOT MEAN TO IMPLY OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE SOMEHOW LESS GOOD BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT PAID WELL. I JUST THINK THEY'RE NOT FAIRLY PAID FOR THE AMOUNT OF WORK THEY DO. I THINK THEY SHOULD BE COMPENSATED ACCORDINGLY TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING. I THINK ALSO IT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. WE ARE PAYING THE COMMISSIONERS THE SAME THING WE'VE BEEN PAYING THEM FOR THE PAST 18 YEARS AND IT IS NOT -- IT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE BECAUSE WE HAVE GOT TO LOOK NOT JUST WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN FOUR YEARS, IN EIGHT YEARS, IN 16 YEARS, IN 24 YEARS.
AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, AND IT SEEMS TO ME RIGHT NOW IS THE TIME TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
I AGREE THOUGH, GLEN, THAT WE WANT CLARIT. WE DON'T WANT TO LIKE TRICK PEOPLE INTO VOTING SOMETHING THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE VOTED, LIKE WE HAVE SEEN THAT DONE. THAT GETS DONE.
SO I AGREE, WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITHOUT CONFUSING THE POLITICIANS, THEY'RE LIKE I DON'T WANT TO PAY THEM A RAISE BECAUSE THAT'S OUR KNEE JERK REACTION
I DON'T THINK ANY MEMBER HERE WANTS TO PULL THE WOOL OVER ANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS' EYES FOR SURES.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WHAT IS DONE IS FAIRLY DONE.
BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE REPRESENTING OUR VOTERSVOTERS IN BEST WAY POSSIBLE. WITH ALL OF THAT DISCUSSION, AND BY ALL MEANS IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS FURTHER, PLEASE COME TO THE MIC.
BUT LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME LANGUAGE.
DO WE WANT TO GO WITH KEEP IT SIMPLE AND GO -- UTILIZE TALLAHASSEE LANGUAGE OR DO WE WANT TO EXPLORE SOMETHING DIFFERENT. RHONDA?
>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FIRST OF ALL TO FIND OUT THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST START, RIGHT? I KNOW THERE'S REQUIREMENTS IN THE HEADER, THERE'S REQUIREMENTS IN WHAT ACTUALLY GOES ON THE BALLOT, AND THERE'S REQUIREMENTS OF WHAT THE BACKUP LOOKS LIKE. SO I THINK THAT THAT IS PROBABLY VERY APROPOS TO FIND OUT THAT FIRST -- I THINK GLEN CAN COME UP WITH OPTIONS TO TWEET UNLESS SOMEBODY HAS AN IDEA HOW THEY WANT IT. I HAVE HEARD ACROSS THE BOARD STATE STATUTE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE INCORPORATED IN THAT, BUT I THINK IT IS VERY -- FOR US TO
COME UP -- >> I WOULD SAY HOW IT IS PUT ON A PIECE OF PAPER, ON THE ACTUAL AMENDMENT -- THAT'S KIND OF ADMINISTRATIVE. WE COULD -- ONCE WE HAVE THE LANGUAGE, AND SHOULD WE NEED TO AMEND IT IN THE NEXT MEETING, WE COULD CERTAINLY DO THAT FOR SURE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK HOW WE POSITION IT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ONCE WE HAD THE LANGUAGE GLEN CAN LOOK AT OTHER MEETINGS BUT WE HAVE HAD THE DISCUSSION HERE TONIGHT.
WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF
[01:55:01]
THOUGHTS HAVE GONE INTO THIS. YOU KNOW, HARD DISCUSSIONS BACK AND FORTH. DO WE WANT TO JUSTJUST FORWARD IN COMING UP WITH THE LANGUAGE TO PURSUE? NOW, WHEN GLEN COMES BACK WITH THE RESEARCH ON HOW THAT LOOKS, HOW IT IS FORMATTED -- AND I THINK THAT'S -- YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO WAIT FOR THAT.BUT WHEN THAT COMES BACK, SHOULD WE NEED TO RELOOK AT THIS, SAY, "OKAY, WE ARE TWO WORDS LONGER THAN WHAT IS ALLOWED," WELL, THEN WE COULD COME BACK BY MOTION AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND REVISE IT AND TWEAK IT AS NEEDED. BUT WE HAVE DONE SO MUCH HARD, HEAVY LIFTING TONIGHT, I OPEN IT UP TO THE FLOOR TO WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO PURSUE A HARD LOOK AT LANGUAGE.
>> I MAKE A MOTION WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
I THINK WE'VE BEAT, YOU KNOW, A DEAD HORSE
>> HOLD UP. LET'S GIVE THE MIC -- LET'S GIVE THE MIC TO JOE, PLEASE.
>> SORRY ABOUT THAT. WE NEED TO CLARIFY THAT MOTION. THIS WAY EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT WE'RE EITHER GOING FOR OR AGAINST. I THINK IT IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL WHEN WE -- BEFORE WE MAKE THAT TO THE FLOOR.
>> ABSOLUTELY, FOR SURE. BILL, GO AHEAD AND CLARIFY THAT FOR ME AND WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO
A SECOND. >> THERE WERE A LOT OF WORDS USED IN THIS WHOLE THING. WE SPENT 30 MINUTES ON IT.
SO I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROPER VERBIAGE, THE PROPER CONTENT. I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. I WILL KEEP IT SIMPLE.
>> ANYBODY WANT TO ADD TO THAT
THE MOTION. >> GO AHEAD AND AMEND IT.
NO, WE'LL -- I CAN TAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THAT BEFORE WE -- WE PURSUE A SECOND, IF THAT'S NOT -- DOES THAT -- CAN I GET A SECOND FOR THE MOTION AS
WELL, WE HAVE A MOTION THAT'S BEEN PROPERLY SECONDED.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
>> SO THE ONLY THING I WOULD BRING UP, THE FIRST THING WE HAVE TO DECIDE IS DO WE ACTUALLY WANT TO RAISE THE SALARIES OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO THE STATE- MANDATED GUIDELINES. THAT SHOULD PROBABLY BE THE MOTION. THE WORDS THAT ARE USED, I MEAN YOU CAN JUST DIRECT -- DIRECT OR ASK GLEN --
>> -- TO COME UP WITH THE WORDS. REALLY WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IS DO WE WANT TO RAISERAISE SALARIES OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO THE STATE GUIDELINES. THAT'S REALLY IT.
>> OKAY. BASED ON THAT DISCUSSION, DO WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD -- ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL RIGHT. ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AS PRESENTED, SAY AYE.
>> AYE. >> ALL OF THOSE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION AS PRESENTED, SAME SIGN.
>> OKAY. I HAVE THE MOTIONS FOR MOVING FORWARD OUTWEIGH THOSE IN ABSTENTION. SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LANGUAGE AND THE CONTENT AS PRESENTED.
THE CONTENT BEING WHAT DOES -- WHAT DOES THE SALARY LOOK LIKE --
>> WHAT WAS THE VOTE ON THAT, WAS
THAT 4-2? >> WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD, BECAUSE THAT WAS RAISED. LET'S GO AHEAD AND ROLL CALL ON THIS PARTICULAR MOTION.
>> OKAY. THE AYES HAVE IT -- SORRY. GO GO KURT. SORRY ABOUT THAT.
>> CAN I ASK FOR CLARIFICATION?
>> HOLD ON ONE SECOND. WE'RE NOT DONE WITH COLLECTING THESE. BILL, GO AHEAD.
ALL RIGHT. SO THE AYES HAVE IT OVER THE NO'S. WE HAVE ONE, TWO -- WE HAVE NINE AYES VERSUS TWO NOS. ALL RIGHT.
SO THE MOTION CARRIES AS PRESENTED. NOW, I WILL MOVE OVER TO RHONDA FOR --
>> I APOLOGIZE. SO I -- THE -- WE WERE VOTING ON THE VERBIAGE, NOT THE RAISE?
[02:00:01]
>> THAT IS THE CONTENT, YES. WE VOTED TO PURSUE -- MOVE FORWARD WITH DISCUSSING THE CONTENT. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE, WHICH INCLUDES WHAT DOES THE RAISE
LOOK LIKE. >> I NEEDED THAT CLARIFICATION.
>> THAT'S QUITE OKAY. SO MOTION CARRIES.
WE ARE NOW DISCUSSING THE CONTENT OF A POTENTIAL AMENDMENT. WHAT DO WE WANT TO LOOK -- WHAT DOES THAT RAISE LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES THE LANGUAGE LOOK LIKE? DO WE WANT TO FOLLOW TALLAHASSEE AND JUST KEEP IT SIMPLE AND USE THIS LANGUAGE OR NOT? LET'S OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION.
TONIGHT? >> WE HAVE JUST MOTIONED TO PURSUE THAT, YES.
>> BUT I'M NOT SAYING, BECAUSE GLEN HAS TO GO BACK AND DO THE RESEARCH AND WRITE IT UP.
>> NO, SO THAT'S FORMATTING. WE CAN -- WE CAN PURSUE LANGUAGE IF WE'RE READY TO IDENTIFY WHAT THAT LANGUAGE IS. HOW THAT LOOKS LIKE ON A PIECE OF PAPER ININ OF FORMATTING, HE CAN DO THAT RESEARCH LATER ON AND WE CAN ADDRESS IT IN MEETINGS IN THE FUTURE. BUT WE'RE READY TO PURSUIT, TO DISCUSS LANGUAGE TONIGHT.
>> CAN WE HEAR THE WORDING OF THE TALLAHASSEE AGAIN?
STEVE. >> IT IS ON THE LAST PAGE OF YOUR HANDOUT FOR TODAY. PARAGRAPH ON LINE NINE.
>> I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ IT THOUGH. IT STATES, THE ANNUAL SALARY FOR MEMBERS OF THE CITY COMMISSION SHALL BE EQUAL TO THE ANNUAL SALARY SET BY STATE LAW FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LEON COUNTY, FLORIDA.
KRISTY. >> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I AGREE WITH THAT LANGUAGE.
>> SECOND. >> WELL, THE MOTION HASN'T BEEN MADE, BUT I JUST SAW YOU NODDING YOUR HEAD SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN AGREEMENT
WITH THAT. >> I'M SORRY. TO CLARIFY, I AGREE WITH THE LANGUAGE FOR THE LAWYER TO TAKE BACK TO MAKE SURE WE'RE WITHIN THE LEGAL BOUNDS.
>> YES. >> AND THE SIMPLER IT IS, THE EASIER I THINK IT IS TO EXPLAIN IT TO
>> I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE, MAKE A MOTION TO -- FIRST, FOR US TO RAISE THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER SALARY TO EQUAL THAT OF THE SALARY SET BY STATE LAW FOR MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND HAVE OUR LAWYER, GLEN TAYLOR, GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE WORDS TO USE FOR THAT PROPOSAL AND BRING THOSE BACK.
>> ALL RIGHT. SO I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION?
>> NOT THAT IT -- THIS IS MAYBE BEING TOO NITPICKY, BUT I WONDER IF THE TERM I WOULD USE WOULD BE "ADJUSTED" INSTEAD OF RAISE. TO ADJUST THE SALARY OF THE CLAY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO MATCH THAT OF STATE COMMISSIONERS OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
>> STEVE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO AMEND
YOUR MOTION? >> CAN I AMEND MY MOTION?
>> STRIKE THE WORD AND PUT IN ADJUST.
>> ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE AN AMENDED MOTION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT.
I HAVE A MOTION. IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
>> AYE. >> ALL OF THOSE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN.
WITH NO FURTHER OPPOSITION, MOTION PASSES. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE THAT TO GLEN TO BRING BACK SOME VERBIAGE.
WOULD NEXT MONTH BE SUFFICIENT
MEETING? >> JANUARY 12TH, I BELIEVE. LET ME JUST CONFIRM THAT.
OKAY. THANK YOU. JANUARY 12TH IS OUR NEXT MEETING. WOULD THAT BE
SUFFICIENT TIME? >> THAT SHOULD
BE FINE. >> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL ASK OUR ATTORNEY TO COME PREPARED AT OUR NEXT MEETING TO DISCUSS A COUPLE, HOWEVER MANY YOU THINK APPROPRIATE IN TERMS OF VERBIAGE, PROPERLY FORMATTED AND FOR US TO CONSIDER. IS THAT OKAY?
FANTASTIC. GLEN, GO AHEAD. AND TURN ON
YOUR MIC. >> THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE THIRD MONDAY OF THE MONTH, WHICH IS THE 19TH, NOT THE 12TH.
>> WELL, TAKE WAS A HOLIDAY SO WE MOVED -- I THINK YOU WERE MAYBE ABSENT AT THE LAST MEETING.
>> OH -- >> WE DID HAVE TO MOVE THINGS AROUND SLIGHTLY.
>> OKAY. I WILL NOT BE PRESENT FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
[02:05:05]
SO I HAVE A LITTLE RED SIGNAL. I GUESS CAN YOU JUST REPEAT IT WITH YOUR MIC ON?
>> I HAD IT -- I DID NOT KNOW THAT IT HAD ADJUSTED SO NOW I HAVE COMMITMENTS THAT I CANNOT CHANGE SO I WILL NOT BE PRESENT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
[PUBLIC HEARING]
UNDERSTOOD. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE MOVING ON INTO PUBLIC HEARING. I WILL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT. SORRY ABOUT THAT. I WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> THANK YOU. MY NAME IS HELENA CORMIER.
I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL ÚYOU ARE DOING AND ALL OF THE DISCUSSION. I HAD NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO HAVE THE DISTRICT VERSUS AT- LARGE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU FROM SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS THE AREA WHERE I LIVE AT, HAVING SOMEBODY THAT IS DISTRICT IN THE AREAS IS SO IMPORTANT, AND THEM BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE AREA THAT THEY LIVE AT. SO I DO APPRECIATE THAT TREMENDOUSLY. AND I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT THIS WAS A FULL- TIME JOB FOR ANY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS A PART- TIME JOB UNTIL I STARTED LEARNING MORE ABOUT IT, BUT WHAT WE ASK OF OUR COMMISSIONERS TO BE OUT AND ABOUT IN THIS COMMUNITY, TO BE ANSWERING THE E- MAILS, TO BE JUST CORRESPONDING AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS GOING ON IS A TREMENDOUS LOAD. AND FOR THEM TO BE PAID, THEY ARE WORTHY OF THEIR HIRE, AND THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO IT, AND IT IS NOT JUST THE HOURS THAT THEY SIT ON THE BENCH FOR A MEETING. IT IS EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES ON IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND SO I PRAY THAT WE CAN GET THE MESSAGE CLEARLY TO THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WANT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT PROBLEMS OR DIFFERENT THINGS, THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND, GUYS, WE NEED OUR COMMISSIONERS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE TIME.
THEY CAN'T HAVE THE TIME IF THEY'RE NOT PAID ADEQUATELY.
SO I HOPE THAT AS EVERYBODY MOVES FORWARD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET THAT BEHIND US SO THAT THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR TO THE VOTERS, THAT WE NEED THEM TO COME OUT AND VOTE AND WE NEED THEM TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS IMPERATIVE FOR US TO GET THE BEST. I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE, AS THEY WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, PUNCHING ABOVE OUR BELT, WE HAVE SOME GREAT COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE VERY HIGHLY SKILLED AND THEY HAVE RESUMES THAT ARE TREMENDOUS AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF SKILLS. SO WE ARE VERY BLESSED AT THAT, AND I THINK THAT THEY DEFINITELY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
BUT I COULD FULLY UNDERSTAND THEY ARE OVERLOADED WITH THE SIZE AND THE GROWTH AND EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
AND IF Y'ALL END UP HAVING -- I HAVE NOTICED THERE'S BEEN SOME RESIGNATIONS, SOME MOVEMENTS. IF Y'ALL FALL SHORT AND YOU NEED ONE FOR AN AT- LARGE AREA BECAUSE IT MAY NOT BE IN THE DISTRICT, JUST KNOW THAT I AM HERE AND WOULD LOVE TO VOLUNTEER AND I WILL CONTINUE STAYING UP ON THESE MEETINGS. SO THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.
HEARING AND SEEING NONE, I WILL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE
[CRC MEMBER COMMENTS]
PUBLIC COMMENT. BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION. IT IS NOW TIME FOR CRC MEMBER COMMENTS. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE FLOOR. BILL, GO AHEAD.>> OKAY. BY ALL MEANS I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF INCREASING TAXPAYER MONEY.
I DON'T WANT TO ASK OUR TAXPAYERS TO CONTRIBUTE, YOU KNOW, TO THIS CAUSE. HOWEVER, I AM ALSO, I BELIEVE, IN A BUDGET NEUTRAL TYPE OF ITEM.
IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, WE ALSO HAVE TO SHOW WHERE WE CAN MAKE CUTS. SO I AM CURIOUS ABOUT -- GLEN, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THIS NEXT MONTH OR THE MONTH AFTER THAT, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HOWARD WANNAMAKER APPEAR AS WELL, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND MUNICIPALITIES.
HOW MUCH COST -- OR HOW MUCH MONEY IS THE COUNTY PUTTING INTO THE TOWN OF ORANGE PARK, TO GREEN COVE AND THE OTHER ONES? WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF HAVING THOSE SEPARATE OUT VERSUS HAVING IT ALL INCLUSIVE, MUCH LIKE WHAT DUVAL COUNTY DID. THE OTHER THING, ANOTHER PERSON I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO IS WHO IS IN CHARGE OF OUR ROADS? IN PARTICULAR, LAST MEETING I TOOK THE -- 23, I KNOW IT IS A STATE THING, BUT I ALSO TOOK 218B, IS THAT RIGHT? NO, I THINK THERE'S A -- THERE'S AN EXIT OFF THAT MAIN ROAD THAT COMES HERE, COMES AROUND THE BACK WAY. THEY WENT FROM TWO LANES ON EACH SIDE, CAME TO A BRIDGE, MADE IT SINGLE LANE AND THEN SINGLE LANE ALL THE WAY OUT TO WHEREVER THE EXIT IS. BUT ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT ROAD
[02:10:02]
IS TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF LAND. WHAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING WITH THAT LAND? THEY'RE GOING TO PUT HOUSES IN THERE. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE GOING TO WASTE, AGAIN, TAXPAYER MONEY TO GO BACK, BRING EQUIPMENT OUT, REBUILD THAT BRIDGE AND REBUILD THE ROAD SYSTEMS. IT COST A LOT OF MONEY JUST TO BRING THE SETUP FEES TO GET THAT DONE. SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT -- BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT'S A COUNTY ROAD THAT WE ARE IN CHARGE OF.WHO MAKES THOSE DECISIONS TO NOT GO AHEAD AND EXPAND THAT OR EVEN IF THEY DON'T WANT TO OPEN IT UP, BUILD THE BRIDGE AS A THREE-LANE BRIDGE, NOT A SINGLE LANE. SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IN THE NEAR -- AND MAYBE THAT CAN GIVE US SOME CLARIFICATION, BUT ALSO IT CAN GIVE US A WAY TO -- IT CAN GIVE -- IS IT STILL GOING? OKAY. IT CAN GIVE US A WAY TO DO A BUDGET- NEUTRAL OFFSET WITH OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AS WELL AS ANY OTHER PROFESSION THAT WE HAVE THAT'S RELIED UPON THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, TO PAY THEIR SALARIES.
>> THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS. ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? LEN, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
>> I WANT TO SECOND WHAT YOU JUST SAID BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I SAID IN THE FIRST MEETING.
I BELIEVE THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM IS -- AND WHEN I TALKED TO TWO OF THE COMMISSIONERS ON THE ISSUES, IS THAT TALLAHASSEE IS TELLING US HOW TO RUN OUR BUSINESS, AND UNTIL THE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE ELECTED BY THE PUBLIC, WHO LIVE HERE, ARE ABLE TO TELL TALLAHASSEE HOW IT NEEDS TO BE DONE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUFFER THIS EXACT STUFF.
BECAUSE IN OTHER STATES AROUND THE COUNTRY, DEVELOPERS ARE REQUIRED TO CHANGE THE INFRASTRUCTURE PRIOR TO THEM DEVELOPING.
IN THIS STATE THE DEVELOPER HAS TO BUILD A SMALL INTERSECTION, WHATEVER IT IS, AND THEY'RE DONE. THEY DON'T HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LIGHTS. THEY DON'T HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE INCREASED ROAD SIZES OR ANYTHING ELSE BASED UPON THEIR DEVELOPMENT EXPECTATIONS.
IT IS THE COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THERE FROM HERE. AGAIN, I THINK IF THE COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT ABLE TO WORK THEIR EFFORTS IN TALLAHASSEE, IT WILL CONTINUE BECAUSE, I MEAN, IT IS THE SAME DISCUSSION. GET RID OF PROPERTY TAX.
>> RIGHT. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT DO YOU DO? WHERE DOES IT GO? HOW DO YOU PAY FOR IT? SO I'M ALL OVER IT.
I THINK WE SHOULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THERE FROM HERE, AND I THINK SOME OF THIS STUFF JUST NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED.
THIS MAY NOT BE THE PLACE, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS SOMETHING THAT IS REVEALED AS PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT'S OCCURRED HERE.
>> APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS. ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS?
I WONDER IF WE SHOULD GO TO THE DEVELOPRS OR THE PEOPLE WHO PUT THAT BRIDGE IN? BECAUSE ONE OF MY THOSE WAS, OH, I WONDER IF THEY'RE GOING TO PLAN ON KNOWING THAT IT IS GOING TO GROW AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF CARS COMING ON THE ROAD, ARE THEY GOING TO BE PUTTING IN A SECOND BRIDGE SO ONE BECOMES ONE DIRECTION AND ONE BECOMES THE OTHER DIRECTION.
>> BETSY TELLS ME THE DEVELOPER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INCREASED INFRASTRUCTURE. THERE'S NOT AN EXPECTATION THAT THEY UNDERSTAND, THE COUNTY IS THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO DO THE INFRASTRUCTURE. THE SAME THING WITH SCHOOLS.
WE'RE IN CLAY COUNTY, WE'VE GOT THREE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOW REALLY DEVELOPING OR GROWING IN TRAILERS BECAUSE THE COUNTY CAN'T AFFORD THE TRUE INFRASTRUCTURE TO BUILD THE SCHOOL. BUT DEVELOPERS IN OTHER STATES, THAT'S PART OF THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO GROWTH, THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO MAKE BEFORE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO PUT A CONCRETE SLAB DOWN.
I THINK THAT WHAT WE DON'T HAVE HERE IN FLORIDA, ESPECIALLY IN COUNTIES LIKE CLAY, IS THE ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE NOT FIGHTING WITH THE TALLAHASSEE GROUP WHO ARE PASSING THESE LAWS IN BITS AND PIECES THAT ALLOW DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR WITHOUT AN UNDERSTANDING OF ITS CONSEQUENCES IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND WHAT AN IMPACT IT IS
I KNOW WE COULD HAVE A FULL-BLOWN DEBATE ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. THIS ISN'T NOT EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME TO HAVE THAT DEBATE, BUT, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS. MATT, YOU HAVE YOUR
JUST ONE THING. I WANT TO THANK COMMISSIONER RENNINGER FOR COMING UP HERE AND SHOWCASING THAT INFORMATION, AND I HAVE CAMPAIGNED FOR A LOT OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WE SEE AND, YOU KNOW, SOME PAST. I FELL- ON SUPPORT ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS, BUT I ALSO LISTEN TO THE VOTERS AS WELL.
[02:15:03]
40%. SO THE SAME VOTERS THAT VOTED ON THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS VOTED AGAINST THAT PAY RAISE. THE COMMISSIONERS SIGNED UP FOR THE JOB KNOWING WHAT THE PAY WAS.I FULLY SUPPORT ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS, I KNOW THEM PERSONALLY, BUT I DON'T THINK AT THIS TIME IT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO
MOVE. >> I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS, MATT.
THANK YOU. ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FOR THIS EVENING? ALL RIGHT.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN? OH, I'M SORRY.
ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT MEETING, JANUARY 12TH, 2025. GO RIGHT AHEAD.
WE'RE ENTERING A NEW YEAR. WOW! ALL RIGHT. ANY ADDITIONAL --
>> WE JUST NEED TO KNOW, ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE OUR LIST FOR THE TOPICS?
>> YES. LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE -- THANK YOU FOR THAT, LADIES.
ABSOLUTELY. LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. SO FOR THE NEXT -- I THINK WE WILL CARRY DOWN THE SALARIES AND OTHER COMPENSATION TO OUR NEXT MEETING.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT 22I INITIATIVE, AND IF WE CAN COMMISSION AUDITOR. WE WILL SEE WHAT WE NEED TO DO. IF NEED BE, WE CAN MOVE THAT INTO THE NEXT MEETING.
>> YES, I'M GOING TO ASK OUR CLERK OF COURT TO SEE IF SHE'S -- NOW, I HAVEN'T ASKED HER YET, BUT I WILL GO AHEAD AND GIVE HER A CALL TOMORROW AND SEE IF SHE IS AVAILABLE.
OTHER THAN THAT, I NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF THINKING BUT I WILL DEFINITELY GET BACK TO YOU WELL AHEAD OF TIME.
>> I THINK IT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TOO SINCE THE TWO -- IT WOULD BE TO THE COUNTY POSITION TO, WITH THE INSIDE AUDITOR, I THINK IT IS HEATHER IF WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT PERSPECTIVE.
I THINK THOSE TWO NEED TO BE MAYBE THOUGHT ABOUT ASAS SPEAKERS FOR THAT.
>> I WELCOME THAT, ABSOLUTELY. IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THAT, BY ALL MEANS, FOR SURE.
>> I GUESS A QUESTION. IS THAT APPROPRIATE FOR BOTH OF THEM IN THAT SECTION?
>> YEAH, NO, I -- I WELCOME THAT. YOU KNOW, THE MORE EDUCATION FOR US, THE BETTER, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHAT IS BEING DISCUSSED AND WE WANT TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE ON THAT. SO, YES.
HEATHER, TO THE EXTEND SHE IS COMFORTABLE IN TELLING US ABOUT HER ROLE, AND THEN THE CLERK OF COURT, SHOULD HER CALENDAR PERMIT.
AND THEN IF I THINK OF ANY OTHER PRESENTATIONS, I WILL DEFINITELY LET YOU KNOW.
ALL RIGHT. NOW, WITH THAT I THINK WE ARE READY. I WILL ACCEPT A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
>> I MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
>> MOTION. CAN I GET A SECOND?
>> SECOND. >> ALL RIGHT. ANY -- ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
>> AYE. >>
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.