High Springs City Commission splits proposed charter amendments, puts some on November ballot

BY DAVID LIGHTMAN

HIGH SPRINGS, Fla. – At their June 27 Regular Meeting, the High Springs City Commission voted to place four of the eight proposed charter amendment questions on the November ballot. They also approved School Resource Officer agreements with both a local private school and the School Board and agreed to transfer ownership of a truck from one City department to another.

Charter amendment questions

The first item of unfinished business was to decide which charter amendment questions should be placed on the November ballot. At their previous meeting, Commissioners had asked the Charter Review Board to reconvene and try to group some of the questions together instead of having 15 individual ballot referendum questions. After reconvening, the Charter Review Board submitted eight questions, some of which include up to three of the original questions.

Commissioner Andrew Miller said he didn’t like grouping the three questions about Commissioners together: “There are three separate issues falling in one category. We’ve got a salary issue, a term issue, and then a censure issue. Those are three completely different issues that I don’t think can be in one question.” Responding to a question from Mayor Weitz, Miller said he thought three of the eight questions should be broken up.

Commissioner Tristan Grunder said, “We asked them to reconvene, come back together, do more stuff. If this is how they would like to see it on there, that’s how I think we need to put it on there. It was a very diverse group made up of different citizens that worked very hard on this… We should give it to them just the way they want it.”

Miller said he had spoken with many constituents since the last meeting, and several of them said they found some of the questions confusing. Grunder said going back to the original 15 questions was also an option.

Weitz said she also had a problem with some of the questions being grouped together, and she agreed with Miller on keeping three of the five questions he wanted to approve. She reminded everyone that City Attorney Scott Walker had said at the previous meeting that they could push some of the questions to next year. Weitz also said she would prefer a recall process for Commissioners instead of the proposed process that would enable four Commissioners to remove one Commissioner from office.

Commissioner Wayne Bloodsworth cautioned against rushing, especially since there will be so many other questions on the November ballot. Weitz said some questions are simple and “others… have a lot of nuance to them that I think do potentially deserve a little bit more time. I agree with you in terms of not rushing… My preference would be to put some of these on here, as compiled [by the Charter Review Board].” Weitz added that she favored including “recall language.”

Responding to a question from Commissioner Byran Williams, City Clerk Angela Stone said the deadline for inclusion on the ballot is July 31. Williams suggested putting the simpler questions on the ballot this year and saving the more complex questions for the next election.

Public comment

During public comment, former City Commissioner Linda Jones spoke against adding a censure process. She said the people elect Commissioners, and they shouldn’t be removed by four other Commissioners. She added that the term “plurality” is not used or included in the City Charter; one of the amendments, which would govern the election of City Commissioners, provides that the Commissioner who gets the most votes wins an election, even if they don’t get a majority of the votes. A tie would be decided by a coin flip.

Janet Evans also spoke against censure, and she said she needs time to discuss the possible changes with her neighbors. Evans said, “Anything that needs more of an explanation, I think that should be held to next year when we have more time to be able to learn about it ourselves.”

Charter Review Board Chair Sue Weller spoke: “I want to point out every single one of these amendments were voted on by every single person on that committee. All five, and it was all unanimous, every single one. If you read the report that we sent you, every single one of those amendments said it was unanimous vote. There may have been some discussion as to one way or the other, but at the end it was unanimous. The other issue I want to point out is the issue of ‘plurality.’ If you read the language that is used, it doesn’t say ‘plurality.’ It says the candidate running for a particular seat receiving the greatest number of votes shall be declared the winner. Does not say anything about ‘plurality.’”

Acting City Attorney Clay Martin said the term “plurality” was included in the final version drafted by his office, and that was likely done to reduce the word count. Weller suggested using more appropriate language since the term “plurality” is not going to be in the charter.

Charter Review Board Member Lynn Jamison spoke in favor of adding a censure process and said, “We’ve had rogue Commissioners before, and it’s not fun… Being censured is a way to get you to go the right way and to quit doing what you’re doing.”

Weitz responded, “If we have an issue with another Commissioner, I think we’re pretty respectful about discussing it up here in public… I think we’re all held accountable every day, and we’re held accountable right here to the people who come and speak to us.” Weitz said she didn’t have a problem with censure, but she preferred a recall election to removal from office by other Commissioners.

Rick Testa said he favored deleting the language about removing other Commissioners from office. He said, “You’re going to end up with three kids in third grade holding a clique because they don’t like the person next to them.”

Motions

Commissioner Miller made a motion to put four of the eight ballot questions on this year’s ballot (questions 1, 6, 7, and 8) and reserve the other 4 questions for next year’s ballot. Attorney Martin suggested they make a motion to strike questions 2, 3, 4, and 5 from the ordinance and then make a separate motion to pass the ordinance with the remaining questions.

Miller made a motion to remove questions 2, 3, 4, and 5 from the proposed ordinance. The motion died for lack of a second.

Grunder made a motion to pass the ordinance as written. It also died for lack of a second.

Bloodsworth said he wanted to second Miller’s motion. Following Attorney Martin’s advice, Miller made his motion again, and Bloodsworth seconded it. The motion passed 3-2, with Williams and Grunder in dissent.

Attorney Martin read the ordinance with the four questions deleted. Miller made a motion to adopt the ordinance, and Bloodsworth seconded the motion. It passed 3-2 during a roll call vote, with Williams and Grunder in dissent.

Questions that will be on the November ballot

The four charter amendment questions that will be on the November ballot are:

• Shall the City’s corporate boundary be updated to that of the present-day boundary and provide for the ability of the City to change its boundary as prescribed by law?
• Shall the City’s Charter be amended to allow for electronic advertisement of public notices in the event the City has followed the requirements of Fla. Stat. 50.0311 and require five weeks of online publication in the event of electronic advertisement?
• Shall the City’s Charter be updated to require commissioners and charter officers to assert they are not precluded from holding office pursuant to Article VI, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution prior to taking office and to allow the City Commission to make supplemental appropriations or reductions and to require the City Manager to inform the City Commission when revenues will be insufficient to meet appropriation amounts?
• Shall the City’s Charter be amended to update the names of public parks and add the Sports Complex to the list of publicly owned lands?

School Resource Officers

Commissioners unanimously approved agreements with both First Christian Academy of High Springs and the School Board of Alachua County to provide High Springs Police Department School Resource Officers at local schools.

City fleet

Finance Director Diane Wilson introduced a resolution to sell a Community Redevelopment Agency-owned 2021 Chevy Silverado truck to the Building Department. Wilson said the Building Department has a less-efficient vehicle that will be returned to the leasing company.

Bloodsworth said, “I like it. Let’s get ‘er done.”

City Manager Jeremy Marshall said the City doesn’t need all the vehicles it has, and he is in the process of returning leased vehicles that will be replaced with more-economical purchased vehicles, which he will discuss at the next meeting. Marshall said, “I’m trying to cut the fleet down a little bit.”

Grunder made a motion to approve the transfer of the truck, and Miller seconded the motion. It passed unanimously.

The post High Springs City Commission splits proposed charter amendments, puts some on November ballot appeared first on Alachua Chronicle .