Much of Monday night’s Charter Review Commission meeting centered
around questioning City Manager Tom Bonfield on his duties, ethics, his relationship with the council, and leadership, or the lack thereof, in the city.
All commission members were present for the meeting, which included discussion of another alternate since Rhette Anderson resigned. Apparently, the matter will go before the Committee of the Whole and then the City Council will confirm the replacement on March 27.
Monday’s meeting also included talk of Florida’s Sunshine Laws, with Natalie Prim cautioning members against discussing any matters that could conceivably go before the commission. “You have to be cautious…Perception is everything,” Prim said.
Chairperson Crystal Spencer also said all e-mails sent regarding the commission should
note “for informational purposes only.”
Before Bonfield addressed the group, he and Spencer said an e-mail she sent him about his participation at the meeting went to his spam filter. Spencer said he would like to return to a commission meeting in the future “to provide more thoughtful responses and more detailed
analysis.”
Bonfield said he has 300-400 e-mails a day in his spam filter, and he cannot look through all of them.
At any rate, the city manager talked about his years of experience, his education, professional affiliations and council-manager government. “While my comments may seem self-serving,”Bonfield said, “I suppose that just cannot be avoided.”
“The collective city council sets the course of vision and policy for the city,” Bonfield continued, noting the council may remove the city manager at any time.
In response to a question about what in the charter Bonfield would “clean up,” as he put it, he referenced an advisory board and investigation into fraud. Some of the items are operational and not governance per se, he said.
Bonfield talked in great detail about his code of ethics as a member of the International City/County Management Association, or ICMA. Pensacola’s civil service requirements were also discussed, as the city employs 150 at-will contract employees and 800 civil service
employees.
“I really don’t see this as a charter issue…” Bonfield said.
After questions about the process, CRC member DeeDee Ritchie said a group would have to take the matter before the City Council, which would then take it to legislators. “It has come up several times, but no change has been made,” Ritchie said.
With the unique nature of the civil service system, at least in Florida, “Is it holding us back, or is it something we’re actually progressive in?” Spencer asked.
CRC member Floyd Armstrong asked Bonfield if he must live in the state of Florida, since the charter doesn’t require that. Bonfield said the City Council says the city manager and city attorney must reside within the city limits.
Spencer also asked Bonfield about the commission’s budget, and if the property, the money is supposed to come from, has been sold. That sale is budgeted to happen by the end of September, Bonfield said. But if it doesn’t go through, they will make adjustments, he added.
Spencer said the CRC must line up and pay for expert speakers, and she asked if consultants Margaret Stopp and William Haraway were being paid, and if so, where the money comes from. Bonfield said he believes it’s a temporary fund until the sale of the property is finalized.
The CRC members asked Bonfield about how effective the strategic planning process is, and who takes a leadership role in the issues affecting the city. They asked Bonfield if there is a visioning plan,to which he said yes.
The members also wanted to know if Bonfield publicly supports matters, and with or without the council’s approval. “I do go to the Pensacola News Journal to promote something that hasn’t necessarily been approved by the council,” he said. “That doesn’t mean they’re not
aware of it.”
The commission members asked Bonfield if his staff could make them copies of the comprehensive plan. “We could, but it’s not nighttime reading,” Bonfield said. Plus, with
the budget constraints, “I’d hate to have to copy it off if people aren’t going to read it.”
Ritchie and several other members began their remarks and questions for Bonfield by noting he has done a great job as city manager. “But you are very sensitive to the needs of the city council,” Ritchie continued.
Armstrong asked Bonfield how the council evaluates his performance. The city manager said the council does not want to do that formally, but he believes it is something that should be required. Bonfield added that he had to make the council members evaluate him this year for a credentialed manager review.
The commission members also asked Bonfield how new ideas are germinated. They are typically brought up at committee meetings, and are discussed in general, he noted. “But we must know the council is truly interested in pursuing something” to invest resources.
“We are there to carry out the desires of the collective council,” Bonfield said.
Spencer asked about the poverty rate and other statistics in the press lately that indicate problems in the city. The council has identified the poverty issue as one of its top 20 goals, the city manager said.
They also discussed the mayor-council form of government, the federal system and referendums.
CRC member Bob Holmes mentioned previous city matters, such as the City Council rejecting and not voting on a port plan and an expansion of the Downtown Improvement Board. Holmes then asked Bonfield: “Where should that type of direction belong?” With elected officials, city staff or a citizen advisory board?
“I don’t think it rests in any one place,” said Bonfield, who noted the council may have outlined a strategic objective for the port.
The city manager asked CRC members to consider the National Civic League’s model city charter. After CRC members asked their questions, Spencer said she would let
the audience members ask Bonfield questions, to which the city manager hesitated. “I just don’t want to get into debates with citizens…” he said and sat down.
But a few of the ten or so audience members addressed him anyway. Later, urging all CRC members to attend the March 24 City Council committee meeting, Spencer said she had been asked by a councilman why the CRC needs a budget.
“We must have experts speak to us,” Spencer said. “So it would seem we need a budget, and we need to educate our councilmen as to why we do.”
Holmes said the only way to send such a message is for as many CRC members to attend as possible. “It’s going to take warm bodies in the seats, sitting there,” he said. This is important stuff.”
