Notes: City Committees 5.19

May 19 City Committees meeting notes:

Mayor John Fogg and Councilmen Mike DeSorbo and Ronald Townsend said Monday night they make no apologies for unexpectedly voting to name Rusty Wells the new city attorney, despite being in the midst of an advertised selection process with nine potential candidates.

DeSorbo blamed the media for its representation of the action, which took place at his suggestion after 10:30 p.m. at the last City Council meeting.

When you have someone in-house who is qualified and capable of filling the position, DeSorbo said, “It just makes sense to do that. I’m not going to apologize for it.

“It’s in the best interest of this city to take the action that we took, DeSorbo said, twice.

Councilman Mike Wiggins said some “cost containment measures” will be attained by appointing Wells.

“I’m banking on that,” Wiggins said.

In 2004, Wells entered the city’s DROP program, which will give him pension payments in addition to regular city pension. DROP also makes Wells set to retire in August of 2009. But, apparently, he could be rehired at that time.

The new city attorney also works as a contract attorney for the Escambia Sheriff’s Office.

The discussion about city attorney negotiations Monday night took place at the end of the meeting.

Councilman Jack Nobles was the only member absent. The Finance Committee did not meet.

The other committees’ business included cost cutting in the Sanitation Services department, an East Hill recycling pilot project, and discussion about making Palafox a two-way street.
Committee members unanimously approved the cost cutting in Sanitation. The measures include: going from three to one-man crews for yard trash and bulk waste, and not having a make-up day for those services after a holiday; six position reductions in FY 2009; and the elimination of $10,000 to Clean and Green for its assistance with the STEP program.

Residential garbage collection will not be affected.

Sanitation officials also got the go-ahead for $518,965 worth of equipment, which a loan will be used to purchase. Buying the equipment soon saves the city about $50,000, officials said.
Jerry Moore, director of Sanitation Services and Fleet Management, pointed to several factors requiring the reductions. Moore said bulk waste and yard trash, which are among the most expensive to service, account for about 35 percent of sanitation in Pensacola, while in other areas it’s 13 percent.

Moore also talked about the city’s “non-typical waste stream” and increased fees at the Perdido Landfill.

Though the city has expressed an interest in consolidating services with ECUA, the dispute between ECUA and Escambia County will delay those discussions, according to a memo by Tom Bonfield, city manager.

“If the city does not take positive action to control Sanitation’s operating costs,” the memo continues, “a residential sanitation rate increase ($1.27 per customer, per month) must occur October 1, 2008.”
Deputy Mayor John Jerralds said the city should not only consolidate, but it should get out of the trash/garbage business altogether.
About 400 homes will participate in the East Hill Recycling pilot project, which will begin by mid-summer and last three to four months.
Escambia County will pay for the 90-gallon recycling bins, and will waive all tipping fees on recyclables delivered to the Perdido Landfill.
Sandy Jennings, Escambia County Solid Waste Management director, said they’re estimating 30 percent participation in East Hill. “So if we hit that, I think we’ll know we are successful,” she said.
Next, Thaddeus Cohen, Community Development director, discussed changing the intersections of Palafox and Romana and Palafox and Intendencia from signalized to all way stop.
The stop signs, Cohen said, are among the first steps to prepare for future phases: making Palafox a two-way street from Main to Government and Garden to Government.
A number of audience members spoke in favor of a two-way Palafox.
One-way streets are engineers’ solutions to traffic problems. “But they are the kiss of death to a vibrant retail sector,” said Dan Lozier, Downtown Improvement Board chairman.
As part of our Downtown Improvement Strategy, making more streets two-way, like Spring and Baylen, has been recommended, Lozier said.
He also said the DIB is taking measures to keep vehicles from loading and unloading on Palafox, blocking one or both lanes.
Kim Kimbrough, DIB executive director, said visitors don’t know how to get from the beach to downtown.
A couple of audience members suggested removing the “Do Not Enter” signs and replacing them with something more welcoming.
Kimbrough also said a consultant had told the council that two-way streets increase businesses’ visibility and sales volume.
Hall thanked Kimbrough for reminding them of the retail strategy presented there before that they hadn’t implemented.
Bonfield said a task force will come back on a project-specific basis. “It hasn’t been ignored.”
In other business, the city’s Public Housing Agency’s FY 2008/2009 streamlined annual plan was approved unanimously, as was a resolution designating Pensacola a Preserve America Community.
There was also discussion of a proposed amendment to the Land Development Code. The amendment requires a sign to be posted when there are two or more heritage trees, 10 or more protected trees, or when more than half of the trees on a site are requested for removal.
The proposed amendment also includes increased “preservation incentives.”
During the Community Redevelopment Agency meeting, Thaddeus Cohen updated committee members on about 13 projects.
Cohen talked about the new Palafox Market, which will start June 7 and will be held on subsequent Saturdays.
The market will feature about 25 farmers and artisans, and Ever’man and other businesses have agreed to purchase from the farmers.
Councilman Marty Donovan asked why farmers can’t sell from the backs of their pickup trucks.
Cohen mentioned appearance, as the participants will use tents, like at art fairs.
“I don’t think pickup trucks are ugly or offensive in any way, and neither do the growers who use them everyday,” Donovan said.
In the Committee of the Whole meeting, Audra Carter and Allison Watson were appointed to the Human Services Appropriations Committee.
Jerralds was appointed to the Pensacola-Escambia Development Commission. Townsend had also been a nominee, but he withdrew his name.
A resolution supporting the award of the Mobile County, Ala., Refueling Tanker Contract to Northrup Grumman-EADS was approved unanimously.
Committee members also unanimously approved executing a quit claim deed conveying the unimproved portions of the submerged lands west of the Bayou Texar channel to the Board of Trustees of the State of Florida Internal Improvement Trust Fund.
And lastly, the committee discussed a motion for Fogg to begin contract negotiations with Wells, the new city attorney.
Fogg will then take that information back to the City Council for review.
Donovan expressed concern over Wells’ pending 2009 retirement through the DROP program.
Current City Attorney John Fleming said he’s in the DROP program. The issue is the same with one city attorney as another, Fleming said.
Fogg referenced Florida’s CFO Alex Sink, who said pension is an entitlement under Florida law.
“I just can’t believe we tell the voting public out here that it makes no difference,” Hall said. Even if the balance sheets come up equal, “it certainly doesn’t look right,” the councilman added.
“We really need to start changing the way we do business around here, ladies and gentlemen.”
Some said there may be new council members who will make a different decision in August of 2009, when Wells is set to retire.
“By gosh…it just made sense (to appoint Wells),” DeSorbo said. “He can hit the ground running.
“I’m not going to apologize for it.”
Townsend said the people objecting are the ones who have “special interests.
I’m not going to apologize, either.”
Councilwoman Jewel Cannada-Wynn and Jerralds said they should have followed through on the selection process they started.
“The man most qualified was a black man,” Hall said. And we’ve lost that opportunity now, to interview him—forever.”
“I was floored when I received the news,” said Jerralds, who noted he was at another event the night of the City Council meeting.
Many companies in the U.S. have a policy of hiring in-house, Fogg said.
“I make no apology.”
The motion to begin negotiations with the new city attorney passed 7-2, with Hall and Jerralds opposed.