The City Council meeting started promptly at 3:15 p.m. on June 16 in the Haglar meeting room of City Hall. The approval of minutes (yawn) passed, and the Council members proceeded to tackle the items on the agenda.
The Community Redevelopment Agency brought good news about projects such as the outdoor movie “Horton Hears a Who” bringing quite a crowd, and the Palafox outdoor Saturday market increasing business on North Palafox Street through artists and produce farmers selling their fare. Revenue from local businesses has also seen an increase since the start of the market.
Next on the agenda was the appointment of members for the West Florida Public Library Board, and Councilman Mike DeSorbo nominated Bettie Hooton as the incumbent to serve two more years on the board.
“We’ve done some big things these past few years, and we’ve got a few more projects down the road. We’re really excited,†Hooton said.
The Zoning Board of Adjustments also had three openings that were filled by three nominees not in attendance of the meeting.
An ordinance prohibiting signs in the right-of-way sparked discussion between council members concerned with public property rights. Questions included: the process of putting up and taking down political signs, lost dog signs, garage sale signs, and if there were proposed limitations on the size of signs to be hung. The ordinance would leave code enforcers discretion to enforce what signs deserve a citation and which simply need to be removed.
P.C. Wu expressed concern about the passing of the ordinance: “The only thing that bothers me is that we’re saying we’re going to pass something then we’re going to ignore it.†The ordinance passed unanimously.
The base pay of the newly appointed city attorney was discussed, as well as his benefits.
“In the past we’ve provided for an automobile allowance, but the city attorney’s position doesn’t involve much driving. I propose we simply reimburse the mileage instead,†said Mayor John Fogg.
The salary for the local city attorney as adjusted from averages of city attorneys from across Florida, but a specific amount wasn’t disclosed at the meeting.
Pensacola Regional Airport director Frank Miller showed the council meetings revised plans to upgrade the services of the airport. Due to a decrease in customer influx, the airport is cutting plans, and saving $15 million along the way, might I add, that weren’t necessary to provide a satisfactory level of customer service. The terminal building expansion is hoped to be completed by 2010, and will include a terminal ticket lobby expansion among other re-designs. Miller was enthusiastic about the project, and hopes the changes will keep Pensacola Regional Airport in good competition with surrounding airports.
The Economic and Community Development Committee met after the committee of the whole completed the agenda items. The first item to be discussed was Gulf Power’s expansion of transmission lines from the utility’s Goulding substation to the Devilliers substation.
“We’re here today because we face a critical problem. In order to maintain reliable electric service within Pensacola, we must be able to run two substations downtown, but we need a new way to transmit service,†Calvin Wilson said.
Wilson spoke at length to the council about plans for a new transmission line to be put in place from the Goulding – Devilliers substations, which will include a larger wire (which was brought as an example in contrast with the current wire), 21 new poles, 11 poles to be upgraded, and 22 poles to be removed. The new poles will be 100 ft. high, made of concrete, and 35 in. in diameter in contrast to the wooden, 90 ft. high, 17 in. diameter poles they currently use. The new line will also take a different route, which is a half mile shorter than the current route and cuts a more direct line to the substations.
The goal is to have the project completed by the end of this year, which means construction must begin by August. Between now and the projected start of the project, Gulf Power will be in contact with affected customers in a variety of means: letters, door-hangers, direct contact, and an open house for suggestions and questions.
“There will be no direct cost to our customers at this time for the project. It is a budgeted project,†Wilson reassured the council.
Councilman Mike DeSorbo mentioned that there may be resistance by residents who don’t want to see huge concrete poles in front of their house, but the land the poles are on is and will remain to be the utility’s right-of-way.
The Finance Committee met next, the first order of action being a discrimination settlement with Ms. Eva Oldham. The former public library employee was laid off when the county was attempting to take control of the library, and claimed she was fired on account of her age. There was no probable cause she was discriminated against, but city attorney advised the council members to reward her $19,000 in settlement because it would cost less than to pay the insurance deductible would cost. The money would come from the library budget, which the county pays 70 percent of.
“We get quite a few of these. Maybe instead of just paying people off, we should re-negotiate with the insurance company,†council member Mike DeSorbo advised.
“I don’t like the idea of a discrimination suit against the city because we don’t do that. I’m going to vote for this, against my will, but because it will save the taxpayers money,†councilman Jack Nobles said.
The motion passed unanimously.
The council renewed their group health insurance through August 1, 2009 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida for a hefty price of $427,000, which is a hike of 16.15 percent from last year’s rates. The only changes in coverage is that the city’s employees will pay a larger premium of: $5 more for a single rate and $15 for a group rate per pay period.
The Neighborhood Services Committee met, and bidded the contract for the Baylen St. Stormwater Treatment Enhancement Project to Roads, Inc. for $444,444. The budgeted money for this project was closer to $250,000, but Roads, Inc. was the “lowest and best responsible bidder,†according to the memo on the agenda. Steve Morehead spoke on behalf of Roads, Inc. and urged council members to award the contract, and the bid passed unanimously.
In lighter news, the purchase and installation of brand new playground equipment for the Jim Allen Park from Playmore Recreational Products & Services for $38, 908.80; it passed unanimously.
The Ferry Pass Park’s name was changed to Parker Circle Neighborhood Park; 46 Dell Latitude notebooks were purchased to replace the eight-year old laptops in police cars, and the East Hill curbside recycling program’s date of July 18 was announced after all other business was taken care of.