C I T Y O F F O R T P I E R C E
CONFERENCE AGENDA MINUTES
Conference Agenda Meeting - Monday, June 10, 2019 - 9:00 a.m.
City Hall - City Commission Chambers, 100 North U.S. #1, Fort Pierce, Florida
1.
Call to Order
Mayor Hudson called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
2.
Pledge of Allegiance
3.
Roll Call
- Present:
-
- Rufus Alexander, Commissioner
- Thomas Perona, Commissioner
- Jeremiah Johnson, Commissioner
- Linda Hudson, Mayor
- Absent:
-
- Reginald Sessions, Commissioner
- Staff Present:
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- Linda Cox, City Clerk
- Nicholas Mimms, City Manager
- Peter Sweeney, City Attorney
Commissioner Sessions arrived at 9:03 a.m.
4.
New Business
Mr. Mimms asked DeVoshay Johnson, IT Manager, to provide a brief update on the email migration from Lotus Notes to Office 365.
a.
Legislative Update - Nicole Fogarty, Legislative Affairs Director
Nicole Fogarty, Legislative Affairs Director provided a brief overview of the 2019 legislative session highlighting various issues and bills which have an impact on the City of Fort Pierce. She also provided some insight on what we may expect to see in the 2020 Session.
b.
Quarterly Report / Smart Neighborhood Initiative Presentation from FPUA Director, John Tompeck.
John Tompeck, FPUA Director of Utilities, provided an update on the water/wastewater bulk service agreement amendment with St. Lucie County, the Lincoln Park broadband initiative, city connectivity and security project which seeks to expand FPUA's fiber and wireless network, weatherization education outreach program update, and electric rate restructuring.
c.
Discussion regarding the formalization of Parks Advisory Committee and Parking Committee
Mr. Mimms offered compliments to the members that have been serving on the Parks Advisory Commission and the Parking Committee as working groups. Linda Cox, City Clerk, discussed the history and formation of the Parks Advisory Committee as an ad hoc committee. After discussion, consensus was to move forward with formalizing these two working committees.
d.
Discussion on Parking Policies for City Hall Parking Garage
Mr. Mimms indicated that the Parking Committee has been discussing the existing City Hall Parking Facility and its capacity. He is seeking feedback on the leasing parking spaces within the garage to downtown businesses, including the potential for valet parking of cars. Consensus is to move forward with the exploration of leasing options. Additional discussion regarding the reserved spaces for city commissioners occurred; no changes are recommended.
e.
Discussion of City Charter Officer responsibilities and procedures for complaints against Charter Officers and City Commissioners at the request of Commissioner Perona.
Commissioner Perona opened the discussion on creating a policy or how we are to handle complaints against Charter officers. He liked the form that was created but recommends a policy moving forward. Commissioner Sessions prefers that such matters are handled by the State Ethics Commission. Commissioner Perona reminded everyone that the latest incidences were employee generated complaints and would not be handled by the Ethics Commission. Mr. Sweeney discussed that each of the Commissioners individually talked about this very issue when interviewing Mr. Sweeney; he discussed a potential process and indicated that the Mayor and Commissioners are the direct employer of the charter officers. Chief Hobley-Burney indicated that complaints do not have to be sworn statements before an investigation proceeds. Mr. Sweeney will research with other jurisdictions and/or the Florida League of Cities to see how they handle complaints against Charter officers.
f.
City Manager Annual Performance Evaluation
The Mayor and City Commission provided feedback on the performance of Mr. Mimms.
g.
City Attorney Performance Evaluation
The Mayor and City Commission provided feedback to Mr. Sweeney on his job performance.
h.
City Clerk Annual Performance Evaluation
The Mayor and Commission provided feedback to Ms. Cox on her job performance.
5.
City Commission Boards and Committees Updates
Commissioner Johnson reported on the Seaway Drive discussion that recently occurred at the TPO.
6.
COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Any person who wishes to comment on any subject may be heard at this time. Please limit your comments to three (3) minutes or less, as directed by the Mayor, as this section of the Agenda is limited to thirty minutes. The City Commission will not be able to take any official actions under Comments from the Public. Speakers will address the Mayor, Commissioners, and the Public with respect. Inappropriate language will not be tolerated.
Any person who wishes to comment on any subject may be heard at this time. Please limit your comments to three (3) minutes or less, as directed by the Mayor, as this section of the Agenda is limited to thirty minutes. The City Commission will not be able to take any official actions under Comments from the Public. Speakers will address the Mayor, Commissioners, and the Public with respect. Inappropriate language will not be tolerated.
Mario Wilcox
7.
Adjournment