City reorganization legislation began its City Council cycle Monday as Mayor Alvin Brown’s reform proposal debuted at the Council Rules Committee and will be vetted at the committee level in two weeks.
Even so, Council members remain skeptical about the Dec. 13 approval date sought by the Brown administration when he unveiled the proposed reorganization last week.
“For me personally, I think it’s a pipe dream,” said Rules Chairman Bill Bishop following Monday’s meeting. “I think it’s overly optimistic and an artificial date.”
The reform ordinance, 2011-732, was seconded during the committee and will be addressed in two weeks, but Council members still briefly discussed the plan.
It also was discussed during an emergency measure, 2011-726, relating to the time line of acting directors and officials.
Following several layoffs and accepted resignations in late September, Brown named acting and interim directors for several departments, including environmental and compliance, recreation and community development and central operations.
The City Charter only allows for such designations for 60 days and the emergency measure, proposed at the request of the mayor, sought to extend the positions until March 31.
Jessica Deal, Brown’s Council liaison, said the mistake was an oversight by the administration. If time expired, Brown would have to choose a new acting director for each department.
Council members Matt Schellenberg and Bishop favored an amendment that allowed for 60 more days.
Schellenberg said the intent of his amendment was to “keep the hammer on” the administration in making the leadership decisions.
Other Council members sought to have a 30-day window after action on the reorganization bill.
Some of the titles will be eliminated in Brown’s proposed reform and several Council members were hesitant to issue a strict date with an unknown Council time line on taking final action on reorganization.
“Hopefully, we’ll be done with it two months from now,” said Council member Clay Yarborough.
Council member Lori Boyer said Jan. 1 “may be too tight” while Council member Ray Holt said members “were not sure how long it is going to take” and that it would at least be January.
The amendment relating to the 30-day extension following Council action on the reorganization ordinance passed 5-2, with Bishop and Schellenberg opposed.
In preparation for reviewing the first phase of Brown’s reorganization plan, Boyer suggested Council could hold a joint workshop to address questions, issues and concerns.
Bishop said he thought a workshop, and not a joint committee, would be a good idea and he would pitch the idea to Council President Stephen Joost.
A joint workshop is intended for education and discussion purposes only, while a joint committee would allow Council action.
“I think there are a lot of questions,” Boyer said following Monday’s meeting. “It’s not really clear.”
In the two weeks until the next Rules Committee meeting, Bishop suggested members gather questions and schedule meetings as needed regarding reform.
“This is a big deal right here,” said Bishop. “We need to get ourselves educated.”
The reorganization legislation is also on the agendas of today’s Finance Committee, chaired by Council member Richard Clark, and Recreation, Community Development, Public Health and Safety Committee, chaired by Council member Bill Gulliford.
Also at Monday’s Rules Committee:
• A resolution of Council support for J-Bill 1 — a local bill filed to the Legislature — regarding amending commencement and termination dates and terms of Jacksonville Port Authority board members was withdrawn at the request of the JPA. That leaves the area, currently, with no local bills. Another local bill, J-Bill 2, of Council support for a nursing home to be constructed adjacent to Jacksonville University has also been withdrawn.
• The committee made several appointments and reappointments: William Cesery as a reappointed member of the Enterprise Zone Development Agency board; M.G. Orender as a reappointed member of the Comcast Settlemenet Community Panel; Ralph Hodges as a member of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission replacing Fred Engness; Philip Schatz as a reappointed member of the Council on Elder Affairs; and Ernest McDuffie as a reappointed member of the Taxation, Revenue and Utilization of Expenditures Commission.
• Boyer also was part of the appointment slate. She was appointed as a member of the Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Study Commission to replace Sam Mousa.
• The committee also passed a resolution mourning the passing and celebrating the life of Jerry Spinks and his contributions to the city. Spinks was a historic preservation advocate and served as a past chairman of the Jacsonville Historic Preservation Commission. He died in late October.
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