HomeMy Public PortalAbout06-June 01, 2016 Special Commission Meeting CITY OF OPA-LOCKA
"The Great City"
CLERK'S ACTION SUMMARY MINUTES
SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING
WEDNESDAY,June 1, 2016
6:00 P.M.
Sherbondy Village Community Center
215 Perviz Avenue
Opa-locka, FL 33054
1. CALL TO ORDER:
Mayor Myra L. Taylor called the meeting to order at 6:00p.m. on Wednesday, June 1,
2016 in the Auditorium at Sherbondy Village, 215 President Barack Obama (Perviz)
Avenue, Opa-locka, Florida.
2. ROLL CALL:
The following members of the City Commission were present: Mayor Myra L. Taylor,
Vice Mayor Timothy Holmes, Commissioner Joseph L. Kelley, and Commissioner Luis
B. Santiago. Also in attendance were: Acting City Manager Yvette Harrell, City Attorney
Vincent T. Brown, and City Clerk Joanna Flores.
3. INVOCATION:
The Invocation was delivered by Mayor Myra L. Taylor.
4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.
5. CITIZENS' INPUT:
Agenda Items Only
Alvin Burke, 1240 Jann Avenue, said that the exact same resolution for today's meeting
was on the agenda at a previous meeting and was voted down. Now it is item #8 on the
agenda for the next regular commission meeting tonight. While the state is taking their
time to come in and assist, the commission should be doing what it needs to do to get the
City ready for the state to come in and help. He told them that they know what they need
to do.
6. RESOLUTION:
a) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF OPA-LOCKA, FLORIDA REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR OF
THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO APPOINT A FINANCIAL
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND OTHER ASSISTANCE
PURSUANT TO FLORIDA STATUTES 218.503; PROVIDING FOR
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INCORPORATION OF RECITALS; PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE. Sponsored by Mayor and City Commission
The above resolution was read by title by Attorney Brown.
It was moved by Commissioner Santiago, second by Vice Mayor Holmes for discussion.
Mayor Taylor relinquished the gavel to Vice Mayor Holmes as she is the one who
sponsored the resolution.
Vice Mayor Holmes accepted the gavel.
Mayor Taylor said that as the mayor of the City of Opa-locka, it is her duty as chairman
of the commission to make a statement. In all of her twenty (20) years of public service
she has never seen so much ink used and television time spent vilifying the City. Staff
has wasted time fulfilling public records requests and responding to rumors and gossip.
Someone feels the need to make the City front page news. The City is portrayed as the
worst even though there are other Cities going through a similar financial situation. Those
other cities are not even mentioned in the newspaper. We will continue to work to bring
the City out of its financial situation. Once again, this did not happen with this
commission; it happened during a previous administration, but now is the day of
reckoning. The City has not been sitting around. It has used the mayor's initial financial
recovery plan as a draft for preparing a recovery plan that will be beneficial the City. The
commission is proud of the City Manager and his staff who have committed and
dedicated time end effort from sun up to sun down preparing hundreds of financial
documents to aide with the efforts. She mentioned things that have been implemented and
is currently saving the City money; it is a work in progress. But even with the best
efforts, help is needed from the state to bring about a stronger financial balance. She
asked the commission to support the item.
Commissioner Santiago said that when he heard what the mayor said he felt like the
commission is united today and are working to do the best for the City. Some people may
be laughing at the City, but God is going to show that there is something big going on in
Opa-locka because there are good, honest, and hardworking people in the City. He said
that he is ready to move forward to do what it takes to move the City forward.
Commissioner Kelley said that he is baffled as to why the item is on the agenda. He said
that he put forth the same item one month ago to put together a committee and not a
board, but the same commissioners who are sitting here right now adamantly opposed it.
This is even after the attorney quoted a statute, this same commission, without any
discussion, voted against it. Now we come back in a special meeting for the same item.
The commission talks employees working overtime and this and that, but here we are. He
said that he would have loved to have seen it a month ago when he brought it up. As the
vice mayor said, it doesn't matter who brings the legislation, if it is good for the City, the
commission can add to it, tweak it, or make it better. Adding the language from the 2002
emergency only required amending the resolution. He said that he is not convinced that
the City is where they say it is because of the back and forth between the manager and
finance as it relates to the budget. To go through the motion of mentioning the committee
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and residents, the reality is that it should have been done a month ago. Also, it could have
been done in a regular meeting. He saw that item#8 was referenced by one of the citizens
and it is the same item that he had put forth. The late Commissioner Pinder had
sponsored the item and he thought that it should have passed as a part of his memory and
legacy. There is a special meeting held for the same item and it does not make any sense,
it is not going to change anything. The commission talks as if it is united and working
together and not letting the media tear it apart; but it is not united or fair. The City is
asking the state to come in and assist with all of these things, but the City is not fair to
other people. Staff is asked to work 32 hours a week and then he hears that directors are
not included. He said that the legislation excluded parks and police, but he hears
differently. They talked about all of the big people making all of this big money and yet
and still, the employees making only a few dollars are the ones who are cut; it is not fair.
He said that until the City finds out where it truly is financially, it will never get
anywhere. Departments are within arm's length of each other and everyone is sending e-
mails. The media knows the City's financial business because staff is giving them the
stories; Sweetwater and other cities are not giving them news stories. The same
resolution could have been amended and passed the same night, but instead a special
meeting had to be held because Commissioner Kelley sponsored the last one so no one
wanted to support it; if it is good, it is good. You can dress it up and sugar coat it all you
want but it is not fair and the employees are affected by it. Employees who have no voice
are terrified and scared to speak; they won't even go get any vegetables form Farm Share
because they are afraid they will get in trouble. The commission can sugar coat it and act
like it doesn't exist but the commission is not fair. He still does not have a clear picture
on where the City is financially. He has asked the manager, but he still has not received
any information. How can the City ask the governor for help and it does not even know
what it needs help for. He will support the resolution tonight because it is a good
resolution, but you have to be fair going forward. Calling a special meeting for an item
that is already on the agenda for the regular meeting and could have passed with little to
no discussion; now everyone has to sit here for another forty (40) minutes until the
regular meeting at seven and that is not fair. It is not fair to the citizens, the employees,
and the entire community.
Vice Mayor Holmes asked Acting City Manager Harrell if she had anything to say.
Acting City Manager Harrell said that she wanted to clear up a comment made by
Commissioner Kelley. The 32 hour work week impacts and affects all employees. Any
other information is erroneous and was corrected shortly thereafter. There are no
exceptions. While the City is still gathering information, it is in constant communication
with the state.
Vice Mayor Holmes said that no one wants the state to come and have to provide
assistance to the City. If everyone had tried to straighten out the situation, it would not
have to come to this point. Everyone reads the paper, but they need to read the report and
understand it and they will know why the state has to come to Opa-locka. He said that he
wants Opa-locka to be a great city. He wishes the City would have received that money
in the eighties then there would not be a sidewalk or drainage problem. He said they talk
about being fair, but they need to be fair to themselves and do the right thing for the City.
If they cannot do the right thing, then they need to resign. Investigations are being done
so there is still time to resign. He said that he cannot do it by himself. Everyone knows
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why they are here and they need to read the report and understand what is in it because it
will answer all of their questions and concerns. He tries his best and will continue to do
his best to help the City.
There being no further discussion, the motion on the resolution passed by a 4-0 vote.
Commissioner Santiago Yes
Commissioner Kelley Yes
Mayor Taylor Yes
Vice Mayor Holmes Yes
Mayor Taylor requested a clean copy of the resolution so that she could sign it right then
and there. She requested a pen from the clerk.
Commissioner Kelley asked for a motion to adjourn and stated that what the mayor is
doing is for the cameras and unnecessary.
Vice Mayor Holmes told Commissioner Kelley that the meeting was still going on.
Mayor Taylor told Commissioner Kelley to remember that he was once mayor and he did
things as well.
Vice Mayor Holmes thanked everyone for coming to the meeting.
7. ADJOURNMENT:
There being no further business to come before the Commission, it was moved by
Commissioner Santiago, seconded by Mayor Taylor to adjourn the P in: .t 6:25p.m.
AYOR
ATTEST:
4 4 # r) ..
ICITY CLERK
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