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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 Special Commission Meeting Minutes-06/01/2016 1 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 Special Commission Meeting Minutes—06/01/2016 2 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 Special Commission Meeting Minutes-06/01/2016 3 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 Special Commission Meeting Minutes—06/01/2016 4