Yesterday’s City Council committee meetings

Here’s the cliffnotes from yesterday’s City Council committee meetings.  Remember that items approved by committees then proceed to the regular Thursday night Council meeting to be approved or disapproved by the full Council.

Committee of the Whole

• Dr. Coy Irvin appeared to thank the City for its help with the Celebrate Pensacola 450th anniversary festivities. Everyone patted one another on the back.
• Staff provided to Council the “initial evaluation” of the CMPA development agreement by Abramson and Associates.
• Rosalie Garrett of Pate Stevedore spoke regarding the changes Pate is willing to make to the proposed port lease amendment in order to secure its passage.  The PNJ has detailed these changes.  Councilman Nobles will resurrect the port lease for another vote before Council on Thursday night.  The issue and amendment were discussed among Council, staff, and Ms. Garrett.  Mayor Fogg and Councilman Wiggins expressed a desire to push the issue to a meeting later in January or February.  Mr. Nobles made a motion for staff to examine Pate Stevedore’s newly offered terms and return an opinion or recommendation by Thursday. Approved 7-2.
• PFD Chief Edwards appeared to notify Council that the PFD maintained its ISO rating of 2 when recently reassessed. ISO ratings have a direct impact on insurance rates for homeowners and businesses.
• Mayor Fogg spoke about the process by which Council will replace him on the CMPA board.

Community Redevelopment Agency

• The CRA will award a contract to Roads, Inc. in the amount of $724,723.70 for Alcaniz Streetscape Phase 1B. Approved unanimously. Additionally, the CRA will pay Hatch Mott McDonald $24,250 for additional permitting services (they have already been paid $19,017 for prior permitting work on this project). Approved unanimously.
• City staff is asking the CRA to approve “an additional expenditure, not to exceed $25,000″ with Abramson and Associates for “evaluation” of the CMPA development agreement, as well as an additional “up to $25,000″ expenditure to The Cardwell Law Firm for “legal services for the drafting of Agreement amendments.”

Enterprise Operations

• The City will pay Gulf Power $28,401 for “electrical infrastructure improvements” at Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport. Approved unanimously.
• More property acquisition in the College Heights area. Due to a standing FDOT grant, the City only has to fund 25%, which will be $33,409.75 in this case. Approved unanimously.
• The City will spend $160K on a “Ditch Witch” drilling machine for ESP. The machine is used for gas main installation, which is currently contracted out. According to City staff, “it will be more cost effective to purchase this equipment and perform the work in-house with existing personnel.”  Councilman Mike DeSorbo cited an email sent to members of Council by former mayoral candidate C. J. Lewis which encouraged the City to look at a lightly-used two-year old model available for $50,000 in Montgomery, AL.  Staff indicated that they had not seen the email but that if provided with it they would take a look at it.  ESP Director Don Suarez indicated that this type of machine requires intensive maintenance and he was “leery” about purchasing a used model. Approved unanimously.
• Councilman Wiggins gave a feelgood speech about committee chairman Jack Nobles, who, as you all know, has been jettisoned by the electorate.

Neighbourhood Services

• The City will spend $49.633.79 on truck bodies for five ESP and Public Works vehicles. Approved unanimously.
• The Pensacola Fire Department will receive a FEMA grant for around $70K; the City will kick in another $17.5K to meet the 20% matching requirement of the grant. The money will fund “the upgrade of physical fitness equipment at all City fire stations and a fitness assessment of all department members by an occupational medical facility.” Approved unanimously.
• Councilwoman Jewel Cannada-Wynn reported that residents of the Eastside neighbourhood would like the City to build a table of some sort at Magee Field at which chess or checkers could be played.

Links

• Progressive Pensacola: “The coming week in City government”