The coming week in City government

Here’s the breakdown of what the Pensacola City Council will consider in the coming week:

Committee of the Whole

Appointments: Council will make appointments to the Recreation Board, the Construction Board of Adjustment & Appeals, and the Human Relations Commission:

• Mayor Wiggins has reappointed Horace Jones to the Recreation Board; Council will vote to approve or disapprove.
• Don Jehle and Stephen Ritz, who currently serve on the Construction Board of Adjustment & Appeals, has expressed a desire to be reappointed, and no other nominations have been put forward.
• Council will appoint one member to the Human Relations Commission; the nominees are Pastor Sylvia Tisdale, nominated by Councilwoman Mack, and Clorissti B. Mitchell, nominated by Councilwoman Cannada-Wynn.

Rules changes: Council will also vote to codify changes to its Rules and Procedures, incorporating a number of important changes discussed at the Rules Workshop last month. The whole draft is included in the agenda linked below, but here are some of the key changes and additions:

• Rather than a five-minute limit on public input, adjusted to three minutes when many individuals wished to speak, there will now be a flat four-minute limit regardless of the number of speakers.
• The Finance Committee, previously composed of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and committee chairs, will now be a committee of the whole.
• Motions and other items that fail in committee on Mondays are now reported on the agenda for Council meetings on Thursdays.
• If committee chairs have any item removed from committee agendas, they must “make an appropriate explanation.”
• A quorum will be required at Council workshops.

There’s also some interesting language on public input (that by my reading could also apply to the CMPA board) prepared in a memorandum by the City Attorney at the request of Councilwoman Mack. I’ll write more about that if it’s adopted.

Neighbourhood Services

The Neighbourhood Services Committee has one action item and one information item:

• Council will approve the name for the new community center in the Sanders Beach neighbourhood. Staff is recommending the name “Sanders Beach–Corrine Jones Community Center” for approval, which is the name approved by a naming committee. The Sanders Beach Neighbourhood Association voted previously that it preferred the new community center be named simply the “Sanders Beach Community Center”, as was the old community center, but if changed, they would support the new name.
• Staff will inform Council of the decision to retain Quina Grundhoefer Architects for design services regarding bathrooms at Roger Scott Tennis Center. As the expense is less than $25,000 — in this case $13,800 — it is within the City Manager’s purview and does not require Council approval.

Enterprise Operations

Housing agreement: The Enterprise Operations committee will likely approve an interlocal agreement with Escambia County regarding the Neighbourhood Stabilization Program. It will allow the City’s Housing Department to take advantage of federal funds.

Airport leasing: In what could be a contentious topic, Airport staff will ask Council for the authority to serve as the leasing agent for several commercial properties the Airport has acquired for development of a commerce park. Councilwoman Mack has indicated that she intends to vote against the motion, posting on her website that “the airport staff do not have the knowledge nor the expertise to serve as commercial real estate managers.”

Airport concessions: Council will consider amending an airport concessions agreement with Varona-Paradies, LLC. Due to economic conditions, the airport has decided not to construct a third concessions area. The amendment reduces Varona-Paradies’ minimum annual guaranteed payment accordingly.

The $2.5 million parking lot: Staff is asking Council to approve a $198,288 contract with AECOM USA for “program management services” for construction of a temporary shuttle parking lot, and a $2,532,041 (plus 10% contingency of $253,204) contract with Greenhut Construction for the actual construction of the lot. The money comes from the Airport bucket, not General Revenue. Why does a parking lot cost so much money?

More money spending: Staff is asking Council to approve the purchase of a Kubota F5200 Hard Cab Mower and two Kubota RTV utility vehicles, for a total cost of $56,029.54.

Note: The Finance Committee, Economic and Community Development Committee, and the Community Redevelopment Agency will not meet on Monday.

Links

• Committee of the Whole agenda (PDF)
• Neighbourhood Services agenda (PDF)
• Enterprise Operations agenda (PDF)