The coming week in City government

Below is the breakdown of what the Pensacola City Council will consider in the coming week. As always, direct expenditures are highlighted. Links to the full agendas are included at the bottom of the page.

Note: The Finance Committee and the Community Redevelopment Agency will not meet.

Committee of the Whole

SBE committee appointments: Mayor and Council will appoint a bunch of folks to an ad-hoc committee concerning small business/minority participation in City contracts. As the City Manager puts it:

The Small Business Enterprise Ad Hoc committee is part of the City’s plan to implement recommendations contained in the January 2009 report prepared by MGT of America, Inc.  The committee will examine the City’s Purchasing Policies and how to incorporate the recommendations of the MGT report as well as evaluating the possibility of set-aside projects for SBE’s and other initiatives in cooperation with other governmental agencies.

Check the full agenda for the list of nominees.

Consolidation commission appointments: With the passage and ratification of the Escambia All for One, the City Council will appoint two individuals to a commission which will study the unification of Escambia County local governments and develop a plan to do so. If you would like to serve as one of the City’s representatives on the commission, please complete an application (link) and submit it to the City Clerk no later than noon on Friday, May 15. The City Clerk’s contact information is located on the City website.

Dog poop: Councilman Ron Townsend has suggested revisions to the City’s animal control ordinance concerning animal waste “after repeated complaints from a constituent.” Who says our elected officials don’t listen? Complain repeatedly enough and they will! The changes to the ordinance explicitly require “any person in direct control of an animal to have in his or her possession a plastic bag or pooper scooper…” Jamie Page of the PNJ also has something up about this on his blog.

Goal setting session: City staff continues to push for Council to have a “goal setting session” facilitated by Dr. Bob Lee. This Council has demonstrated its ability to set its own priorities, unlike prior Councils which required some help figuring them out. Considering that, as well as the goals of prior Councils which remain unattained, Progressive Pensacola feels a “goal setting session” is unnecessary.

Information item: Mayor Wiggins has reappointed Arlan Scarbrough to the General Pension Board of Trustees for a two-year term ending in June 2011.

Neighbourhood Services

Litigation: St. Faustina Old Catholic Church, operated by Father Nathan Monk, has filed suit in Federal court against the City after Pensacola Police told Fr. Monk he could no longer use Plaza Ferdinand VII for group fellowships. The church’s use of the park conflicts with a 1987 Council policy prohibitinguse of the park for “recurring events.” St. Faustina has engaged the services of the Alliance Defense Fund. See ADF’s press release, their letter to the City, and their complaint filed in federal court, alleging the City’s prohibitions are unconstituional. Progressive Pensacola is inclined to agree.

Roger Scott tennis courts: Staff is asking Council to approve a $1,091,773.55 contract with Vision Construction, which is based in the City, for the construction of nine clay tennis courts and additional parking at Roger Scott Tennis Centre. The County has committed to pay $1 million toward the project. Also check out Jamie Page’s post on this item.

Fricker Community Centre: Also on the table is a $291,133 contract with Southeastern Construction, also based in the City, for various improvements to the Fricker Community Centre.

Wireless monitoring cameras: Staff is asking Council to approve the purchase of two wireless monitoring cameras at a cost of $30,634. These cameras would be installed at points in the City for “crime prevention” purposes. There is already one such camera in use, mounted on the roof of the Gulf Power Building.

Street signs: Council is also being asked to approve the purchase of 22 illuminated street signs and associated hardware at a cost of $31,162. The vendor is Southern Manufacturing of Orlando. The signs will be installed at six intersections:

• East Cervantes Street and North 12th Avenue
• South Palafox Street and Main Street
• Creighton Road and North 9th Avenue
• Scenic Highway at Summit Boulevard, Langley Avenue, and Creighton Road

Recycling: Staff is asking Council to approve language to the City’s sanitation ordinances to reflect the implementation of the City’s curbside recycling program. Incidentally, delivery of recycling containers to City residents will begin May 18.

Information item: The Pensacola Police Department is applying for a grant to enhance and expand the aforementioned wireless monitoring camera system.

Enterprise Operations

Airport spending: Council will consider the purchase of a “precision approach path indicator” for the Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport, at a cost of $62,505. The vendor is Ingram Signalization, a City of Pensacola-based business. Also on the table is a $106,005 contract with Greenhut Construction of Pensacola for the demolition of existing rental car facilities at the airport. However, the rental car companies will reimburse the City for the cost.

TSA space at the airport: Staff is asking Council to extend the Transportation Security Administration’s lease of space at the airport by one year. The TSA’s monthly rent is $3,756.47.

College Boulevard reconfiguration: As the first of the City’s expenses in conjuction with Julian McQueen’s airport hotel project, Council will consider the award of a $25,728 contract with Reynolds, Smith and Hills of Jacksonville to reconfigure College Boulevard.

Information item: Staff has also provided an information item for Council concerning the consolidation of operations between Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, which will take place at Pensacola’s airport on June 2.

Economic and Community Development

The only item on the Economic and Community Development Committee agenda is the ratification of an interlocal agreement between the City, County, Town of Century, and Escambia County School Board concering school planning.

Links

• Committee of the Whole agenda
• Neighbourhood Services agenda
• Enterprise Operations agenda
• Economic and Community Development agenda