Note: These meetings will take place on Monday, May 10. The meetings begin at 3:15 PM in the Hagler/Mason Conference Room, second floor, City Hall. The Economic & Community Development Committee and Community Redevelopment Agency will not meet.

Committee of the Whole

Board appointments. The City Council will make an appointment to the Human Services Appropriations Committee, which reviews funding requests from service organisations and provides the City Council with recommendations. There are two nominees for the appointment: Audra Carter, nominated by Councilman Townsend, and Danny Lewis, nominated by Councilman Jerralds.

New sister city. Also on Council’s agenda is a resolution to establish a “sister city” relationship with the town of Macharaviaya, Málaga, Spain, birthplace of General Bernardo de Gálvez, who recaptured Pensacola for Spain in 1781. Macharaviaya would become Pensacola’s seventh sister city.

Outside agency funding. Council will also consider a recommendation to fund economic development-related outside agencies in the amount of $144,000. That figure includes $90,000 for the Pensacola-Escambia Development Commission (PEDC), $50,000 for the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, and $4,000 for the Gulf Coast African-American Chamber of Commerce, all cuts of 25% or more over current funding levels.

CMP issues. Four items on the Committee of the Whole agenda concern the Community Maritime Park, including UWF lease agreements, a design build contract, a New Market Tax Credit execution authorisation, and an addendum to the 2006 Master Development and Lease Agreement. The documents have yet to be posted to the agenda.

Council scheduling. Council will also discuss the scheduling of committee meetings. Last year, during the summer months, when Councilwoman Cannada-Wynn did not have obligations to her School District job, committee meetings were begun several hours earlier than the standard start time of 3:15 PM.

Finance Committee

Excess gas liability insurance. The lone item on the Finance Committee agenda is the purchase of excess gas liability insurance for Energy Services of Pensacola, the City-owned gas utility. The proposed premium is $192,201 for a $35 million policy, which represents an increase of $19,542 over last year’s expense.

Enterprise Operations

Airport projects. On the Enterprise Operations agenda is a supplemental agreement with Greenhut Construction, the principal contractor of recent extensive construction projects at the Airport, for the reconstruction of College Boulevard and renovation of an employee parking lot. The total cost including contingency is $527,026.50, of which $356,593.90 is covered by a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Neighbourhood Services

Police camera canopy system. On the agenda is the purchase of a “camera canopy system” for the Police Department. The package includes nine new cameras for high-crime areas, as well as a software platform to manage those cameras as well as the four cameras the City currently has in place. The system can support an unlimited number of cameras and thus coverage can be expanded in the future with no additional software costs. The vendor recommended by staff after an RFP process is Advanced Control Concepts, a company located within the City limits. The cost is $202,684.17, which is covered by a grant awarded under last year’s federal stimulus package.

Roger Scott Tennis concessionaire. A lease agreement with Raquel’s Tennis Togs, the concessionaire at the City’s Roger Scott Tennis Centre, is up for renewal. The concessionaire is requesting the City exercise a five-year extension option, with a lease fee of $259.08 per month, a 2% increase over the previous fee.

Increased funding for Roger Scott Pool renovation. The committee will also consider a staff recommendation that $61,411 be reallocated from a general athletic facilities improvement fund to the renovation of the Roger Scott Swimming Pool. A portion of the reallocated amount would go toward repairing lighting and pipe work, while the balance would serve as a contingency for the project.

Baylen Slip dredging. Also on the agenda is a change order for the Baylen Slip dredging project. The order covers additional work to remove several tons of broken timber pilings, tires, and other debris from the bottom of the slip. The additional expense of $46,764 would be reimbursed by FEMA.

Schwab Drive reconstruction. After an outcry from non-City residents of Schwab Drive, City and County staffs have worked out an interlocal agreement whereby the County will reimburse the City in the amount of $34,000 in for reconstruction of the unincorporated portions of Schwab Drive. Previously, the 300 or so feet of Schwab Drive which lie outside of the City limits would not have been included in the City project. Comment: It’s most disappointing that the City caved and accommodated the requests of these County residents rather than seeking their annexation into the City limits. If we keep providing City-quality services to County residents, they will have no incentive to annex.

Stop signs at Alcaniz and Romana. An information item details a plan to place all-way stop signs at the intersection of Alcaniz and Romana streets, where many citizens have complained of speeding and visibility issues.

Links

• Committee of the Whole agenda
• Finance Committee agenda
• Enterprise Operations agenda
• Neighbourhood Services agenda

Progressive Pensacola is of the opinion that expansion, either through annexation or consolidation of local governments, is essential to the long-term well-being of the City.  Progressive Pensacola believes in a strong City of Pensacola and favours expansion through annexation over consolidation with Escambia County.

At current, the City of Pensacola occupies about 22.7 square miles, which is a mere 3% of the total area of Escambia County.  The City limits are not reflective of the overall urban area, or of what most people think of when they think of Pensacola, which is evidenced by the many who think they live the City of Pensacola but do not.  As the urban area expands into unincorporated Escambia County, the lost and missed revenue to the City mounts.

The residents of the City enjoy superior services in almost every field — police, fire, sanitation, parks and recreation — and such must be showcased to those in areas of prospective annexation.  The residents that have been annexed into the City previously seem to be satisfied that they’ve gotten their money’s worth.

The incoming City Council should direct staff to prepare a comprehensive annexation strategy.  If we ever intend to be a better, healthier, stronger City, we must grow.

Links

• PNJ: “Annexation tough sell, but not impossible”