Ashley Hunter: Greene Publishing, Inc.
On Tuesday, Aug. 9, the Madison City Commission held its monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m., in City Hall.
The meeting was led by Mayor Pro Tempore Marcus Hawkins, as Mayor Jim Catron was out of town at the time that the meeting was held.
The meeting began with the adoption of the agenda and a citizen participation session. Following those actions, the commissioners adopted the consent agenda, which included the department reports for Madison Fire Rescue (MFR) and the Madison Police Department (MPD); the approval to purchase $19,500 SCADA Telemetry Equipment for two wastewater life stations; and a traffic signal maintenance agreement of $12,524 compensation to the city from the Department of Transportation (DOT), amongst other matters.
With that taken care of, the commission moved on to discussing the items of new business, which included the first reading of Ordinance #2016-5 and the second and final reading of Ordinance #2016-4.
Ordinance #2016-5's reading was brief, and amended the capital improvement element of the city's comprehensive plan to add park improvements at Jesse Solomon and Miller Parks. The ordinance is the first step in applying for grants from the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) to be placed towards updating and improving Jesse Solomon Park and Miller Park.
Ordinance #2016-4 amends the office/residential special exceptions in the Land Development Regulations for the area surrounding the Madison County Memorial Hospital. The ordinance will allow for more diversity in land development near the hospital. This was the ordinance's final hearing, and it was approved unanimously by the commissioners. “This [ordinance] encourages more retail in the hospital's area,” said City Manager Tim Bennett.
Following the ordinance readings, Bennett presented the commissioners with copies of the expenditures from MFR and MPD and presented the plan to hold a tax-workshop. At the workshop, Bennett will provide the commissioners with a no tax increase budget plan, as raising the tax millage within the city had faced opposition among the commissioners. Bennett did provide a memo that contained some of the budget challenges the city faces, including the “deteriorating financial conditions” of the city. Despite their financial set back, the city continues to work at providing the best service they can to residents by picking up household and commercial garbage an extra day on or around holiday weekends; by aggressively repairing broken or uneven sidewalks; by upgrading city parks through a series of grants; by increasing the police force at the MPD; and through efforts to improve the economic vitality of the downtown area businesses.
The city works hand-in-hand with a variety of local and government organizations to bring about the best service and ensure the highest quality of life for their citizens. With that in mind, Bennett requested that the commissioners submit their legislative priories before the deadline; many of the commissioners voiced their interest in obtaining assistance for the city's deteriorating infrastructure, including streets, sewers and water lines; the weak local economy and tax base; and the increasing demand by citizens for improvements when the funding sources are limited.
“We are not sure what the legislature can do about those three [goals],” advised Bennett. “But these are three very important items that are a concern.”
During the city manager's reports, Bennett provided an update to the youth tennis courts at Lanier Field, saying that city staff are seeking additional funds from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to complete the courts. In keeping with the USDA's standards, they are recommending that the surface be three inches rather than the one and a half inches that was previously prepared for. “That puts us over budget,” said Bennett. “We aren't going to start building any tennis courts until we find out if we are going to get any money.”
He anticipates a three month waiting period before finding out whether or not they will be able to go through with the project. “I will try to make that happen,” said Bennett. The dirt piles that are currently at Lanier Field will remain at the park until it is known whether or not there will be enough funding to complete the project.
Bennett next advised the commission of the updates regarding the city's plan to purchase five new vehicles for the MPD. Due to funding and financial problems, it appears as though the city will be unable to purchase five cars. In the upcoming years, Bennett hopes to see grants pay for the vehicles, but those grants will be too late to help with the MPD's current desperate need for new vehicles.
“In order [for the city] to borrow money for whatever purpose, you have to have an [unencumbered] revenue source that you pledge as collateral,” said City Attorney Clay Schnitker. “[The city] does not have an unencumbered revenue source.”
With this obstacle, commissioners passed around the idea of leasing the vehicles, but the option did not appeal to all of the commissioners.
Five vehicles were the preferred number of patrol cars to purchase for the MPD, but Commissioner Raine Cooks suggested that, if the city does not have the money for five vehicles, they may have to adjust their expectations.
“If it is just two that we can afford, than I say lets just budget those two,” said Cooks.
The budgeting of the MPD patrol cars will be brought up again during the definite budget meeting.
At the beginning of the city manager's notes, Bennett had passed out a letter from a citizen, Warren Irvine, regarding ways that the city could save money and cut expenses within law enforcement by obtaining a price from the Madison County Sheriff's Office to provide police protection. According to Irvine's letter, this was a practice that numerous other communities in central Florida that experience budget restraints had employed. When passing out the letter, Bennett had informed the commissioners that he had no plan to respond to the letter unless they directed him to do so.
Irvine, who was in the audience, then stood and requested that, as he had been mentioned, he be given a chance to address the commissioners, and was granted that opportunity.
“I don't want to be too blunt, but I will probably have to be,” said Irvine, as he approached the podium. “When a citizen puts in a dated, written request, it is my understanding of state statute and state protocol, that it has to be investigated, whether you choose to do it or not. It can't just be ignored.”
Irvine informed the commissioners that he believed they did not have a choice in whether or not they wanted Bennett to respond and investigate Irvine's recommendation. “[Bennett] has to, when there is money involved,” said Irvine. He also advised that he had given Bennett the suggestion three years ago, and Bennett had presented it to the commissioners, only for the commissioners to reject it. “Every year at budget time, and throughout the year, the same things are brought up: we don't have money to repair the old pipes and old parks in the city; they are in bad shape and we don't have the money to fix them,” said Irvine. “There's nothing getting any better here for your revenue flow; what are you going to do about it? You can't keep doing the same things and expect different results.”
Irvine reinstated that he believed the commissioners and city manager had no choice and Bennett was required to look into Irvine's suggestion and present it to the commissioners. “When a citizen puts in a written request with possible cost saving measures, it is my understanding that it has to be looked into,” said Irvine.
“That is not my understanding,” said City Attorney Schnitker, ending the discussion.
The meeting concluded with the introduction of the new executive director of the Madison County Chamber of Commerce Phyllis Williams. The commission extended a warm welcome to Williams before calling for the meeting to adjourn.
The next city commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall, which is located at 321 SW Rutledge St.