09/22/2015 CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING
CITY OF CLEARWATER
September 22, 2015
Present: Brian J. Aungst, Jr. Chair
Nino Accetta Committee Member
David E. Allbritton Committee Member
Karen Cunningham Committee Member
Dirk A. Curls Committee Member
Rosemarie Kibitlewski Committee Member
David Loyd Committee Member
George Mantzaris Committee Member
William Sturtevant Committee Member
Absent: Bud Elias Vice Chair
Leann J. DuPont Committee Member
Jane D. Bongo Committee Member
Also Present: Pamela Akin City Attorney
Rosemarie Call City Clerk
Nicole Sprague ORLS Coordinator
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. at the Clearwater Main Library.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily
discussed in that order.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the September 10, 2015 Charter Review Committee Meeting as
submitted in written summation by the City Clerk.
Member Allbritton moved to approve the minutes of the September 10, 2015 Charter
Review Committee meeting. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3. Citizens to be heard regarding items not on the agenda: None.
4. New Business
4.1 Public Comment
Chair Aungst reviewed the committee's recommended changes and explained each
amendment.
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One individual expressed concern regarding public notice of the meeting as well as
eliminating references to Dunedin Pass and Stevenson's Creek in Section 2.01(d)(4), as it relates
to dredging.
The City Clerk said the meeting was advertised in the Tampa Bay Times on Friday,
September 18, 2015 as well as placed on the City's website and appropriate boards in City Hall.
The City's Facebook page posted the meeting along with the recommended changes that day.
Chair Aungst explained that the recommended changes will be heard at a Council meeting
and Council has the ultimate authority to place these recommendations on the ballot.
Discussion ensued regarding how to prioritize the recommendations to present to Council.
There was consensus to place the recommendations into the following prioritized categories:
High
Section 2.01(d)(5)(vii):
• Revise the 30 year lease restriction to enable to City to enter into 65 year leases.
• Strike the last sentence relating to leases of real property in an industrial park.
Section 2.01(d)(6):
• Allow a city owned amphitheater/bandshell and associated facilities including
temporary seating.
• Allow floating restroom facilities
• Allow parking spaces to be designated for use by slip tenants.
• Allow booths for ticket sales and directional signage.
• Allow fencing and gates for security.
• Allow concessions for rental of non-motorized recreational equipment including but
not limited to kayaks, paddleboats, and paddleboards.
• Remove ticket booths from list of items not permitted.
• Remove language in the last sentence of the first paragraph to permit the City owned
tennis courts to be relocated anywhere on the Bluff.
Section 2.01(d)(7)
• Allow portions of Main Library to be leased and used for cafe or restaurants,
special events, art galleries and other municipal or commercial uses.
Section 2.04:
• Increase the mayor's minimum salary to $35,000 plus CPI and councilmember's
minimum salary to $30,000 plus CPI.
Section 3.03:
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• Allow Council to confirm the hiring of the Fire and Police Chiefs and the Assistant City
Managers.
Section 7.02:
• Increase timeframe requirement for charter review from every 5 years to every 6 years.
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Medium
Section 2.01(d)(5)(ii):
• Eliminate the need for competitive bids when the City owns the underlying fee
interest on surplus right-of-way property and the buyer owns all of the surrounding
property. The purchase price for the right-of-way property would need to exceed
the appraised value of the property.
Section 2.01(d)(5)(vi):
• Allow Council to vacate utility easements that terminate at a waterbody. This
would in no way effect public access easements to the waterfront.
Low
Section 2.01(d)(4):
• Repeal section which exempts Dunedin Pass, Stevenson's Creek, maintenance and
emergency dredging from referendum.
Other Recommendations:
Section 2.05 & Sections 3.01 —3.03:
• Appoint a task force to engage the community and advise Council whether or not to
pursue strong mayor for the 2018 election.
The City Attorney said one more meeting may be called to review draft ballot language
and reminded the Committee they are still under the Sunshine Rule.
The City Clerk said the recommended changes would be presented to Council on
Wednesday, October 14, 2015.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:38 p.m.
Chair, Charter Review Committee
Attest:
City Clerk
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