03/22/2023 Charter Review Committee Meeting Minutes March 22, 2023
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
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Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
4:00 PM
Main Library - 2nd Floor Board Room
Charter Review Committee
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City of Clearwater
Charter Review Committee Meeting Minutes March 22, 2023
Rollcall
Present:11 - Gladys Andrews, Committee Member Bill Jonson, Committee Member
Travis Norton, Nathan Hightower, Mike Riordon, Karen Cunningham,
Patricia Rodriguez, Cory Chase, Jonathan Wade, Ryan Cotton, and
Kathy Milam
Also Present: — David Margolis — City Attorney, Rosemarie Call — City Clerk and
Nicole Sprague — Deputy City Clerk
1. Call To Order
The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the March 8, 2023 Charter Review Committee meeting as
submitted in written summation by the City Clerk.
Committee Member Cotton moved to approve the minutes of the
March 8, 2023 Charter Review Committee meeting as submitted in
written summation by the City Clerk. The motion was duly seconded
and carried unanimously.
3. New Business
3.1 Review discussion topics.
The City Clerk provided a list of feedback received from Committee Members
regarding topics to discuss. She said additional feedback received will be
added to the list. A presentation from the Finance Department has been
scheduled for the April 26, 2023 meeting to review the City's reserve fund
including its history, how is it implemented, the required balance, and best
practices.
Discussion ensued regarding council salaries. The City Clerk said she can
provide the information that was presented to Council. Human Resources
compiled information from comparable cities in Florida. In response to a
question, the City Attorney said Council has the power by ordinance to set
their own salary but elected officials are typically uncomfortable voting
themselves a raise. Comments were made that the salary should not be in
the charter, and that the salaries should be increased but not to a full-time
salary. A suggestion was made to put a provision in the charter that Council
will review their salaries every two years.
There was consensus to have the City Attorney draft language
recommending Council to evaluate and discuss the base salary every
two years.
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City of Clearwater
Charter Review Committee
Meeting Minutes March 22, 2023
Discussion ensued regarding districts and their pros and cons. Comment
was made that running for election in district seats is less expensive and that
at -large seats make the entire city a priority. The City Clerk said she can
provide information that was presented to the previous Charter Review
Committee regarding demographics. The City Attorney said districts would
be a structural change that would require substantial charter revisions and it
dovetails many other issues. There are many permutations of districts
and/or at -large, voter and/or candidate residency requirement, etc.
In response to the City Clerk's request for agenda items for the next
meeting, there was consensus to continue the discussion on districts
and review the proposed language regarding council salaries.
4. Citizens to be heard regarding items not on the agenda: None.
5. Adjournment
Attest:
City Clerk
City of Clearwater
The meeting adjourned at 5:33 p.m.
6)
Chair, Charter R iew Committee
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