08/23/2023 Charter Review Committee Meeting Minutes August 23, 2023
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
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Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, August 23, 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 August 23, 2023
Roll Call
Present:10 - Gladys Andrews, Bill Jonson, Travis Norton, Nathan Hightower, Mike
Riordon, Karen Cunningham, Patricia Rodriguez, Cory Chase,
Jonathan Wade and Kathy Milam (arrived 4:02 p.m.)
Absent: 1 - Ryan Cotton
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 4:00 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the August 9, 2023 Charter Review Committee meeting as
submitted in written summation by the City Clerk.
Committee Member Andrews moved to approve the minutes of the
August 9, 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 Discuss requiring Council hold quarterly discussions regarding their communications with
the city manager and city attorney.
Discussion ensued with comments made that Council does not have the
ability to talk among themselves unless they are in a public meeting and
that having a rule in place to initiate a conversation regarding the
communication Council receives from the city manager or city attorney
would be beneficial. It was recommended that Council agenda a quarterly
work session item for discussions to take place. It was said that by the
Charter Review Committee recommending this type of exercise, Council
will know that citizens think it is important.
The City Clerk said this item is being recommended as a Council rule,
not a charter amendment.
Member Riordon moved to recommend Council consider adopting a
procedure or rule to include quarterly council effectiveness
discussions in the annual agenda calendar. The motion was duly
seconded and carried unanimously.
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City of Clearwater
Charter Review Committee Meeting Minutes August 23, 2023
3.2 Discuss performance management.
Vice Chair Jonson provided 2 verbiage options in response to the motion
at the last meeting to tweak language provided regarding performance
measurements for the city manager and city attorney.
A) Section 2.01(c)1 "Each October at a public meeting, present a report
on the evaluation of the performance of the city manager and city
attorney including the following steps. Each year the Council shall adopt
annual key performance indicators/objectives separately for the city
manager and the city attorney positions. Then each councilmember shall
present in October a written evaluation report for each officer which shall
include, at a minimum, performance comments against the common Council
adopted key performance indicators/obiectives for that position.
8) Section 2.01(c)1 "Each October at a public meeting, present a report
on the evaluation of the performance of the city manager and city
attorney including the following steps. Each year the Council shall adopt
annual measurable performance indicators/obiectives separately for the city
manager and the city attorney positions. Then each councilmember shall
present in October a written evaluation report for each officer which shall
include, at a minimum, performance comments against the common Council
adopted measurable performance indicators/obiectives for that position."
In response to a question, the City Attorney said the process to hire a new
city manager or city attorney takes about six months and that a recruiter
typically is used to help narrow a candidate pool.
Discussion ensued with comments made that there are no written
expectations for the two positions and time should be granted to address
any job performance issues prior to termination.
Member Riordon moved to recommend Council approve the verbiage in
Option A. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3.3 Set next agenda.
Vice Chair Jonson requested the Committee discuss the Clearwater
Neighborhood Coalition report, "Leveling the Playing Field,"regarding citizen
input during land development quasi-judicial hearings. Concerns were
expressed regarding citizen input not being considered as testimony and that
it is difficult for an individual's concerns to be made part of the record.
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City of Clearwater
Charter Review Committee
Meeting Minutes August 23, 2023
In response to a question, the City Attorney said the Community
Development Board is an independent body, by design, who makes
decisions based on the development code and in conjunction with their
attorney. He said the current practice is to broadly allow any testimony and
the Board has not prohibited anyone from testifying.
Discussion ensued with comments made that the issue is bigger than this
Board and ordinance changes are needed. Council received the
Neighborhood Coalition report over a year ago and no action has been
taken. It was said that citizen input should not be underestimated, and
people will continue to come to meetings to voice their comments. It was
suggested that a recommendation be made to Council to approve the City
Attorney research the procedures as proposed in the Neighborhood
Coalition's report.
4. Citizens to be heard regarding items not on the agenda: None.
5. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
6),
Chair, Charter Riview Committee
Attest:
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City of Clearwater