City Commission - Regular Meeting

We'd like to call a meeting in order. Can we do roll call, please?

Can we all stand for invocation and pledge?

Heavenly Father, we thank you first and foremost for life, health, and strength. We thank you for the ability to assemble ourselves here together in your presence. Now we ask that you would help us to govern and guide ourselves, meeting according to your divine will and purpose. In Jesus' name, amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I'd like to welcome everyone out to our September 16th meeting. This time we have an opportunity for the public to address the commission. Mr. Clerk, can you read the forum statement please?

Thank you. At this time, again, it's an opportunity for the public to address commission. We do have one, Carolyn Hardy.

property owner of three separate properties i would appreciate if you would maintain the millage rate at 7.9 thank you thank you the opportunity for the public to address the commission is now closed we'll move on to item number six resolution under consent mr clerk

YES. ONCE THIS GETS APPROVED, ARE WE GOING TO GO RIGHT INTO THE BUDGET?

I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION. CAN YOU ASK IT AGAIN, PLEASE?

ONCE THIS RESOLUTION 6.1 GETS APPROVED, Are we going to write into continuing the discussion of budget?

Mayor, I'm not understanding why this resolution is coming before us now because we're here at this meeting on September 16th at 6 p.m. So I need to understand why this resolution before us now we're here at the meeting. So the way that I understand that it's authorizing this meeting for tonight at 6 p.m. that was already noticed without it being approved by the commissioner.

My computer is not operating right now. Can you put it on the screen?

Well, for full transparency, let's put it on the screen so I can have a line of sight to what you're talking about.

So 8.1 is a continuation of the public hearing for the budget meeting?

No, the thing is that, you know, before you set the date for the city manager, you know, it's good for once you know we have, we can reschedule the meeting according to the state of Florida. It's imperative for you to contact us, what date that we prefer, and even the time. Because when we try and arrange this in one hour, when you know that we've got a lot of questions that we had and concerns before we can even decide to, you know, adopt the... You're talking about today? Yeah.

Okay, but we could have gone here from yesterday or on Thursday, as opposed to today, correct?

For this item also, I have a scheduled conflict for the 28th. So that's not going to be considered for me.

Well, according to the email, it says it could be done in two days, right?

But today is 16th, so you have more than one week.

So you'd have to submit it by this week for it to?

Yeah. This email appears to have been corresponded on September 11th. I'm just... Also, sharing the sentiment of Commissioner Everlard, why was there no outreach by you to us as individual commissions to make us aware of this so that we can be prepared with a potential date to be able to provide?

Can I just... You mean you cannot communicate with the missionaries about... Anything pertaining to forwarding emails to make us aware of information as you received it?

Well, I'm available on the 30th, September 30th.

I don't know if anyone else is available on the 28th or what day is conducive for the entire body, but I am unavailable on the 28th. I am available on the 30th.

28 is fine with me. What's the pleasure, Commissioner Everlard?

Is that date too close or is that OK? I mean, then when is the deadline?

So if they don't have availability, do you need to have a backup another date just in case?

So we have the 30th as the first request. Is there another date that we could possibly move to just in case the newspaper says no? I think someone mentioned the 29th.

Mayor, someone mentioned the 29th, but I want to just Say, according to the city manager, the first date that we could have it will be on the 28th as proposed at the newspaper constraints. I am only available on 30th.

So, again, I say, we also, Mr. Balagon, so you're saying you're going to ask them about the 30th? And so if we can ask them about the 30th, then I know that you said that you had already turned in for the 28th. No. We're going to do that based upon today. Upon today. Yes. So... I'm sorry, go ahead.

Okay, and then if that's not available, then you'll let us know?

Okay. Okay. So again, I just want to state this record. Mr. Balcon, you're going to ask. If it doesn't work, it'll have to go back to the 28th.

No, because. It should be a bill because it's a longer term. And the 28th is the earliest. So it's not like you're cutting it short. It's like, you know, you're extending it. So if you extend it for the newspaper, I don't see as to why it should not be available. Because the earliest is the 28th, so therefore, the 30th should be, you know, should be available.

Yeah, this is exactly why. we can't afford to be playing these type of games because had this tentative budget would have been approved the same way we approved the millage rate, then we wouldn't be in this predicament where now we're subject to someone else's availability. We're putting ourselves at the availability of... the newspaper being able to have availability in for the particular reason that we wouldn't have had otherwise had we approved the tentative budget and we could have gone and made subsequent adjustments or changes, you know, how we see fit for the final budget. But when we s

Mayor, I need to speak. Mayor, I need to speak.

Vice Mayor wanted to speak, and then I would like to speak there.

Okay, so this is what civility is all about, right? The fact is that we had that meeting on the 3rd and no communication to say that, okay, we're going to have this meeting on the 28th. Are you guys available? Anybody available? Not available? Because of the poor communication from our administration, this happens to happen. So when Commissioner Smith talking about NOT TAKING CARE OF THIS FROM HERE AND THERE. YOU HAVE TO HOLD EVERYBODY ACCOUNTABLE, INCLUDING OUR ADMINISTRATOR, OUR CITY MANAGER, IS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AS WELL. YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT YOU COME HERE TONIGHT WITH DATE FOR THE 28TH OF

I was getting ready to call you. Go ahead.

Okay, because you were pointing at the manager.

So I share the sentiment of my colleague. I think that it's a travesty that every time, Commissioner Smith wants to blame the commission for decisions made by the city manager unilaterally. It would have been appropriate for the city manager to email us after getting the response on September 11th. There's nothing that precludes the city manager from communicating with us as individual commissioners on issues that are time sensitive and which he should have done. In addition to that, he's here at the meeting ill-prepared, knowing that we have up to the 30th to get this done. It would have been

STAY ON THE BUDGET. STAY ON THE BUDGET. STAY ON THE BUDGET.

STAY ON THE BUDGET. STAY ON THE BUDGET. STAY ON THE BUDGET We will allow him to respond. We will not interrupt. Mayor, we will allow him to speak.

We will be able to interrupt. No, you will not. Yes, we can.

Because we allowed you to speak and no one interrupted.

If it's not germane to the budget, then he will get interrupted. You can answer. You can respond now.

I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

So here's what we're not going to do. We're going to allow each person to speak out being interrupted. Now you've said your piece. Let him respond. Then the next person to speak is Commissioner Brandon Smith. He wished to speak after that. Then you just let me know and you will be add to it. But give them the respect that you're desiring.

Mayor, Mr. Major, just a point of order, Mayor. Point of order. You're not recognizing the point of order? He needs to be stopped, and the point of order needs to be addressed.

Only the Lord follows Robert Luther King. Mayor, you are ignoring my point of order as a commissioner of this body. The point order takes precedence.

I was mayor of order. You are out of order for recognizing the commission's point of order. When you start calling point order dates, you are asked for a point of order. Okay. To that end point of order. It's recognizing mayor. Point of order. Point of order. Point of order.

Then you will be next after that. Point of order. Point of order. That's ridiculous. Point of order. Point of order.

Point of order. Commissioner Smith, you have the floor. I have a point of order. Do you not understand Robert's Rules of Order, Mayor?

You have the floor after Commissioner Smith.

That's not how Robert Roods go. Commissioner Smith, comment? Madam Mayor. And that's the thing. Smith knows that that's not appropriate what you're doing, and he's not calling you out. He understands that a point of order takes... takes precedence. And yet he does not call you out to let you know. Commissioner Smith, you know that a point of order takes precedence and it interrupts the speaker. Yet why aren't you holding the mayor accountable to her not following Robert rules of order? Why are you a contributory party to this foolishness?

This is ridiculous. Madam Mayor, proceed with the meeting. This is ridiculous.

Because you know that the point of order was supposed to be taken up before allowing the city manager to speak. Just like you guys continue the meeting without a quorum, you cannot continue a meeting without a quorum. You call it a point of order. I called a point of order and it was not recognized. Again, Commissioner Smith, are you finished? Commissioner Smith, are you finished?

Yes, you're finished. Commissioner, touch down.

What is your comment? My point of order is that you are out of order, Mayor. See, you're rude and you're disrespectful. You don't speak at all when I have the floor. Thank you.

Can you say your comment and keep it moving? You're being rude and disrespectful. That's you. Yeah, so go ahead and say your comment. Say your comment. She wants the control, so say your comment. Say, I need for you to be quiet from the audience also. No, I'm serious. You should not be speaking from the audience. That's your first warning.

Make sure you apply that pressure to everybody that's speaking in the audience. Okay, third time BSL. Now, who wants to be in control now?

Commissioner, touchstone, you have the floor.

My point of order is that you were out of order for allowing the city manager to speak when there was a point of order on the floor. The city manager cannot throw a motion because he is not a part of this body. He cannot make a point of personal privilege. He cannot make a motion because he is not. He is not. See how you're allowing him to inject. Provide him with the same warning. Provide him with the same warning. Can you finish, please? Provide him with the same warning. Can you finish? You're out of order, Mayor. You just heard me say to him to stop so that you can finish. No, you did not

So, Mr. Balagon, let me just make this state before we move forward. First of all, we model what we want our community to see. We're up here acting crazy and acting a fool or going at it with feature. That is what the community sees that our city is so half of the city of West Park as your mayor. I apologize for this play because this is not we're supposed to be up here to do up here to run the business of this city and to the city better. So on behalf of myself, I apologize on behalf of the city for this behavior because this is not what we're supposed to do. We have wasted two minutes of you

Why don't we just make it easier, Mayor, and see whether or not we can just put a notice in for the 28th, 29th, and 30th. There's nothing that precludes us for canceling meetings as well. If we want to make sure that we're capturing all the dates, just put a notice in that we're going to have something on the 28th, the 29th, and the 30th. But you understand that the consensus of the body is that the availability is on the 30th.

So, Mr. Manager, the manager has stated that he will, the first dates that we provided were the 20th and the 30th. He will check. Oh, Chris, I'm sorry.

No, what I'm saying is in the date of the one ad, why can't it state? more than one date. Even if we could have one ad, the state doesn't preclude what dates we include in that one ad.

You know, at the end, can you speak up a little bit louder?

Okay. The other thing that you said that was just interesting, Chris, was the fact that we had until the 18th. So being that you all knew that we wanted to need to have this additional meeting because it was a continuation meeting, Why didn't we schedule something by the 18th?

I'm going to have to interject here. We are at 659. Meeting has to end. We will have to close out this meeting, open up our regular meeting, recess, and then come back and open this meeting back up again in order to follow specific guidelines. Are you going to reopen it? Well, yes.

Since we are on this item and finish it because there was a motion in the second, Mayor, I would like to move to amend the motion to change the date to December 30th from the 28th.

I would prefer that we come back because the time is over right now. So, but it's seven o'clock. So we, and I finished. So we will close. No, the second came after I hit the, the,