City Coat of Arms
Published by the Department of Public Affairs, City of St. Augustine. Florida                      December 3 2010
Commission reorganizes Monday

   One new and two reelected commissioners will be sworn in Monday during the biennial reorganization of St. Augustine's City Commission at 7:30 p.m. in the Alcazar Room at City Hall.Mayor Boles and Commissioners Leary and Sikes-Kline

   Bill Leary, former vice chair of the Planning and Zoning Board, was elected to fill the vacancy left with the retirement of two-term Commissioner Don Crichlow, while Mayor/Commissioner Joe Boles and Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline won reelection.

   The agenda includes certification of this year's elections, a presentation to Crichlow, swearing in of the three commissioners, election of a vice mayor, adoption of commission policies and procedures, and closing comments by the mayor and commissioners.

Alcazar Room

   St. Augustine's

 City Commission

  

   The five-member City Commission meets every second and fourth Monday of the month at 5 p.m. in the Alcazar Room at City Hall, and may have special meetings from time to time. Monday's is a special meeting.

   All commission meetings and workshops are open to the public, except certain statutorily exempted meetings where legal or personnel matters are to be discussed.

   Agendas are posted on the city website Thursday before each meeting, and include links to the full text of ordinances to be considered.

   Regular commission meetings are televised live on Comcast Channel 3, GTV, rebroadcast at 9 a.m. Wednesday. 

   The mayor/commissioner serves a two-year term, while the four commissioners serve four-year terms.

   The election schedule is staggered for election of the mayor and two commissioners every two years.

Sign on for Report
 
Previous Issues
Meet Commissioner Leary

   Bill Leary, former vice chair of the Planning and Zoning Board and author of a series of columns on community affairs in the St. Augustine Record, is a veteran of Washington DC and Tallahassee public service.Bill and Karen Leary 

 A graduate of Florida State University with degrees in hotel administration and law, he served on the U.S. Senate committees on Banking and Urban Affairs and on Environment and Public Works, was senior advisor to the Secretary of the Interior,
served on the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and was senior advisor to Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

  In Tallahassee he was a staff director for the Banking, Insurance, and Natural Resources committees.

  In St. Augustine, Leary has been Government Relations

liaison for the 450th Commemoration and is a member of the St. Augustine Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce Leadership St. Johns, St. Johns Amphitheater Management Committee, and St. Johns Cultural Council.

  Bill and his wife, Karen Jurgensen, live in North City.

 

Pomp and Policy on agenda

   While the reorganization meeting is largely ceremonial, there's work to be done as well.

   The outgoing commission will be certifying the election of Boles and Leary. Sikes-Kline's reelection was certified after she won reelection with more than 50 percent of the vote in the August primary.

   Then comes the swearing-in, followed by the new commission's review for approval of its policies and procedures.
City Commission Policies and Procedures

   A ten-page resolution to be reviewed by the reorganized City Commission Monday outlines "Operating Policies, Rules, and Procedures of the City of St. Augustine City Commission."

 

Order of business

   First up is the agenda, opening with the roll call, invocation and pledge of allegiance, modification of agenda, approval of minutes, proclamations, and recognitions.

   Next, to accommodate the public interest, appeals and ordinances and resolutions requiring public hearings, followed by general public comment and presentations. These allow the public to be heard early in the meeting. Public comments are limited to three minutes, while general presentations - allowed through request by a commissioner - have a 15 minute limit.

   Resolutions and Ordinances not requiring public hearing are next. Here is where commissioners consider new ordinances on first reading, for passage to second reading and public hearing at a later meeting, and resolutions, which do not require public hearing.

   Staff reports and presentations are next, followed by items by the city clerk, city attorney and city manager - the three city officials elected by the City Commission.

   The city manager presents commissioners with the consent agenda. This includes items that commissioners have individually reviewed - generally housekeeping items, but the city manager reads the titles and a commissioner can ask for discussion of any item.

   Wrapping up the agenda are comments by the mayor and commissioners.

 

Rules of procedure

 "City Commission meetings are formal governmental meetings conducted to transact public business. In conducting the public's business, the City commits to the principles of civility, honor and dignity. Individuals are requested to observe the same principles when making comments on items and issues presented to the City Commission for its consideration."

   This statement in the Rules of Procedure sets the tenor for City Commission meetings.

   Among the rules:

   Of course, cell phones must be muted, and audio/video equipment that might obstruct a view of the commission is not allowed forward of the back row unless approved by the city manager.

  Commissioners are not supposed to speak more than twice on one question without approval of the mayor, nor more than once until the other members have had the opportunity to speak.  They should also be limited to ten minutes on one occasion, but the mayor can extend the time for five minutes.

  A commissioner can request, with the mayor's approval, comments from the public at any time.

  Commission meetings are governed by Roberts Rules of Order.

  Requests to be on the agenda must be filed in writing by 5 p.m. the Tuesday before a regular meeting. Generally, commissioners and the public will contact the city manager first to address a concern.

  Any commissioner can sponsor a proclamation, which is issued in the name of the City Commission and signed by the mayor. Proclamations not presented at City Commission meetings are reported by the city clerk at the next commission meeting.

  The city manager prepares meeting agendas. Public requests to be on the agenda go to the City Clerk Ali Ratkovic 904-825-4206, email: cosa@citystaug.com or aratkovic@citystaug.com or fax: (904) 825-1008.

  In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons needing reasonable accommodation to participate in any city meeting should contact the city clerk 904-825-1007, seven days before the meeting.

  Public Hearing Comment cards are available at the back of the meeting chamber. The speaker should indicate on the card the subject and whether general or specific to an agenda item.

  Speakers address the commission from the lectern, giving their name and address for the public record and whether they are a resident or taxpayer of the City of St. Augustine. Speakers can't donate speaking time to another speaker. Ten copies of any handout information should be given to the city clerk. To display a drawing or rendering, contact the city clerk before the meeting.

  City Commission workshop sessions are for city commissioners to discuss subjects requiring detailed study or clarification. A decision to allow public comment requires the consensus of the commission.

  The policy of the City Commission, in order not to discriminate among the many requests for aid, is that no direct contributions of public funds or direct contributions of goods or services will be made by the City Commission to community organizations or groups.

  City commissioners are limited to a maximum of $2,500 a year for individual travel or other expenses.

  Citizen boards are appointed by the City Commission, and are composed of city residents, though the commission reserves the authority to make exceptions in the event of difficulty filling positions.  

  Applications for specific boards or a general willingness to serve can be filed with the city clerk at any time.
The St. Augustine Report is published by the Department of Public Affairs of the City of St. Augustine each Tuesday and on Fridays previewing City Commission meetings. The Report is written and distributed by George Gardner, former St. Augustine Mayor (2002-2006) and Commissioner (2006-2008) and a longtime newspaper reporter and editor.  Contact The Report at gardner@aug.com