Lake City Once-A-Decade Charter Review
After much intelligent
conversation – 1977 lives on
Columbia County, FL (Posted May 13, 2010 09:50 am)
by Stew Lilker
The final decision making, public participation
meeting of the 2010 Lake City Charter Review
Board. Left to right: City Manager Wendell
Johnson, "OJ" Lake, (out of view Victoria
Ellis), Clerk Audrey Sikes, Chairperson Ann
Skinner, Mario Coppock, Dwight Kamback, Attorney
Herbert Darby.
Closing the Board to all further comments and
suggestions, Lake City's once-a-decade charter
review process came to an end on Monday night.
Ending as it began with intelligent conversation
and except for two minor changes, clung to long
time City Attorney Darby's opinion to the Board
at the first meeting: The charter has worked
well since 1977. If it 'ain't' broke, don't fix
it.
Following
the tradition of Lake City's popular Mayor Steve
Witt, the star of the review process was
Chairperson Ann Skinner. She took the Mayor's
gavel and kept Lake City's policy of timely
public comment and the free exchange of ideas
alive. Unfortunately, over the ninety-day tenure
of the Board, only a handful showed up from the
public to observe or participate.
Although all county officials were invited,
long-time County Commissioner Ronald Williams
was the only official from the County side of
the street to show up and appear before the
City's Charter Review Board ("CRB").
Long time City Attorney, Herbert Darby, served
the CRB by giving his opinions and legal
opinions
Two minor changes were approved by the CRB
to go before the public.
The first, suggested by Board member Mario
Coppock, was to include a four-year college
degree as a minimum requirement for the City
Manager.
City Manager Wendell Johnson agreed that a
four-year degree should be the minimum
requirement and that the degree should be in
public administration or finance.
Chairwoman
Skinner agreed and added that she thought that
the experience requirement should be defined.
Former City Councilman Glenel Bowden told the
CRB that he thought the education-experience
requirement should be added to the charter: "The
person must have at least a four-year degree and
or ten years experience."
Mayor Steve Witt, patiently waited his turn
and told the board that he thought a 4 year
degree was reasonable and some experience
was
reasonable, however, he disagreed with CM
Johnson that the degree must be in business or
public administration.
Mayor Witt said, "I would like it to say city
manager experience or equivalent. If they were
head of General Motors and then were the city
manager for five years, that the other
experience might count."
CRB member "OJ" Lake did not think that the
city manager should have to have a college
degree and that experience should be
sufficient." He voted not to put the question to
the public.
CRB member "OJ" Lake
Later on, the CRB agreed to the language
change, and during the review, Clerk Sikes read
from her notes:
"... if approved will now include the words relating to the education and
experience of the manager: The minimum
requirements shall be a bachelors degree from an
accredited four year college or university and
ten years progressively responsible experience
in municipal or corporate management -- excuse
me -- including experience in a senior
management position or any equivalent
combination of training and experience."
It is not clear exactly where the experience
fits in. Clerk Sikes did not respond to a
request for the exact wording by press time.
The second question, which was initially
presented early in the process to the CRB by
Councilman Ward, concerned the date that a city
council member would take office after an
election.
After an incredible amount of discussion, it
was agreed that the question presented will be:
"Oath of office -- Oath scheduled at the first
regularly scheduled council meeting following
the November general election."
Two significant items were presented and
failed.
City Manager Johnson requested that a
question be presented to the public. Should the
city council agree to eliminate the fire or
police departments, the final say is by a public
referendum.
Your reporter spoke in favor, and former City
Councilman Bowden spoke against.
The item failed for lack of a motion.
Enhanced Public Notice
City
Manager Johnson didn't understand the concept or
the purpose of the proposed Enhanced Public
Notice amendment.
Your reporter suggested a charter amendment,
Enhanced Public Notice, that he previously
presented to the County Charter Review Board.
This amendment was ultimately approved by
both the Board and the public, with the
largest majority of any amendment ever voted
upon in Columbia County.
Of the 15 member County Charter Review Board,
only one member voted against it, current LSHA
member Koby Adams. LSHA Chairman Vann voted in
favor.
The voters of Columbia County, which includes
Lake City, approved the amendment to the county
charter with an 82% plus majority.
A similar amendment was presented to the Lake
City CRB as the first step in letting the people
of Lake City decide if they would like their
agendas and backup material made readily
available on the Lake City website:
Enhanced Public Notice --
The City Council and other City Boards and
Committees will publish their agendas and backup
information on the City website -- yes or no.
CM Johnson didn't understand the concept or
the amendment and spoke vehemently against it,
and Board Attorney Darby also spoke against the
amendment, calling it bad government.
CRB member Mario Coppock, who was also a
member of the County Charter Review, moved the
item. It died for lack of a second.
The Board closed all further comments and
suggestions and will meet Monday night for the
ministerial deed of approving a letter to the
City Council with its two recommended changes.
Further changes to the city charter will not
be considered until 2020.
