Today's BCC Meeting

(It's almost 2 o'clock and I'm getting excited because the County Commission meeting is about to start. As usual, I'll be watching from the recliner I'm sharing with at least one dog and sometimes up to two dogs and a cat. My keyboard's in my lap because I like taking notes, just like I used to when I was a reporter. What follows are those notes, sans spellcheck, proofreading, or even a second glance on my part. Have fun. It's your government.)

Call to order

Commission Chairman Harold Rutledge handles this chore at 2:00 p.m.

Invocation

The Vice Chairman and District 3 representative, George A. (A, so as to distinguish him from H.W. and W.) Bush opens up the divine lines of communication, asking for guidance and wisdom as they conduct the people's business. Meanwhile, taxpayers in Clay County rise in mass with a slightly different prayer: "Lord, please don't let them screw us over again."

Pledge

The is led by Navy man Doug Conkey.

Roll Call

Everyone's here today, but Commissioner Chareese Stewart. (I used to know a Theresa Stewart and whenever my brain is thinking about Commissioner Stewart my fingers seem to type Theresa on their own. So, if I refer to Theresa, I'll probably mean Chareese. If it really matters to you, just consider Theresa as another government-issued acronym you have to learn.) The resident fashion protester is nattily attired in a business-like, basic-blue, button-down shirt. W?

Artwork

You know, Rutledge's temporary, one-year term as Chairman of the BCC is about up. Since Bush has the post last year, it'd be tradition for the Board to pass the chairmanship along to someone else. That means Stewart or Conkey will hold the gavel in their second year in office, although Bradley seems to be the most impressive of the three current rookies. But does anyone really think the Board will pick him, seeing as how he and Rutledge will be going head-to-head for the first full-time chairmanship in next year's elections? Hmm, something to look forward to in a future meeting.

Approval of Minutes

Approved 5-0 the minutes from the previous meeting.

Constitutional Officers

Sheriff Rick Beseler appearing before the BCC. Couldn't tell why from the agenda. Crap! He's not carrying five sets of handcuffs, so he's probably gonna talk about money. Yep, it's about his budget.

He "handles nickles like they're manhole covers," and the first-term sheriff outlined how he's managed to pull the Sheriff's Office in under budget. He's turning the left-over money back to the county instead of spending it. Not bad, Rick. A check for $1.1 million, but with a warning that the jail will be over capacity as soon as a year from now. Beseler urges the county to consider purchasing property for a detention farm to house minimum security inmates.

Harold thanks him for the presentation, but George asks the sheriff to prepare some growth projections. Bradley wants to know if he's already had discussions about the issue with the County Manager, Fritz Behring.

"We need to move forward on this," Bradley says after commenting that early release and lower bail amounts are not an acceptable way to relieve jail overcrowding.

Conkey questions about land requirements and cost differences between expanding the current jail as opposed to building a minimum security center.

Beseler urges quick action before the county develops and everyone develops a NIMBY attitude. Heck, stick those minimum security folks serving less than a year in my neighborhood. They're not that unlike many regular folks who've made a mistake, plus they're usually quiet (barring the occasional riot) and they keep their yard nice and neat.

Bush points out that we've already spent $17 million for the jail and $26 million for the court house renovation. He suggests re-establishing the BCC's Safety Committee to work with the Sheriff's Office.

Consent Agenda

1. Finance Department

2. Audit Committee Minutes

3. Finance Committee Minutes

4. Policy, Rules and Human Services Committee Minutes

This was pulled by Bush for Item 10.

Questioned an expenditure of $72K with the MPO (Metropolitcan Planning Organization), but it was passed.

Bradley moved that the Board approve Item 1, which it does. What the hell that is will take more research, because it ain't on the agenda and they never mention want Item 1 is. Thanks for keeping us informed, guys.

Rob (a great name for a Clay County elected official) tells the Board that his committee is working on a policy concerning county donations to non-profit agencies.

5. Approval of report and recommendation regarding civil action against Clay County

6. Approval of a fee agreement for mediation services for Richard Bryan Bonner and Catherine Elizabeth Bonner v. Clay County

7. Lease agreement with Fleming Island Library for use as Precinct 409 during special called elections.

8. Quality of Life Committee Minutes

Item 2 and 8A are pulled and the rest approved. Item 2 concerns the need for Little League field in Fleming Island, and requests a donation of cash to purchase one, or land to build it.

Conkey talks about ballfields in Argyle. Bush said it the type of thing that continually comes up. He was a member of the county's first Little League team. Since the catcher got a free glove and his family couldn't afford to buy one for him, ol' George began his career behind the plate. I'm guessin' he was a little thinner in those days.

Bradley discovered that land the county accepted as a donation for recreational use from Centex (as part of mediating its settlement for the burden it placed on taxpayers) is actually wetland. In effect, useless for its promised purpose. Just another developer gettin' away with someone when the folks who should have been watching weren't.

Old Business

1. Draft ordinance proposing charter amendment regarding a referendum before Board approval of a request for authorization to conduct gambling operations is presented, rather unenthusiasticly, by County Attorney Mark Scruby. He offers a couple of examples, one referendum would be binding and another won't be.

Bush: Binding or non-binding, legal or not ... I want somehow for the public to have its say before the fact, and criticized the precedure used by the Town of Orange Park recently to allow poker rooms at the Orange Park Kennel Club.

"I want city councilmen in Orange Park to know there should be a vote before they act. But I'm not in a hurry. I'm not trying to ram this through, like the gambling industry did to us," Bush said.

Bradley reads a statement that says he believes a Charter Amendment isn't the proper way to go. State law already covers gambling and may pre-empt anything the county will do.

"I feel this amendment will mislead the public into believing they can do something they can't," Bradley says, offering the concept of a BCC resolution, which is countered by Bush's "Who in this room believes the values of Clay County will be protected by Tallahassee?"

George points out that a resolution would go to Tallahassee and straight into a trash can. "Look who the governor and Legislature are paying attention to now. I'm putting up the only bullets the county has, as a Charter county."

Bradley reiterates that this is a state-level decision.

Bush goes into his Karnac the Magnificent imitation to look into the future and visualize requests to expand the local gambling industry.

Rutledge slows things down and has Scruby explain that current state law bans casino gambling. Scruby did research (when did that start?) about the two examples of possible referendum. (Referenda? Referendi?)

"If this passes," Rutledge says, "it would be law until the state took that power away from us. That's the way I see it."

Bush says the referendum would also be a pre-emptive strike against the state's Native American's coming to town with a bag full of wampum to buy the Kennel Club.

Conkey wants to know if it would mean the county would be telling the municipalities what to do. Yep, Scruby says, if that's what the County Charter says.

"Did I answer your question?" Scruby asks.

"Yeah, in a fuzzy lawyer sorta way," Conkster answers.

2. Straw ballot referendum regarding sales of alcoholic beverages on Sunday for January 29, 2008, presidential preference primary.

Assistant County Attorney Fran Moss handles this BCC request to have voters use the January election to indicate how they feel about selling alcohol a couple of hours earlier on Sundays.

Wow, the Bush Man puts Fran on the spot about a request for some research he had asked the County Attorney's Office to have available today. "Do I just talk and these things just go whew right out of there?" The camera cuts to Fran, who has an Uh-oh, This Could Be Bad look on her face.

Bradley: "I have to assume George's normal role as (big mouth, ass, stubborn son-of-a-bitch?) the Wow, Not So Fast There guy." Later he points out that wrapping the issue of an alcohol ordinance in the flag of supporting veterans was offensive.

Rob is the lone dissent in the 3-1 vote, so the issue will appear on the January ballot.

New Business

Public Hearing on adoption of Road Impact Fee Ordinance and Study has been continued to the Nov. 13 meeting.

Public Hearing continued from October 9, 2007, regarding the closing of a portion of Chautauqua Way West - Brian K. and April A. Journey and Jackie H. Suarez. It's approved after a silent public hearing, with Rob abstaining.

 

County Manager

Update on costs associated with emergency declaration. That's what the agenda says. I was gonna start looking at the sky and panicking, wondering what the emergency is. But then, this is just a report on the stormwater drainage problem they discussed last meeting, where doing some work no instead of next month just makes some common sense.

Bush: "We really, really have a problem with the whitewater rapids west of Blanding."

For the third or fourth time this meeting, Bush has alluded to business that will be concluded after he retires following next year's General Election. He almost sounds sad that he won't be around to see some of his personal conerns dealth with before he leaves. OK, I've wiped away my tear, but I sure am going to miss his contributions to the BCC meetings.

Fritz also wants the commissioners to find a good date in January for the grand opening of the new hall of justice.

Approval of Homeland Security Program Grant for upgrade of self-contained breathing apparatus in the amount of $12,500. I vote in favor of making sure the people who are going to save my life in an emergency have whatever it takes to keep them breathing.

County Attorney

Scruby points out that today's bills include a check for 311K as a step toward purchasing some land from a church.

Letters for Action

Art Yeaman, re: resignation from Historical Commission, and it's approved, with Bush adding that things just aren't right with the Historical Commission.

Letters/Documentation

Bid opening

Bradley's Voting Conflict Form

Commissioner's Comments

Bush: Talks about the upcoming BCC reorganization, when the next chairman and vice chairman will be selected from among the five members of the Board. That'll be the last time that happens, and whoever gets picked will be the last of their breed and then the one-year chairmanship of a 5-member board will be extinct.

Conkey: Nuttin' Honey.

Bradley: Plugs SeaMark, a home for challenged kids. Also points out that Tallahassee's tax legislation will shift local tax burdens. He wants the power to impose a special assessment to fund the fire department. First we get new equipment so they can breathe. Now they wanna get paid, too? No wonder their union negotiations with the county are always so difficult.

Bradley offers a motion that would declare an emergency so the Board can place the assessment method of funding on the January ballot. It's an emergency because of the timing.

Conkey points out that the motion is just the mechanism that would allow discussion of establishing the new assessment. Bush calls it a charade game ("One word. Movie. Psycho! Did I win?") with the Legislature, preferring Tallahassee tax cuts be allowed to affect local first responders so local citizens would know where to place the blame.

Assistant Attorney Moss, who seems to have recovered her facial animations by now, says they need to act today if they want to have it in place by the first of the year.

Conkey says it's just another tool in the tool box, that the BCC may never need or use.

The Chairman wants to slow things down so citizens can speak about it, but is part of the 3-1 vote. To do what? Well, to authorize the mechanism to begin talking about the possibility that the county will eventually adopt a new fee on citizens it plans to never use. And you folks wonder why that pothole on your street hasn't been repaired?

Public Comments

Leading off in his regular spot in the batting order for regular folks is Durwood Smith, who, like Bush, can usually be picked out of the crowd merely by his fashion statement. Durwood, clad in plaid, starts with his twice-monthly request for "a full traffic light at Bliss and Moody for saftey purposes."

Ol' Durwood, a neighbor of mine although a resident of a district county voting district, likes the fact that commissioners have wrapped up their own comments before he gets a chance to speak.

"I think the public should always have the last word."

Again, he complains about public funds being funneled through the County Commission to the Chamber of Commerce.

Theresa Martin asks that the Board initiates an investigation of a situation involving the Sheriff's Office and her son being tasered back in December of 2003, back in the old days before Beseler took over. She complains that Beseler hasn't properly investigated. Of course, she doesn't get any response, except a polite "thank you for your time."

And with that, the meeting ends so quickly one of the guys must have been crossing his legs to keep from wetting his pants before Harold adjourned.

Michael S. Mann