See the story below on the Chamber Website or if you want to read the text of the proposed severance agreement/resignation(?) of Michael J. Czymbor – City Manager, the direct link is here. http://www.fbfl.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=6858 The meeting is an open meeting in the commission chambers. The meeting was scheduled as a special meeting…unusual in that very little notice was required or given. I don’t know if the News Leader will have notice of the meeting or not and as I understand, this issue was to be discussed at the regular Tuesday meeting, but was moved to a special meeting with about 24 hours notice.
My first thought would be….did any of the commissioners have plans and did anyone check the commissioner’s availability before the meeting? Holding a meeting with little notice might create a problem or change results if one or more commissioners is unavailable. I also wonder if the Friday meeting will be taped or on public access. Unless I’m sick, I will make a point of attending, just to see what happens first-hand.
Nassau Business Today – Commissioners to consider releasing city manager at special meeting tomorrow
Update……
After much discussion of how to end the employment of the City Manager, a resignation was negotiated effective a week from today. The meeting was filled with tension, both in the audience and among the officials. This blog is all about opinion, so take this all as opinion. We need to eliminate the tension in city government. A great deal of the issue stems from a failure to place Forward Fernandina on a ballot. As one former mayor said, the project lost the chance at legitimacy when it passed without a referendum. Well intentioned or not, the moves forward by an outgoing commission, in my opinion, before two newly elected commissioners were seated, hastened the action tonight. The entire election became about hearing the voter ask for a voice or moving forward with good intentions…..in spite of the voter.
I would like to see two changes after watching tonight’s meeting. Any item added to an commission agenda should be removed only after notice and assent by the commissioners adding the item. The meeting tonight was, apparently, held after an agenda item on Tuesdays meeting was moved to tonight. I don’t think either commissioner originally adding the item were notified or called prior to the scheduling of the special meeting. With 24 hours notice, this becomes a little unreasonable. We should clarify the way an item is added or removed from a meeting agenda and no one should remove an agenda item or change a date without consent. I also think all commissioners should be contacted and indicate they are available for this kind of meeting. Two commissioners stated they were not contacted before the change of agenda and scheduling of a meeting tonight.
Life goes on and I’m sure Fernandina will survive.
