What do I see as the biggest issue before the commission and the new manager?  The debate all centers one what the commission wants.   Do they want change or do they want moderate? 

I personally want to see value for every dollar.   Managers need to hire and fire employees.  They need to control cost…sometimes aggressively.    Are they strong enough to deal with a split commission and will the commission have the same balance after 2012?  Do the voters want the CoFB to run more like a business?   

Title:
Meet & Greet for Prospective Candidates for City Manager

Date:
May 11, 2012

6PM to 7PM

Location:
City Golf Course

Contact:
(904) 277-7305
Email: Mary Mercer

Fernandina Beach, FL – Official Website

So….enterprise accounting is meant to protect the taxpayer, provide an added level of transparency and reduce a kind of governmental piracy?   Is there any accountability when money is transferred for another use….habitually?  Is there an appearance of transparency? 

I repeatedly hear talk of using money for another purpose.  Voter Referendums can stipulate the stated use of money.  Borrowing money without a referendum allows local government to do something else with the money at a later date and I see this as a particularly deceptive philosophy.  While it may get the job done, the voter is left with debt and not even a say when the original purpose for the loan changes.  This, in my opinion, is the worst possible way to represent the voter.     The latest troubling change to the F2 project is a shift from waterfront park to land purchase and marina shifting.  While shifting the marina may make sense, the central issue of silt for the southern portion of the marina remains.   Are there riparian rights to the land being purchased and is the appraisal based on an unimproved Front Street or is the appraisal establishing a top price for the land based on post-improved Alachua Street, Front Street and based on the announced waterfront park? You might wonder why I’m concerned about a post improved Alachua Street and whether an appraisal or negotiated price is based on the certainty of an opened Alachua Street.  Just look at the picture.   The value would be obviously higher if based on an open street and improved entry from Centre.

Why would a community choose to adopt an enterprise fund?

• To determine the total cost of providing a service.
• To demonstrate to the public which portion of the total cost of a service is covered through user charges vs. tax levy.
• To allow the surplus or retained earnings generated by the operation of the enterprise to remain with that fund rather than close out at year end to the general fund and become part of "free cash". The surplus may be used to help fund future capital expenditures such as water replacement costs or to reduce rates.
• It also prevent town Officials from taking a predatory action against water department revenues.

Enterprise Fund Accounting, Municipal Consultants

I would highly recommend a visit early Saturday or Sunday if you have heat concerns.   I prefer going to the pirate landing, parade and then pick a morning….have an early lunch and leave if the weather heats up….but then I’m a little spoiled. 

Years ago, the locals would line the docks to watch the shrimp boat races.  The pirates landed and reinacted, with a bit of flair, the rich history here on Amelia Island. 

FRIDAY, May 4: 6:00 pm–10:30 pm
(Riverfront Area & Kids Fun Zone Only)
SATURDAY, May 5: 9:00 am–6:00 pm
(Food Court until 8:00pm)
SUNDAY, May 6: 10:00 am–5:00 pm

FREE ADMISSION.

Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival

The tall ships are arriving early…..

Friday to Sunday, April 27-29: French Naval Schooners Visit the Fernandina Harbor Marina
Join the City in welcoming two French Naval ships as they make their way along the Southeast Coast. Over 50 French sailors will be calling Fernandina home for the weekend.
Sunday, April 29: Isle de Mai Petanque Tournament
Petanque America will be hosting a one-day Petanque Tournament in honor of the French anniversary at the Amelia River waterfront. Petanque is a French game, and Petanque America is headquartered here in Fernandina Beach.

Fernandina Beach, FL – Official Website – 1562-2012: 450th French Anniversary

On a related note, with 93 applicants, we have quite a pool of highly qualified candidates.  ICMA, recommended 10 of the 93 and suggested these be advanced into a final pool.   While ICMA recommended 10 of the 93, 2 of the 5 commissioners did not agree or support ICMA as the final recommendation or the use of ICMA at all.  We did have a consensus…but therein lies the problem.  Consensus is often an inexact way of picking an alternative everyone really didn’t want in the first place.    Our final selection will be based on 5 candidates from each of our 5 commission members.  Although all might choose from the 10, all might choose 5 different manager candidates…..so potentially we could see 25 on the short list. 

The calm ended soon after the proclamations.  Pictured to the left…a local boater’s group, the Marine Trawler Owner’s Association,  is spending time docked at the city marina.   Their representative was exceptionally pleased to have a week designated in their honor and pleased by the open welcome here.  We all hope you come back again and again. 

If a publication of information is false, then a tort of defamation might have occurred. If that communication is not technically false but is still misleading, then a tort of false light might have occurred.

Defamation – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jack Healan, was helpful with advice on a visioning statement and a beginning point.  I think, sometimes, it is easy to assume action is needed, when in reality, it is sometimes better to measure twice, cut once.  There was mention of an older feasibility study by a private company, possibly something the city could use to eliminate or narrow possibilities. 

There are no specific rules or guidelines for holding a town hall meeting.  If the turnout is large, and in a particular case the objective is to give as many people as possible an opportunity to speak, then the group can be broken down into smaller discussion groups. Each group, in that case, appoints someone to summarize discussion of their group. Many companies also have such meetings.

Town hall meeting – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The second major change in the meeting, in my opinion (IMHO), was a vote to reconsider the supermajority required to hire a city manager.  The commission is obviously split on a number of issues, including debt, F2, the city manager and various other “goals”.  Requiring a supermajority would almost certainly substantially extend the search for a city manager and enable two of the five commissioners to hold the rest of the commissioners hostage until they pick their candidate.   With 93 applicants, the search is progressing well and it is obviously easy to find interested and qualified managers at a reduced salary.  As any number of executive recruiters will tell you….management pay is less than it was 5 years ago.  While you may get what you pay for, why in the world would you pay more than necessary to hire a quality employee?  Yes….93!!!!

Going forward I would like to know how we will handle the pensions and eligibility of future hires? Someone mentioned a nearly $20,000,000 deficit in the last three years.   I want to know how much the impact fee lawsuit can potentially cost the CoFB?  How about the airport lawsuit?  Jim Coe’s lawsuit?  Will there be an issue with CRA funds and repayment?  Finally, how much will the waterfront portion of F2 run in the end and will we continue to borrow money before we have a firm number or know the scope of the work involved? 

My advice, if anyone listens, would be to stop putting the cart before the horse.  Keep the plans, but fix the problems before moving forward with added debt or expense.  If you do borrow money, let the taxpayer have a say in what you plan to do.  Separate budget and plan preparation into different and disinterested parties on large projects.  Find a way to improve competitive bidding, including bidding assistance for small local subcontractors.  One project I discussed with a local brick mason…he indicated he could do the work at about 1/3 of the bid at one point approved.  Small “subs” often are working and watching a city site or preparing bids simply will not happen.  We almost insure higher bids on each project, simply because the lowest bidders are the individual local subcontractors.