DFS City Council discusses Hall of Brotherhood, approves second reading for city charter referendum [PREMIUM]

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS City Council accepting a check from the CHOB Foundation (Photo courtesy of Chris Mitchell)

Story by STACY MARTIN

On Sept. 14, the city of DeFuniak Springs held it’s regular council meeting at the community center.

The meeting started with a presentation and request for resolution from the Walton Area Chamber requesting consideration of a resolution stating support for the North Walton County Florida Tourist Development Tax. This 2-percent tax will only be collected on short-term rental accommodations such as hotels and condos. An estimated $300,000 will be collected in the first two years and will benefit the county’s north end. The council voted to approve the request for resolution subject to conforming to Florida law. 

The next presentation was from Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC) Trade Programs, and Walton Works from Jared Taylor. According to the agenda packet, NWFSC is working to bring educational trade programs to the area. Walton Works Center of Excellence will be located at the NWFSC-Chautauqua Campus on U.S. 90. It will offer five areas of focus: building trades such as plumbing and construction, drone technology, cyber security, law enforcement, and emergency services. Taylor started to the council that NWFSC is interested in providing water treatment and conservation services at the site as well.  

The council then approved the regular and consent agenda. From the administration department, Holly Dincman, the city’s labor attorney, requested a motion to approve the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) collective bargaining agreement. Dincman presented a summary of the proposed changes to the contract to the council. Adjustments to the contract included internal investigations and disciplinary actions, take-home vehicles for officers living within 20 miles of the department, and provisions for field training officers and K-9 officers. Council members Kevin Crystal and Henry Ennis discussed their stand both against and in favor of the take-home vehicle for officers.  Police Chief James Hurley stated that the take-home vehicle would benefit the department as a recruiting perk. The council voted in favor of the request to approve the PBA agreement.  

The next item from City Manager Mell Smigielski, with the administration, was a request for a motion to adopt the mission, vision, values, and goals for the city council. Smigielski stated that the city council and senior staff members met with Emerald Coast Regional Council on Feb. 25 and June 30 for strategic planning purposes to discuss mission, vision, values, and goals. The only agreement from those meetings was to make each item shorter. Smigielski said that the senior staff provided a draft they created of the items shortened and submitted them to the council.  Because there was no further feedback, Smiegielski requested the council approve the revised goals. Council voted unanimously in favor of the request. 

Smigielski then made a request for the approval of Reca Rene Youell, Attorney at Law, as the most qualified special magistrate services for the applicant and direct staff to bring back a contract for the council review and approval.  Council voted in favor of the request.

Deputy City Manager Carisse LeJeune requested a motion to approve a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a contract with TPC for Professional Planning Services. TPC was approved at a prior council meeting to provide planning services necessary to assist with several major projects and daily review tasks.  Council approved the request unanimously. 

The next request was for a motion to approve the resolution in support for the Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood Foundation (CHOB), Inc., fundraising efforts during the annual Festival of Trees event. The money raised will go to the purchasing catering style kitchen equipment, including warming trays, stainless steel sink, large industrial refrigerators, an ice maker, and a stainless steel prep table. The council voted in favor of the request for approval. 

The next item presented to the council was from grant coordinator Kara Chilcutt. Chilcutt presented a $19,777.18 grant award from the St. Joe Community Foundation. The city agreed for the  CHOB Foundation, a non-profit, to apply for St. Joe’s grant to purchase audiovisual systems and equipment for the Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood.  

The last item from the administration was a request to accept the FEMA COVID-19 grant Award Agreement. The agenda packet states that The FEMA grant award covers 75% of submitted on-going eligible activities, which currently totals $10,310.76. The City is responsible for the remaining 25%, which it has already paid.  The council approved the request for acceptance.  

Under citizen’s comments, one resident spoke to the council and thanked them for their police department’s support. 

A request to be on the agenda came from Dan Cosson, who stated that nine months ago, he began the process for permitting to erect a fence on his property.  Cosson stated that he believed the issues have finally been resolved. Cosson noted that he would like to address the council again in two weeks. He also stated that he understood that the application process was not created by the planning director and was told that the city is undergoing modifications to the process.  Council member Kevin Crystal asked the council to consider organizing a professional committee of architects and engineers to help create standards for communities and neighborhoods within the city.  Smigielski stated that he brought the idea to the council which directed them to wait until after the charter committee was finished and that plans are in the works for the process.

From executive requests, Council member Todd Bierbaum discussed allocating unanticipated funds from Walton Correctional Institute and directed staff to look into spending the funds on local landscaping contractors to help get the city caught up on landscaping projects. The public works director asked for some of the funds to be used to purchase additional mower equipment.  

Bierbaum stated that his intent with the funds is to help the city get caught up on their projects and said he did not feel other equipment would help. Bierbaum also asked for clarification on whether those unanticipated funds had been already spent, to which Smigielski replied that they had not been spent. The public works director also noted that additional equipment had been budgeted for this year, but all spending had been halted due to COVID-19.  A motion was made to approve a third party landscaping contract to help with the city’s landscaping projects. The motion was approved unanimously.  

Bierbaum next made a motion to direct staff to bring back recommendations on restructuring existing debt service in the next 60 days.  Bierbaum stated that the city has various forms of debt service that include bonds, and the city can restructure its debt and allow for additional savings that would benefit future projects.

Planning Director Kelly Schultz requested a public hearing on the abandonment request from Andrea Q. Miley for the ROW Adjacent to 444 Dorsey Avenue.  Schultz presented photographs of the area to the council and determined that the abandonment would not impact utilities; however, there is a ditch with the abutting property to the lot seeking abandonment. The council discussed the potential of this ditch being part of the stormwater drainage system. 

Council member Wayne Graham made a motion for approval with the city maintaining the rights and maintenance to the drain. Bierbaum seconded the motion. Crystal asked for legal clarification from City Attorney Clay Adkinson who stated that the city could not approve the abandonment and preserve the ditch because it is on the abutting property. The abandonment would only favor Miley’s request. What the city needed to figure out is if the ditch is a part of the stormwater management system. If it is, they could not grant the abandonment request. City staff was not able to confirm if the ditch was a part of the stormwater management. Bierbaum asked staff why information on the ditch’s potential as a part of the city’s stormwater management was just now being presented to the council.  Bierbaum stated that he did not think that was fair to the citizen who has already invested time and money into this process only for the city to come back with an additional oversight on the lot’s usage. Bierbaum then amended his second and requested the issue to be tabled to allow time to determine if the ditch is a part of the stormwater management system. Graham also amended and seconded the motion. The motion carried.  

From the legal department, Adkinson opened the floor for a public hearing on the city’s charter ordinance. Resident Dan Cosson spoke again, commending the council and the charter task force on the charter’s work.  The motion was made to hold second reading and carried unanimously by the council. Ordinance 9-10 calls for a special election with a referendum question to be placed on a soft ballot on January 26, 2021; The charter referendum question will be a yes or no question to determine whether to adopt the proposed 2020 City Charter and replace the old existing charter. 

Under staff reports, Smigielski gave the council an update on items for the next council meeting. No further comments were made. The next council meeting is set for Monday, September 28