1997-06-09 Special Meeting365
CITY OF OKEECHOBEE
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING
SUMMARY OF COUNCIL ACTION
A. Call Special Meeting to order on June 9, 1997 at 7:00 p.m.
B. Mayor and Council Attendance:
Mayor James E. Kirk
Council Member Noel A. Chandler
Council Member Lowry Markham
Council Member Robert Oliver
Council Member Dowling R. Watford, Jr.
Staff Attendance'
Citv Attornev John R. Cook
City Administrator John J. Draco
City Clerk Bonnie S. Thomas
Deputy Clerk S. Lane Gamiotea
Mayor Kirk called the June 9, 1997 Special Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Clerk Thomas called the roll:
Present
Absent
Present
Present
Present
Present
Absent
Present
Present
C. Review applications for City Administrator, discuss job Council Members expressed their appreciation for the hard work the City Clerk's Office
description and contract language - Mayor Kirk. did to make the review process as streamlined as possible for the applications. They
expressed that all twenty-four applicants had merit and it was hard to narrow it down to
only a few.
The Council then discussed the process for selection of a short list" should be to use
the tally sheet prepared by the Clerk, and Mayor Kirk will call out each applicant's
number. If anyone had the one selected that was called, check it. Then go back and
discuss each one that was checked.
After a lengthy discussion of each applicant checked at least once, Council determined
the short list to be: (#48) Edward Schmidt; (#8) James Threewits; (#29) Robert McClary;
(#15) Bill Veach; (#47) Michael Scott and (#34) Robert Bradshaw.
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JUNE 9, 1997 - SPECIAL MEETING - PAGE 2 OF 3
C. Review applications for City Administrator, discuss job The Council also discussed whether the City should pay for travel expenses, with
description and contract language continued. Council Member Oliver commenting he did not see why the City could not put forth some
money to an airline ticket to help with the cost. The majority of the Council did not wish
to contribute nor reimburse any money to the applicants for travel expenses.
The Council settled on Thursday, June 19th at 6:00 p.m. to hold a special meeting to
hold the interviews; directed Clerk Thomas to inform those on the "short list° and not to
send notices to the rest of the applicants until someone is hired, in case they have to go
back and select more applicants should these six not work out.
The Council began discussing contract language. Council Member Markham distributed
an outline of a proposed contract for everyone to review and amend those items as
appropriate. Mayor Kirk thanked Council Member Markham for his research and work on
this and felt the outline he presented was a good place to start. Items of the outline
discussed were: to leave the length of the contract blank; change the pension paragraph
i0 date the administrator will palilciDai_ In the general employees pension fund; clarify
j�= sixty days severance pay Inio months; have Attorney Cook reviewand `dress It u .
y
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applicant
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Council also decided that since the proposed contract outline has an evaluation
paragraph in it, that Code Book Section 2-52 concerning appointment and removal of
the administrator be left as it is currently written.
While on the subject of contracts Attorney Cook advised the Council of a difference of
interpretation of Mr. Drago's contract. Mr. Drago interprets his severance pay to be
ninety (90) days which will amount to $15,573.60. However, Finance Coordinator Parker
interprets ninety days to be the same as three months and Mr. Drago is a salaried
employee and three months of one year's salary is one-fourth of his $45,000.00 salary
and equals $11,250.00. Attorney Cook asked how the Council wished to proceed and
who's interpretation to use? Following a lengthy discussion Council agreed that since the
wording in the contract is ".....his full salary for a period of ninety days ....... and a period
of ninety days is three months, to use Mrs. Parker's interpretation for the severance pay.
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Adjournment - Mayor Kirk.
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE AND BE ADVISED that if a person decides to appeal any
decision made by the City Council with respect to any matter considered at this
meeting, he/she may need to insure that a verbatim record of the proceeding is
made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is
to be based. A tape recording of this meeting is on file in the City Clerk's Office.
James'E. Kirk
Mayor
ATTEST:
Bonnie S. Thomas,
City Clerk
JUNE 9, 1997 - SPECIAL MEETING - PAGE 3 OF 3
There being no further discussion, Mayor Kirk instructed Clerk Thomas to advise the six
applicants of the interview date; advertise for the special meeting; and adjourned the
June 9, 1997 Special Meeting at 9:19 p.m.