City Council

Minutes from the Petersburg City Council Work Session meeting held on: February 16, 2017 -1– ______________________________________________________________________________ The work session of the Petersburg City Council was held on Thursday, February 16, 2017, at the Union Train Station. Mayor Parham called the work session meeting to order at 6:30p.m. 1. ROLL CALL: Present: Council Member Charles H. Cuthbert, Jr Council Member Darrin Hill Council Member W. Howard Myers Council Member Annette Smith-Lee Council Member Treska Wilson-Smith Vice Mayor John A. Hart, Sr. Mayor Samuel Parham Absent: None Present from City Administration: Interim City Manager Tom Tyrrell Interim Finance Director Nelsie Birch City Attorney Joseph E. Preston Clerk of Council Nykesha D. Jackson, CMC 2. PURPOSE: a. Discussion on City Residency Administration Regulation 3.2 BACKGROUND: The City’s Residency Requirement Administration Regulation, dated 10/21/1986 was general and did not indicate which positions were subject to the residency requirement. On May 3, 2016, City Council adopted the current residency requirement to include a salary threshold along with the broad identification of essential and non-residential staff. RECOMMENDATION: The recommendations are as follows: 1. Revise the current residency requirement which requires all essential and nonessential employees with an annual salary exceeding $80,000 and who are deputies, executive assistants to the City Manager, agency heads or department heads or the equivalent to live or require permanent residency within six months from the start of their employment. 2. Adopt the amended Administrative Regulation that requires residency for essential executive staff allowing for discretion as appropriate for the following positions: a. City Manager b. Chief of Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services c. Director of Public Works d. Police Chief e. City Attorney Robert Bobb, President and CEO of The Robert Bobb Group, LLC, gave a summary and briefing on the draft residency policy. Mr. Bobb stated that he would like to recommend that City Council adopt the policy with only the City Manager, Police Chief and Fire Chief. Council Member Cuthbert handed out a copy of his policy and table of his recommendation regarding residency. He also handed out an email that was sent out with regards to the discussion of the residency policy. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council Work Session meeting held on: February 16, 2017 -2– ______________________________________________________________________________ There was discussion among City Council Members and staff. Council Member Myers made a motion to the recommendation with the respect of the Robert Bobb Group and to add the Director of Public Works. The motion was seconded by Council Member Hill. There was discussion on the motion among City Council and staff. The motion was approved on roll call. On roll call vote, voting yes: Cuthbert, Smith-Lee, Wilson-Smith, Myers, Hill, Hart and Parham Council Member Cuthbert spoke regarding the waiver language on his table that he passed out to City Council Members. Council Member Cuthbert made a motion to substitute for the waiver language proposed by the Bobb Group the following waiver language, “only City Council has the power to grant a waiver and that the waiver requires the majority number of City Council Members. The motion dies due to a lack of second. There was discussion among City Council Members regarding the waiver language and the charter. Council Member Cuthbert made a motion to substitute the Bobb Group definition of residency with the definition that he has in his information on page two. Council Member Cuthbert stated that his definition of principal residence, “principal residence” means the residence where a person lives at least 80% of the time, such person owning such principal residence through a deed or other conveyance granting the person an ownership interest in such residence. There was discussion on the motion and clarification. The motion dies due to a lack of second. There was discussion among City Council Members. b. Discuss recommendations and amendments to the Rules of Council and establishing Standing Committees BACKGROUND: City Council adopted the Rules of Council on January 3, 2017. There have been some updates recommended throughout the rules as well as establishing standing committees. RECOMMENDATION: Recommend that the Rules of Council be amended as detailed in attached draft resolution. Mr. Bobb spoke on the waiver provisions. He spoke on a recommendation with respect to standing committees and the Rules of Council. He stated that the City Clerk helped with the recommendations. Council Member Hill stated that in Section 7 (Decorum of Council Members) it will be hard to address City Council Members by their ward. He stated that if this is something that they would like to keep that is fine but it will be hard to address them by ward. He stated that he would like the rules of the public to be posted in the train station so that it is visible to everyone. He stated that there needs to be some security at the train station as well. Mr. Bobb stated that he will get with Mr. Tyrrell and Chief of Police and see what can be worked out *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council Work Session meeting held on: February 16, 2017 -3– ______________________________________________________________________________ regarding the security of the council meetings. There was discussion among Council Member Wilson-Smith and Mr. Bobb with regards to the standing committees and what commissions would fall under the standing committees. Council Member Wilson-Smith asked to add a colon after the ending paragraph and then list the committees in the document. Mr. Bobb stated that yes he will add the information that Council Member Wilson-Smith requested. Council Member Wilson-Smith questioned the information in the document that stated that you could not come in the train station with signs or placards. She stated that a point was made that Mr. Bobb didn’t mean just signs with the sticks but that she thinks that it is good if he edits this information. Mr. Bobb stated that he thinks that they got carried away with this information. He stated that they meant that as long as they do not have a stick in the sign. He stated that it is not a convention. He stated that he thinks that they do need to make that change and be more specific. Council Member Wilson-Smith stated that the last item in question is the override of recommendation to strike. She stated that it states that such should require five votes to prevail. She asked wouldn’t majority vote work. Mr. Bobb stated that majority vote should work. He stated that he needs to go back and consult Robert’s Rules on this information. He stated that will ask the City Clerk to help with this information. Council Member Cuthbert asked that if it is a simple majority to override the recommendation to strike then is Section 7 necessary. He asked can they omit Section 7 in its entirety. Mr. Bobb stated that this provision is within the standing committee and that this is what it is designed to do. He stated that any council member may override the recommendation of the standing committee. There was discussion among City Council and Mr. Bobb regarding standing committees and the decorum. Council Member Cuthbert asked Mr. Bobb to consider taking out the sentence in Section 7 that refers to how to address a Council Member by ward. Mr. Bobb stated that he can do this. He stated that this was based on the personal attacks and not the debates. There was discussion among City Council and Mr. Bobb regarding the standing committees and their meeting dates and times. There was discussion among City Council and Mr. Bobb on the locking and security of the doors at the train station during the council meetings. Vice Mayor Hart stated that he wants to thank Mr. Bobb for putting this together for him. He stated that this was something that he thought that this was in place. He stated that this helps with restructuring Petersburg government. He stated that it helps them to work on a checks and balances system and help them to move forward. *Audio available  Minutes from the Petersburg City Council Work Session meeting held on: February 16, 2017 -4– ______________________________________________________________________________ Mr. Bobb stated that they are working with a facilitator for the City Council workshop. He stated that he needs to come back to them with the structure. He stated that he asks that the meeting for March 4th not occur. He stated that they would like to come back with a little bit more structure for that City Council workshop. He stated that he would ask that City Council cancel that meeting. He stated that they have gone through the recruitment and interview process for an executive search firm. He stated that they have decided. He stated that the head of the search firm will be here for one-day next week. He stated that they have brochures and information on it. He stated that if they can arrange a meeting with respect to City Council schedule throughout the day on next Tuesday when Mr. Baenziger is here. He stated that he thinks that it is important that they speak to City Council to get their input on finding the City Manager. He stated that next week there is a presentation on the PPEA process public hearing. He stated that one recommendation that they made is that City Council consider appointing a representative from each ward to that committee. He stated that they have created a charter for that committee and how it works. Council Member Hill asked Mr. Bobb how quick is he trying to get the committee together. Mr. Bobb stated that it would be ideal to appoint the committee members next week at the Council meeting or at the following City Council meeting. He stated that they would like to start getting the committee together so that they can understand their roles and the charter. Ms. Jackson stated that whomever that City Council Members choose to submit a board and commissions application so that they information can be on file. Mayor Parham asked Mr. Jackson to send the application to all the council members. 3. CLOSED SESSION (if necessary) *No closed session items. 4. ADJOURNMENT: City Council adjourned at 8:21 p.m. _________________________ Clerk of City Council APPROVED: _________________________ Mayor *Audio available