Submitted by Susan Hardee Steger
October 1, 2014 9:11 a.m.
On September 30, 2014, the Fernandina Beach City Commission met for eleven minutes in a special meeting to quickly approve four agenda items, but according to City Attorney Tammi Bach, “the real reason we had this meeting . . .” was to call an executive session to discuss the impact fee lawsuit cases. Along with the commission, city manager, and city attorney, Arthur I.”Buddy” Jacobs litigation counsel, will attend the executive session. The session will be held Thursday, October 2 at 9:00 a.m.
Bach informed commissioners that a 42 page settlement agreement will be sent for the commissioners’ review prior to the session. The document will be labeled “exempt and confidential.” The settlement agreement contains “legalize, the section in the very beginning that talks about how the lawsuit commenced, and some things that we feel as a commission,” says Bach.
City Manager Joe Gerrity took time at the end of the meeting to explain his decision to instruct staff to inform the Planning and Advisory Board (PAB) that they will not participate in what was an advertised joint workshop with the Ocean Highway Port Authority. The workshop will take place without the PAB today in the Meeting Room of the office of John M. Drew tax collector at 1:00 p.m. City Attorney Tammi Bach, and Senior Planner Kelly Gibson will represent the city.
“I was concerned about transparency; the fact that one of our boards was going off island to discuss something that was happening right here in the city. The PAB has been through enough. It is not their job to help the port authority put their master plan together or vet it. It was unfair to put that burden on the members of the board,” says Gerrity.
In response to a question regarding the meeting location, Gerrity said he believed the PAB was invited to participate in the workshop by the port authority, and the city’s commission chambers were offered, but the offer was refused.
The Agenda:
The commission quickly approved four agenda items. The first item involved a change order to increase a contract by $135,364 to complete a north aircraft parking apron and taxilane drainage project at the Fernandina Airport. The project is funded by the Florida Department of Transportation. Approval was also granted for a Passero & Associate’s work order in the amount of $13,827 for engineering services for the design and construction of this project.
A facilities use agreement with the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance was approved. The agreement calls for a $825 per day payment for use of the Jamestown Road area. In addition the airport will receive $250 per day for use of the airport for parking, and a portion of a $15 parking fee. Collected fees will be split between the airport, Friends of Fernandina Aviation, and the Experimental Aircraft Association.
An award of bid to Vandeusen Roofing and Sheet Metal was approved for roof replacement on the Fernandina Beach Golf Course Clubhouse. The bid was $32,500 but Gerrity requested approval at $45,000 noting that once the shingles are removed there will be some “rotten plywood.”
Although the OHPA holds their normally scheduled meetings at the James Page Governmental Complex in Yulee, the time and location of this OHPA meeting and the fact that they refused the offer by the City to host their meeting speaks volumes. Maybe since the meeting location has a FB postal mailing address, they can claim the meeting was held in FB.
Well played Joe Gerrity.
So when will the taxpayers find out just how much $ they’re on the hook for besides the almost $600,000 already spent on legal fees in this impact fee mess?