December 23, 2014 11:00 a.m.
Editor’s Note: Nassau County has another news blog available to interested readers. Mary Maguire, a reporter who covers the Nassau County beat, launched her own website on October 13. Please visit NC FL Independent website and subscribe. We thank Mary for allowing us to post articles related to the Port of Fernandina and a recent port authority meeting.
Mary Maguire, Editor
ncflindependent.com
It was a mistake.
That’s one word commissioners for the Ocean Highway & Port Authority (OH&PA) are using to explain why they need to change their charter regarding election rules. Oversight, inadvertence and neglect are others.
For decades, the OH&PA board has been holding partisan elections when they should have been ignoring party affiliations and holding non-partisan elections. Why? Because that’s what the charter stipulates.
Proposed Ordinance 2014-5 mentions the situation this way:
“Whereas, through oversight, mistake, inadvertence, or neglect, the codification of the Charter of the Ocean Highway and Port Authority of Nassau County, at Section 3 of said Charter, failed to include any provision for partisan elections of the Port Commissioners.”
According to the Ordinance, no one has ever contested an election, and here’s why the change is required:
“In order to provide clarity and consistency, to remove any future doubts regarding the method and manner of the election of the Commission of the Commissioners of the Ocean Highway and Port Authority of Nassau County and to address any questions as to the lawfulness of their actions upon election.”
The board needs the legislative delegation’s okay to make the change and the meeting is set for Jan. 13th at 4 p.m. at the county’s administration building in Yulee, according to an assistant to State Representative Janet Adkins.
Rep. Adkins and State Senator Aaron Bean make up the legislative delegation. Bean is the chair now, but Adkins used to be and she received the proposed ordinance earlier this month.
In a phone interview on Monday, Rep. Adkins said the issue is set to be the only ordinance under consideration.
“There’s still a little bit of time, but that’s all that’s being considered now,” said Adkins.
The OH&PA is a special district and the board holds elections through the Nassau County Supervisor of Elections Vicki Cannon’s office. It was Cannon who said that she discovered the problem with the charter in the first place while researching another issue. Cannon said she reported the matter to the Port Authority’s attorney Clyde Davis, Sen. Bean and state election officials in Tallahassee. Adkins said in the interview that she was not notified.
The Independent has made a public records request with the state regarding the legality of the port’s elections and previous votes. Update to follow.
The OH&PA has five commissioners who each serve four-year terms. Commissioners are paid $12,000 per year for service, but commissioners can vote to raise their annual salaries to $24,000 each. Chair Carrol Franklin said in an interview last week that the board doesn’t have the money to raise commissioner stipends.
The OH&PA voted 3-1 at the Dec. 10th meeting to change the charter to partisan elections. Commission Franklin voted no. Commissioners Richard Bruce, Danny Fullwood and Adam Salzberg voted yes. Commissioner Ron Braddock did not vote. He has been out on medical leave since early summer.
In Other OH&PA news: The board holds meetings in the County Commission chambers which is outfitted with audio and video equipment. While the OH&PA has previously said that it cannot stream meetings live over the Internet because of cost, the County Clerk’s office said the system is available to use at no charge.
John Crawford’s office also sent a memo dated Aug. 26th to County Manager Ted Selby offering the Granicus system to the Planning & Zoning board at no charge. The system can also be used to post meeting agendas and support documentation, as needed, said the clerk.
“Ted, here is another great example of open and transparent government,” said Crawford.
According to the Clerk’s IT Director Mitchell Keiter, the Granicus system was purchased in July 2008 for $67,085.08 and annual managed services cost $26,289.72.
Assistant County Manager and Budget Director Shanea Jones said in an interview last week that a county staff member runs the system and cameras during the evening commission meetings in an hourly time exchange during regular business hours.
……….
All boards (city and county) should take advantage of video and audio recording/streaming whenever possible as often meetings are held when citizens cannot attend and this provides a way for them to “catch up”. Transparency is a wonderful thing for government.
Rep. Adkins says she is going to look into live streaming for the legislative meeting in January.
Mary & Suanne,
Earlier in September I exchanged several emails with Vicki Cannon, Supervisor of Elections Nassau County, regarding the legality of OH&PA elections and the ability to recall elected officials in Nassau County. I have not received a final reply from her and now I understand why.
Because of the uncertainty (illegality?) of how OH&PA elections have been held, we (the people) might have the opportunity to hold NEW elections for OH&PA commissioners if we oppose the move to have partisan elections. Perhaps, we could elect officials who really represent the interests of Fernandina Beach citizens regards the planned expansion of the Port. Please encourage representative all residents to attend the planned meeting. Thanks