City of Mexico Beach Meeting Minutes TUESDAY JANUARY 9, 2024-1:00PM  The City of Mexico Beach City Council met in ar regular meeting on Tuesday. January 9, 2024, at: 1:00 pm at the Public Works Building in Mexico Beach. Mayor Miller and the following Councilmembers were present: Linda Hamilton, Adrian Welle, Jerry Smith and Richard Wolff. Also present were City Administrator, Chris Hubbard, City Clerk, Tammy Brunson and City Attorney  Clint McCahill.  Call to order: Mayor Miller called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm. Mayors Comments: Mayor Miller had no comments.  II. City Council Report: Mr. Wollf stated he would like to bring back to the meeting the projects list and add a grants tracking list updated monthly. He also requested a quarterly update on capital purchasesand anything else related to the budget, such as new positions that were approved. All agreed.  III. Citizens Comments: Kirk Wuerfel thanked council for their service. He spoke of the mayors need to see the financials, he suggested a moratorium on all future building pending citizen input, lower height requirements for all building, no traffic light on Hwy 981 to keep Mexico Beach's small towni feel and curb development. George Gill spoke of illegal signs on vacant lots. Kristy McElroy talked about the 11/7/23 Port St. Joe Commissioner meeting and public comments. Rusty Wright stated council has lost control. He suggests the city gets off all social media to reign things in and encourages a vote today to support that. Melaine Hardwick spoke to the Mayor about her Facebook post, blocking citizens who don't agree with her, slandering citizens and employees and deleting post are illegal and harassing. She urged Council to do something to stop the harassment of employees. Julie Gardner pointed out that in the January 4 2023, Special Meeting the Mayor snatched the gavel back from Mr. Wollf making her the presiding officer of the meeting and then seconded the motion, made by Mrs. Hamilton, to fire Mr. Hubbard. Rock Kries gave background on the boat ramp permits for 2023. He would like council to consider increasing the fees to pave the parking lot at the boat ramp. Gary' Woodham is upset over people who are not residents in Mexico Beach complaining about council and what is going on in the city. It isav waste of time for everyone involved tol hear from people who don't live here and have no say because they can not vote. Mr. Wolff, referencing George Gills comments, said ift the signs are there illegally, remove them. All council agreed. Mayor Miller, referencing Kirk Wuerfel's comments, stated the need for a citizen committee to work onar master plan for the city. Mr. Hubbard announced there will be a workshop on. January 22, 2024, with Allara Mills- Gutcher, the city's planning and development consultant, to start working on the master plan for the city using the $75,000.00 grant the city received from the State Commerce Department. Mayor Miller stated according to the new version of Robert's Rules a presiding officer that isay voting member of the council can make a motion or second a motion and by Florida State Statute a public meeting can not be closed for comments to anyone. Mrs. Hamilton urged everyone to stop talking about city business on social media. In reference to Rock Kries's comments, consensus was to add boat rampi fee'san agenda item for  discussion at the next meeting.    City of Mexico Beach Meeting Minutes TUESDAY. ANUARY9.024-10OPMM  IV. Consent Agenda: Meeting minutes were brought to the table. Mr. Welle motioned, and Mr. Wolff seconded to approve the minutes for the regular council meetings on November 28, 2023, and December 12, 2023, and the special council meetings on November 28, 2023, and December 22, 2023. Motion passed  unanimously. Regular Agenda:  V.  1. Employee of the Year for 2023 was brought to the table. Mr. Hubbard presented Mary Harmon with the 2. Ordinance 827 (First Reading) - Charter Amendment for maximum building height was brought to the table. Mrs. Hamilton motioned, and Mr. Wolff seconded to read Ordinance 827 by title only. Motion passed unanimously. Open public comment at 2:01 pm - John Harrell, Jeniffer Ward, Lisa Logan Kurt Wuerfel, Bobby Pollock and Mary Kenney raised concerns about building height being no more than 3 stories, future annexation rules and the need to have this spelled out in the City Charter to keepi it from being changed without av vote of the citizens. Public comment closed at 2:39 pm. The Charter Review Committee will meet af final time to consider public and council comments and make changes they feel necessary for the final 3. Ordinance 828 (First Reading) Charter Amendment - Change city form of government to Council- Administrator was brought to the table. Mr. Welle motioned, and Mr. Wolff seconded to read Ordinance 828 by title only. Motion passed unanimously. Open public comment at 2:45 pm. Bill Hamilton says he thinks there should be one person for the Administrator to report to, not all five Council member. Loren Lindsay asked ift the Administrator would have to live in the city limits. Public comment closed at 2:58 pm. Mayor Miller said no other city in the state has this form of government. The Charter Review Committee will meet ai final time to consider public and council comments and make changes they feel necessary for the 4. Ordinance 829 (First Reading) Charter Amendment - Removing sentence from Article I, Section 2.07 regarding the mayor's duties was brought to the table. Mr. Wolff motioned, and Mr. Welle seconded to read Ordinance 829 by title only. Motion passed unanimously. Open public comment at 3:00 pm - Several expressed concern about confusion ife either 828 and 829 do not pass and suggested they be combined to one referendum. John Harrell stated he does not want someone in control of the city that was not voted on by the citizens. Cindy. Jolly and Lisa Logan agreed to let the citizens decide. Public comment closed at 3:14 pm. Mrs. Hamilton said she thinks this needs more work, why should it go on the ballot now. Mr. Wolff asked why this is being challenged this late in the stage, let the citizens vote. The Charter Review Committee will meet a final time to consider public and council comments and make changes they feel 5. Ordinance 830 (First Reading) Charter Amendment - Add position of City Administrator was brought to the table. Mrs. Hamilton motioned, and Mr. Welle seconded to read Ordinance 830 by title only. Motion passed unanimously. Open public comment at 3:22 pm.. Jennifer Ward said the job needs to be noted in the Charter but the day-to- day duties need to be in thej job description. Cindy Jolly commented that ift this was going to be used for hiring/firing, and/or should be used. Public comment closed at 3:44 pm. Alla agreed to remove  2023 Employee of the Year Award.  reading.  final reading.  necessary for the final reading.  the last paragraph withj job details for the final reading.    City of Mexico Beach Meeting Minutes TUESDAY JANUARY9,: 2024-1:00PM  V. Regular Agenda Continued  Ordinance 831 (First Reading) Charter Amendment - Add position of City Clerk was brought to the table. Mr. Welle motioned, and Mr. Wolff seconded to read Ordinance 831 by title only. Motion passed unanimously. Open public comment at 3:34 pm - No public comments were made. Closed public comment 7 Ordinance 832 (First Reading) Charter Amendment - Provide for Runoff Election if no candidate receivesa majority of 50% plus one of the votes was brought to the table. Mr. Welle motioned, and Mrs. Hamilton seconded to read Ordinance 832 by title only. Motion passed unanimously. Open public comment at 3:35 Request to declare January 12th as Carol Roberts Day was brought to the table. Open public comment at 3:36 pm - No public comments were made. Closed public comment at 3:36 pm. Mr. Welle motioned, and Mrs. Hamilton seconded to Declare. January 12"h as Carol Roberts Day. Motion passed unanimously. 9 Financial Report was brought to the table. Mr. Hubbard went over the financial report with Council. Open public comment at 3:41 pm. Kristy McElroy said the CDC: should be paying for beach raking. Mary Kenney asked what debt service was for.. Julie Gardner stated per Kimberly! Shoaf with the CDC that they do pay the city to offset labor and materials for beach raking. Closed public comment at 3:47 pm. 10 Engineering Firm RFQ's were brought to the table. Mr. Hubbard went over the RFQ'sreceived for Engineering Services. Open public comment at 3:48 pm. Kristy McEiroy asked is this the best youd can do? Mary Kenney asked why engineering was not done in house. Lisa Logan asked that a conflict-of-interest. clause be added to the contract. John Harrell asked if Council had to pick the highest rate applicant given their history with lawsuits. Jerry Parker stated the owner of the firm in question was given immunity fora a reason. Closed public comment at 3:56 pm. Mr. Welle motioned, and Mr. Wolff seconded to approve a contract with Anchor CEI as the Engineer of Record and use Gortemoller Engineering and Florida Architects 11 Discussion to review Resolution: 2017-07 was brought to the table. After discussion the changes to be made and brought back for approval at the next meeting were to Section 2(B) Order of Business. Items 5, 6and7  at 3:34 pm.  pm- No public comments were made. Closed public comment at 3:35 pm.  as alternates. Motion passed unanimously. are to be moved between items 17 and 18.  VI. Department Reports  Public Works, Utilities, Code Enforcement, Bay County Sheriff's, and the Fire Department gave updates on  their departments.  VII. City Administrator Report: Mr. Hubbard talked about stormwater issues and progress on restrooms for the  parks.  VIII. City Attorney Report: Mr. McCahill had nothing to report at this time    City of Mexico Beach Meeting Minutes TUESDAY. ANUARV9,04-100PM  IX. Adjournment: Mr. Smith and Mr. Welle motioned to adjourn the meeting at 4:45 pm.  ztn Mayor, MicheleMiller  Altestcoanl Bnuron City Clerk, Tammy Bfunson