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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-02-13 - City Commission Regular Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2013 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Talabisco called the regular meeting of the City Commission to order at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 in City Commission Chambers, Tamarac City Hall, 7525 NW 88 Avenue, Tamarac, FL 33321. ROLL CALL: Mayor Beth Talabisco, Vice Mayor Bushnell, Commissioner Patricia Atkins -Grad and attendance. Harry Dressler, Commissioner Pamela Commissioner Diane Glasser were in Also in attendance were City Manager Michael C. Cernech, City Attorney Samuel S. Goren and Interim City Clerk Patricia Teufel. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Commissioner Diane Glasser led the Pledge of Allegiance. 1. PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS: a. Introduction to Commission by Broward County District 1 Commissioner Martin David Kiar. Commissioner Kiar introduced himself to the Commission and said that he is excited to serve the City of Tamarac and wants to make a difference for all of Broward County. Commissioner Kiar said he is out and about in different cities to find out what he can do to help people and encouraged people to reach out to him should they need assistance. Finally, Commissioner Kiar said he is looking forward to working with Tamarac. Mayor Talabisco moved out of order to take up item 1c. c. Presentation of a Proclamation by Mayor Beth Talabisco proclaiming February 13, 2013 as "Human Trafficking Prevention Awareness Day". (Requested by Mayor Beth Talabisco) Mayor Talabisco moved back in order to take up item 1 b. b. Update Regarding Tamarac BSO Explorer Accomplishments for 2012 and Recognition of the 2012 Tamarac Explorer of the Year (Requested by BSO Interim Chief Fred Wood) Deputy Del Sol and BSO Explorer of the Year Captain Nataliya De Gracia appeared. Captain De Gracia spoke of the many Community Service events the Explorers attended as well as Major Training events in which the Explorers participated. A Comprehensive list is on file in the City Clerk's Office. 2. CITY COMMISSION REPORTS: a. Commissioner Bushnell: Reported that she and Vice Mayor Dressler went through CERT traininglast Saturday and yesterday she was promoted to a Sergeant in the COPS Program; attended the Strategic Planning meeting on January 29to and attended various homeowner association meetings. Commissioner Bushnell said she sits on a few boards with the Broward Page 1 of 7 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING February 13, 2013 League of Cities, one of which is the SRO Task Force which is involved in getting School Resource Officers in schools for the sole purpose of the safety of our children. The other board she sits on is the Texting and Cell Phones in Cars which is tasked with alerting people that Florida is one of only six states in the country that does not have a law against texting and talking on the phone while driving. Commissioner Bushnell also attended the Chamber of Commerce awards dinner. Commissioner Bushnell spoke of an incident at the Mainlands Park Ground Breaking Ceremony and then read a statement into the record, which is attached hereto and incorporated herein. b. Commissioner Glasser: Said she attended many homeowner association meetings and even rendered assistance with one association's election process. Commissioner Glasser said she has been working diligently with a lot of people in the community to resolve their problems. c. Commissioner Atkins Grad: Read a statement into the record which is attached hereto and incorporated herein. d. Vice Mayor Dressler: Read a statement into the record which is attached hereto and incorporated herein. Vice Mayor Dressler asked City Attorney Goren to confirm the approximate cost of a special election should one take place and City Attorney Goren responded approximately $61,000 which is based on the 2009 special election for District 2. Vice Mayor Dressler asked City Attorney Goren if he can obtain copies of Commissioner Atkins-Grad's psychological reports that were submitted into evidence at her trial. for Commission review. City Attorney Goren said it is a matter of public record if there were reports or psychological evaluations that were utilized at trial and made part of the public record, they can be accessed through the court system. If those reports were not made part of the public record, they would not be available. City Attorney Goren said if there is no objection, he will check with Commissioner Atkins-Grad's counsel and get back to the Commission. e. Mayor Talabisco: Said she is pleased to report that Jack is doing well after his surgery and appreciates all the support they have received through the many difficult times over the last few years. Mayor Talabisco said that in spite of the difficult situation that they are dealing with, the City of Tamarac continues to move forward in a positive manner. Mayor Talabisco said it is been an interesting "year" and the true measure of our strength is how we react to adversity and move forward and that is what we are doing in order to ensure that the quality of life is as good as it can be made with the funds available. Mayor Talabisco reported that she attended the 81St US Conference of Mayors in January, along with City Manager Cernech, and it is one of the high privileges of being a Mayor to be in Washington DC with so many other Mayors who represent cities of all sizes. Mayor Talabisco said she attended a seminar on Metro Economies in the New American City which dealt with improving economies; tech incubators; the value -of public private partnership and the value of summer jobs programs. All the panelists mentioned code compliance as being essential as all cities need to be clean, safe and attractive and this has confirmed that the steps that the Commission has taken on behalf of Tamarac are going in the right direction. Page 2 of 7 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING February 13, 2013 City Manager Cernech attended the Technology and Innovation session where they talked about electronic water meters and utilizing technology to market what we call our Tamarac Tomorrow Program, which also confirmed that we are on the right track. Mayor Talabisco said she also attended a seminar regarding vacant and abandoned properties which is a nationwide problem. This again confirmed that we are on the right track with Operation Nip -It, -the foreclosure property registration program as well as our housing program and said we are not alone in what we are trying to achieve. Lastly, there were discussions regarding the value of public and private partnerships and for the first time the US Conference of Mayors has partnered with Weight Watchers which has grant programs regarding healthy communities which could be beneficial to Tamarac. Mayor Talabisco said she would turn that information over to Assistant City Manager Phillips to look into. Mayor Talabisco reported that she recently hosted a meeting with State Representative Hazelle Rodgers, along with Mayors from other cities, wherein Rep. Rodgers updated everyone on the 2013 legislative agenda and issues were discussed that are important to us, as well as other cities. Mayor Talabisco said that she recently met with newly elected County Commissioner Kiar and School Board Member Abbey Freedman. Mayor Talabisco said she will be hosting a Mayor's roundtable with Ms. Freedman, the three principals from Tamarac's Schools, the new police chief, the SRO's, City Manager Cernech, as well as members of this Commission, to discuss what is going on in our schools. Mayor Talabisco said that Tamarac recently received the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals for our work in First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move Initiative". Tamarac was also recognized as a partner with the County in the "Go Solar Program" regarding a grant Tamarac received to put solar panels on the roofs of some of our government buildings. Our Neighborhood Stabilization Program continues to provide opportunities for homeownershipand shoring g up our communities. Tamarac also has a road improvement study underway that will help ensure we maintain the city's roads and landscaping. In the future you will also be hearing about studies we have conducted to position Tamarac for the future which includes a commercial development study for areas around University Hospital, University Dr. at Commercial Blvd. and State Road 441 at Commercial Blvd. There is also a corridor sturdy to help develop the vision of how our major roadways should look and to help establish Tamarac identify a special sense of place. Lastly, Mayor Talabisco reported that it is Tamarac's 50th Anniversary and discussed the many events that have and will take place and encouraged people to attend. 3. CITY ATTORNEY REPORT: City Attorney Goren advised the Commission that the recall committee submitted a packet of petitions this afternoon to Interim City Clerk Teufel which she accepted and is currently housed in the city vault in a sealed envelope. City Attorney Goren said, as governed by the state statute that governs recalls, the City Clerk will copy the document and personally hand carry the original petitions to the Supervisor of Elections sometime tomorrow morning, receive the appropriate receipt from the SOE which then sets in motion a process that will begin a 30 day time clock within which the SOE can check names and verify information required by the statute to enable the process to either move forward or not. To the extent that the City's efforts are simply ministerial, the Clerk will perform those functions and the City will not know more until the SOE responds back to the Clerk certifying Page 3 of 7 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING February 13, 2013 whether or not sufficient names have been achieved or not. If they are not achieved, the matter ends. If they have, another set of processes commences which will require some time and effort on behalf of our City Clerk to perform her functions. City Attorney Goren said as he advised at the Workshop on Monday he provided the Commission with a memo regarding a series of bills that have been filed referencing issues such as ethics, public meetings, red light cameras, sunshine, public records, gun control, smoking in parks and public facilities. City Attorney Goren said he will be happy to brief the Commission publicly and/or privately regarding these bills. A copy of the memo is on file in the City Clerk's Office. 4. CITY MANAGER REPORT: City Manager Cernech said he would like to take the opportunity to introduce the Commission to Lt. Neal Glassman who will be the new District Chief for District 7. City Manager Cernech gave a brief overview of Lt. Glassman's qualifications. Lt. Glassman addressed the Commission and said he is honored to have been appointed as Tamarac's police chief. Lt. Glassman said he has been with BSO for the past 23 '/2 years serving in various capacities and knows .that the City of Tamarac and BSO has had a very strong relationship and one of the duties he will have as the new police chief is to make sure that the relationship continues and strengthened. BSO's responsibility is public safety, keeping people and property safe, which is a responsibility they all take seriously. Lt. Glassman advised that he will be reaching out to various members of the community to either strengthen partnerships that exist and/or create new partnerships. Lt. Glassman thanked everyone for welcoming him and said he will work hard as Tamarac's police chief. City Manager Cernech thanked Mayor Talabisco for inviting him to attend the US Conference of Mayors. This was his second opportunity he has had to attend that conference and it is good as your City Manager to listen to what other Mayors have to say. This re-emphasizes how well this Commission works together and why we are able to accomplish so many things we do and why others struggle. City Manager Cernech reported a new Aqua Zumba Class will be held on Tuesday's at 6:00 p.m. at the Caporella Aquatic Center, the fee for residents is $15 and non-residents $20 for four classes. Social Services reports that Minority Development & Empowerment, Inc., in partnership with Tamarac, invites all low income families in Broward County to take advantage of the VITAS Program which provides tax services and free e-filing, now through April 15th, at the Community Center and anyone interested can call 954-597-3642 to schedule an appointment. Also, a free Super Walmart shuttle is available for a limited time from the Community Center to the new No. Lauderdale Super Walmart on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Please call 954-597-3649 for more information. The Matter of Balance Class, which is designed to teach participants to manage falls and increase activity levels, will be held at the Community Center from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on 3/15, 3/227 4/57 4/127 4/197 4/26 and 5/3. Please call 954-597-3642 to register. Page 4 of 7 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING February 13, 2013 City Manager Cernech said the Mainlands Park Groundbreaking & Movie in the Park event went very well on January 25th with more than 150 people in attendance. City Manager i Cernech invited everyone to attend the upcoming Concert in the Park, featuring the Fabulons and Food Trucks, on February 22nd from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Tamarac Sports Complex. P p City Manager Cernech reported that Youth Basketball began practicing on February5th with 211 players registered to date; Men's Basketball is underway with 10 teams and 70 la ers; p Y Co -Ed Softball began on February 1st with 13 teams; Youth Soccer's regular season ended on February 9th and Play-offs will run through February 23rd ; Flag Football registration is underway for the spring season and Little League Baseball practices began on January 29th with opening day scheduled for March 2nd. 5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Mayor Talabisco opened Public Participation and the following individuals spoke: Dr. Marcia Becker, 8258 Cassia Ter., spoke in opposition to the bike path and introduced documents to the Interim City Clerk which are on file in the City Clerk's Office; David Reid, 6701 NW 93rd Ave., spoke about the overgrowth on Colon West CountryClub at th g Y Westwood Blvd. & 68 St. Commissioner Atkins -Grad left the meeting at 8:25 p.m. and did not return. The following individuals opposed the return of Commissioner Atkins -Grad to the City Commission. George Stroker, Alvin Entin, Sharon Aron Baron, Patti Lynn, Judy Mar olis and Stewart Webster. Charlotte Williams, said the Commissioner Atkins -Grad that everyone is irY talking about s not the person that she knows. Julie Fishman introduced herself as the Chair for this year's Relay for Life and thanked the Commission for their continuing support and encouraged people to attend the many events that will be taking place. Mayor Talabisco announced that Item 7(a) on the Regular Agenda -Project Monodose for a Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund is being tabled to the February 27, 2013 Commission Meeting Agenda. 6. CONSENT AGENDA: Mayor Talabisco asked City Manager Cernech if there were any additions/changes to the Consent Agenda. City Manager Cernech said there were no additions/changes to the Consent Agenda. Commissioner Bushnell seconded by Commissioner Glasser moved approval of the Consent Agenda as presented. Motion passed unanimously (4-0). a. Approval of the January 23, 2013 Regular Commission Meeting Minutes. APPROVED b. TR12288 - Approving Amendment #4 to Agreement with the Ferguson Group for Federal Lobbying Services: A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida; approving Amendment #4 to the Agreement between the .City of Tamarac and the Ferguson Group, LLC, for federal lobbying services, extending the term of the agreement for a one year period effective February 13, 2013 through February 12, 2014 at a cost not to exceed eighty-five thousand five hundred ($85,500.00) dollars per year; authorizing the Page 5 of 7 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING February 13, 2013 appropriate City Officials to execute the amendment to the agreement for lobbying services; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective date. RESOLUTION R-2013-13 c. TR12303 - Approve an ILA with Broward County for Design and Construction of ADA Accessible Bus Stops: A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida; authorizing the appropriate City Officials to execute an Interlocal Agreement between Broward County and the City of Tamarac for the Design and Construction of ADA Accessible Bus Stops; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective date. RESOLUTION NO. R-2013-14 d. TR12299 - Relay for Life In -Kind Support and Waiver of Fees: A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, approving a request on behalf of the American Cancer Society for In -kind Support for the Tamarac/North Lauderdale Relay for Life event benefitting the American Cancer Society to be held at Millennium Middle School May 17-18, 2013; providing for permits, proper insurance and execution of lease agreement for in -kind equipment; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective date. RESOLUTION NO. R-2013-15 e. TR12305 - 1st Amendment to Reciprocal Use Agreement with School Board of Broward County: A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, authorizing the appropriate City Officials to execute the First Amendment to Reciprocal Use Agreement between the City of Tamarac and the School Board of Broward County, Florida, to provide reciprocal use of City and School Board facilities; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing an effective date. RESOLUTION NO. R-2013-16 7. REGULAR AGENDA: a. TR12309 - Project Monodose for a Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund: A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, recommending approval of Project Monodose for a Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund; recommending Project Monodose as a Qualified Target Industry Business pursuant to Section 288.106, Florida statutes; committing the City to payment of a percentage of the Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund as a local match as required by State Statute; authorizing City Officials to provide a local match or local financial support for the Qualified Target -industry Tax Refund in the form of cash; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective date. THIS ITEM WAS TABLED ' TO THE FEBRUARY 27, 2013 COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA. 8. ORDINANCE(S) -FIRST READING: There were no Ordinance(s) First Reading items scheduled for this meeting. 9. PUBLIC HEARING(S): There were no Public Hearing(s) items scheduled for this meeting. Page 6 of 7 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING February 13, 2013 10. ORDINANCE(S) -SECOND READING: a. T02270 - Firefighter Pension Plan Amendment: An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, amending Chapter 16, Pensions and Retirement, Article VI Firefighter Pension Plan; amending the definition of "average final compensation" in Section 16-401 of the Plan to exclude other non-taxable reimbursement, leave payments other than at separation, and overtime in excess of 300 hours per year; amending Section 16-408 to increase participant contributions from 9 percent to 10 1 /2 percent of total cash remuneration paid for services; amending Sections 16-462, 16-467,16-470, and 16-489, providing for eight (8) vesting credits for participants hired on or after January 1, 2013; amending Section 16- 468 to lower the interest paid on a return of participant contributions from 5 percent to 2.5 percent; amending Sections 16-496 and 16-497 providing for changes in disability retirement benefits in accordance with disability benefits provided for in the Florida Retirement System; amending Section 16-501 correcting for previous scrivener's error by adding the word "compensation"; amending Section 16-503 increasing pension COLA start date from 3 years to 5 years after January 1st of retirement date for participants that retire on or after June 1, 2013; providing for a savings clause; providing for codification; providing for conflicts; providing for severability and providing for an effective date. City Attorney Goren read T02270 by title into the record. Vice Mayor Dressler seconded by Commissioner Bushnell moved approval of T02270 on second reading. Motion passed unanimously (4-0) ORDINANCE NO.0-2013-02 PASSED ON FIRST READING JANUARY 23, 2013 PASSED ON SECOND READING FEBRUARY 13, 2013 11. QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARING(S): There were no Quasi -Judicial Hearing(s) items scheduled for this meeting. 12. OTHER: There being no further business to come adjourned the meeting at 8:56 p.m. Patricia Teufel, C Interim City Clerk before the City Commission, Vice Mayor Dressler Beth Talabisco, M Page 7 of 7 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING February 13, 2013 Madame Chair: I generally believe in living life with a 1/2 full cup but am sorry to say that is not always the case these days. I would like to go back in time to January 25th where I attended the Groundbreaking Celebration of Mainlands Park. That was just two days after our last commission meeting where I had asked Patricia Atkins -Grad to "do the right thing" and resign from the office of public: that she no longer deserves to hold. What should have been a pleasant occasion for the residents of the city turned into a nightmare when Ms. Grad left the stage with the specific purpose in mind to harass a resident who was attending the event. This resident followed Ms. Grad back to the stage and Ms. Grad further aggravated the situation by yelling in the resident's face that she would never forget that he didn't pay his maintenance. This gentleman, who was not a foot away from me, leaned down and said to Ms. Grad (and I quote) "My wife was dying." Hearing this, and seeing his stricken face, I asked Ms. Grad to please be kind. She turned to me and said (and again I quote) "Shut up, you bitch" While her words alone do not harm me, it certainly is just one more demonstration of how disrespectful, unprofessional, out -of -control and unworthy of public trust Ms. Grad is. And, it turns out, her issue with the resident is one that occurred many, many years ago and has no relevance to anything in today's world. I can promise that I will never again welcome her to any event held in District 1 and hope that she has the good sense to stay away. And, still, she sits through meetings grinning like a demented Cheshire cat. Perhaps she thinks this is all a joke - to me it is no laughing matter. have heard that she is public in telling people that she is taking more medications now than when she was in court. I confess that she has not told me that in person so it is only hearsay on my part, but, if that is true in any way, I'm most comfortable in suggesting again that she do the right thing for the residents of the City of Tamarac, and resign her position if for no other reason than to concentrate on mending her mental health. j,3 )►3 s l r, I have an impoftnt.,,.. ment I want to share wM you and want to make sure I do not leave anything out. Sir, Ne wften my thoughts down and VKRI read it to you and ask that you respect my free speech dghts. I $3'ri insulted bythose of you whohave said that I should T£SMgn my posifion as a City Cmmtwon after I. have been acquitted of all charges by a juryof my piers. Our jury system is the foundation of the democracy we haw. in the United States of America. I have the utmost respect for the tars of the sFlorida and our free spy given us in both the United States and the state of Florida constitution., Apparently, My opponents do not have the very saw respect. -I": Whilelhose who seek my recall may have the. right to legally organize to do sc�, why i cfo Hof � � the�s bullying., ��ra�er�, fies- d andon� about Me Wng spmad by, some of my colleagues a b�m# f man recall c as well as the unequal treatrnent by the Citys police' dMadmnt fast Wight �t � ��nu�� #�n� �� 1�1�+ ands N��: Owners Associaf*nin what �s an tbv**Us attempt to intimidate me iriio stepping down. ttis obvious ftt those seeking a micall efecfion befie'ved that ! weld resign toaveid the risk of their not being uil i» t r �In f�vrts. Lst me �e r now, � ��� not �siNn and I wiff to fhe fullest extent of the law. It appears that my attempt to defend myself yesterday evening at the ai'lt1Ltal 'Fi'!8etii1g of the Woodlands Home Owners Association caused quite a -stir. )Mhy? IS it USC those that have pursued thisluu-d I Innfk finaRy hmoe to.' Tin that the cost of a recall election could easily exceed $200 .000.00 of ta)qmyer dollars to cover the cost of an eWction and oifier po*nUal o6� related to this recall effort? Why have they not told the residents theiruth? It is time for the citizens of Tamarac to know the truth and have the ability to make an infior0 med decision based on the pacts. The most imporNaqt fact being that at We ViQ,04 that could be used to the benefit all of our City residents could be lost to pay for a recall election. � tesipectfU#fy siiLst those that have sought my t'esii'fabtin a1pt .. f the fact I anot going to ran and allow me: the �i� to ��pp�rammy ifi-aht to free speech 'in defending myself as the haw regarding recall ete��n's permits me to do. My detractors and my supporters may agree on fift, but one ing we all met agree on i the need allow this process go forward On a CVtI tTlSnn$r and pursuant to the law while allowing the voters to make an i ed decision. I have created a website for those who wish to know the f4cts before they sign any petition at www.tamaractruth.com_ I urge youall to visit ors Krebs so that canu � be �n� �dand not mislead by those with u!#+edor Motives. s Vice Mayor HARRY DRESSLER' S COMMENTS FROM THE DAIS: FIRST, LET ME SAY THAT BEFORE WE DESCEND AGAIN INTO THIS MOST UNNECESSARY OF ALICE IN WONDERLAND TYPE POLITICAL RABBIT HOLE!, THAT DESPITE .ALL THE NOISE AND FURY, THIS CITY CONTINUES TO MOVE ON A DAY BY DAY, MONTH BY MONTH, MOVEMENT FORWARD IN THE .MOST INNOVATIVE WAYS CONTINUING TO SERVE THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS. THE GENERIC STATE OF THE UNION IS SAFE, IN GOOD CONDITION AND FINANCIALLY STABLE. OUR THANKS GO TO OUR PROFESSIONAL AND STEADFAST CITY EMPLOYEE TEAM. NOW, I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE MOST RECENT INAPPROPRIATE .ACTIVITY OF ONE OF OUR CITY COMMISSIONERS AS EXPRESSED IN THIS EMBARRASSINGLY JUVENILE HANDOUT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS FLYER WAS DISTRIBUTED LAST NIGHT AT THE WOODLANDS ANNUAL HOA MTG. BY COMM. ADKINS-GRAD., FOR THE RECORD, THE COST OF ANY DISTRICT WIDE SPECIAL ELECTION IS NOWHERE NEAR THE $200,000 QUOTED BY COMMISSIONER ADKINS-wGRAD, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW MISINFORMED SHE IS. THE ACTUAL COST OF SUCH AN ELECTION, SHOULD IT BE NECESSARY IS I BELIEVE, Mr. GOREN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF APPROXIMATELY'` $60,000. IS THAT CORRECT? THANK YOU. MR. GOREN. { THE SECOND POINT I wtDD MAKE HERE, AGAIN REFERENCING THIS LUDICROUS AND BIZARRE PRONOUNCEMENT - WHAT IF THERE IS AN INFERENCE THAT THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE RECALL ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR. THE CITY ABSORBING THIS SPECIAL ELECTION EXPENSE, THE POINT IS OFF MARK. THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SPECIAL ELECTION COST, LIES SOLEY WITH COMM. ATKINS-GRAD WHO AS STIPULATED BY HER DEFENSE ATTORNEY IN HER CRIMINAL PROCEEDING, ACCEPTED MONIES ALLEDGEDLY UNWITTINGLY, AN ISSUE I WILL ADDRESS AT A LATER DATE. IT IS HERSELF SHE SHOULD BLAME FOR.. THIS COST TO THE CITY AND TAXPAYERS, NOT HER CONSTITUENTS WHO RISE UP TO REJECT HER ROLE AS THEIR. POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVE. lb THIRDLY, AND MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, PUBLIC BEHAVIOR SUCH AS THE DEBACLE THAT OCCURRED AT THE WOODLANDS ANNUAL HOMEOWNER' S MEETING, SPEAKS TO THE ISSUE OF HER COMPETENCE OR THE ISSUE OF HER INCOMPETENCE. AT SOME POINT IN THE CRIMINAL PROCEEDING, ATKINS-GRAD' S COUNSEL -- AS I UNDERSTAND IT - PLEAD THROUGH PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORTS THAT SHE WAS UNFIT TO STAND TRIAL. THAT IN LAYMAN' S TERMS, SHE WAS INCOMPETENT TO DO SO. I WOULD LIKE THIS COMMISSION TO REVIEW, ANALYZE AND SHARE WHAT CLAIMANT' S OWN COUNSEL REPRESENTED AND THE IMPLICATIONS THAT APPLY TO HER MENTAL ABILITY IN PERFORMING HER ELECTED DUTIES. AS I SEE IT, THIS IS RELEVANT TO THE RECALL EFFORT, AN EFFORT THAT I HAVE NOT COMMENTED UPON PREVIOUSLY BUT Sty ENDORSE TONIGHT. MR. GO►REN, CAN YOU ESTABLISH IF SUCH REPORTS AS PART OF THE TRIAL DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC SO THAT WE MAY EVALUATE THIS ISSUE IN TERMS OF OUR ONGOING REVIEW OF COMM. ATKINS-GRAD' S ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY SERVE THIS CITY? THAT SHE HERSELF IN FACT, THROUGH COUNSEL, CLAIMED TO BE INCOMPETENT, AND IF SO, SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND RESIGN HER OFFICE IMMEDIATELY SPARING THIS CITY FURTHER EMBARRASMENT AND THE COST OF AN UNNECESSARY SPECIAL ELECTION.