HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-09-07 - City Commission Special Meeting MinutesT,4
7525 NORTHWEST 88TH AVENUE
TAMARAC, FLORIDA 33321-2401
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RECORD OF COUNCIL ACTIONS/DISCUSSIONS
SPECIAL MEETING
PUBLIC HEARING
CITY COUNCIL OF TAMARAC, FLORIDA
There will be a Special Meeting of the City Council on
Wednesday, September 7, 1988 at 10:00 a.m. in Conference'Room
#1 (Room 103) of City Hall, 7525 NW 88 Avenue, Tam4rac,
Florida.
Public Hearings will be held on the following pro�osed
Charter Amendments:
1, MOTION TO ADOPT Temp. Ord. #1396 on second reading
proposing an amendment to Article IV, Section 4. 2 of
the City Charter to increase the number of succe live
elective terms of office from two (2) two (2) year tjerms
to three (3) two (2) year terms for Councilmembers and
Mayor to be placed on the November 8, 1988 ballot. ,
FINAL ACTION: ORDINANCE NO. 0-88-23 PASSVD.
APPROVED on second and final reading as amended to State
"November 8, 1988 Election" instead of "November 8,!1988
General Election". Public hearing was held.
2. MOTION TO ADOPT Temp. Ord. #1397 on second reeding
proposing an amendment to Article VIII, Section 8.01(a),
of the City Charter to increase the number of successive
elective terms of office from two (2) two (2) year germs
to three (3) two (2) year terms for Charter $bard
members to be placed on the November 8, 1988 ballots
FINAL ACTION: ORDINANCE NO. 0-88-24 PASSD.
APPROVED on second and final reading as amended to �tate
"November 8, 1988 Election" instead of "November 8,j1988
General Election". Public Hearing was held.
3. MOTION TO ADOPT Temp. Ord. #1398 on second re ding
proposing an amendment to Article VIII, Section 8.0 (c),
of the City Charter providing that Charter Board me ers
shall forfeit their office if they miss three (3) c nse-
cutive regular board meetings or five (5) out of :even
(7) consecutive regular board meetings to be placed on
the November 8, 1988 ballot.
FINAL ACTION: ORDINANCE NO. 0--88--25 PASS*D.
APPROVED on second and final reading as amended to state
"November 8, 1988 Election" instead of "November 8, 1988
General Election". Public Hearing was held.
itAll meetings are open to the public.
CAE/nr
Carol A. Evans
City Clerk
Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Flori Statutes
If a person decides to appeal any decisi made by the city
Council with respect to any matter consider at such meeting or
hearing, he will need a record of the pr dings asld for such
purpose, he may need to ensure that a ver tim record includes
the testimony and evidence upon which the $ppeal is to be barred
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
POLICY OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAPPED STATUS
CITY OF TAMARAC
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1988
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Abramowitz called this meeting to Order on
Wednesday, September 7, 1988 at 10:05 A.M. in Conference Room #1
Irity Clerk's Office.
ABSENT AND EXCUSED:
ALSO PRESENT:
Mayor Norman Abramowitz
Councilman Dr. H. Larry Bender
Councilman Bruce Hoffman
Councilman Henry Rohr
Vice Mayor Jack Stelzer
Richard Doody, City Attorney
Carol A. Evans, City Clerk
Pauline Walaszek, Special Services
Secretary
Mayor Abramowitz said the purpose of this meeting was a
Public Hearing to adopt the Amendments of the Charter on
second reading.
1. PUBLIC HEARING - MOTION TO ADOPT Temp. Ord. #1396 on
second reading proposing an amendment to ArticleIV, Section
4.02 of the City Charter to increase the number of successive
elective terms of office from two (2) two (2) year terms to
three (3) two (2) year terms for councilmembers and Mayor to
be placed on the November 8, 1988 ballot.
SYNOPSIS OF ACTION: ORDINANCE NO. 0-88-23 - PASSED
Public Hearing was held.
APPROVED on second reading as Amended.
City Attorney Doody read Temp. Ord. #1396 by title.
city Attorney Doody said after discussions with the City
Clerk, the terminology of the November 8, 1988 Election
may not be considered a "General" Election; therefore, he
would be Amending the Ordinance to state "the November 8,
1988 Election".
* C/M Hoffman MOVED to APPROVE Temp. Ord. #1396 on second
* reading as Amended, SECONDED by C/M Bender.
Mayor Abramowitz asked if this Amendment would cause
additional costs and City Attorney Doody said the City
Clerk felt that the City's General Election was held
every March and was the Municipal Election. He said the
Amendment was not an important issue; however, it would
be Amended to "Election" as opposed to "General
Election".
Mayor Abramowitz Opened and Closed the Public Hearing
with no response.
Page 1
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9/7/88
VOTE:
ALL VOTED AYE
2. PUBLIC HEARING - MOTION'TO ADOPT Temp. Ord. #1397 on
second reading propo is ng an amendment to Article VIII, Section
8.01 (a), of the City Charter to increase the number of suc-
cessive elective terms of office from two (2) two (2) year
terms to three (3) two (2) year terms for Charter Board members
to be placed on the November 8, 1988 ballot.
SYNOPSIS OF ACTION: ORDINANCE NO. 0-88-24 -- PASSED
Public Hearing was held.
APPROVED on second reading as Amended.
City Attorney Doody read Temp. Ord. #1397 by title.
City Attorney Doody said this Ordinance would be Amended
to reflect "Election" as opposed to "General Election"
for the same reason as discussed in Item 1.
* C/M Hoffman MOVED to APPROVE TempOrd. #1397 on second
* reading as Amended, SECONDED by C M Bender.
Mayor Abramowitz Opened the Public Hearing.
Melanie Reynolds, Resident, asked when this Amendment
would be effective.
City Attorney Doody said this Amendment would become
effective upon certification of the Election.
Mrs. Reynolds asked if the r-ouncilmembers and Charter
Board members could run for three consecutive terms after
the November, 1988, Election.
Stan Bernard, Vice Chairman of the Charter Board, said it
was the intent of the Charter Board to submit this
Amendment for the November Ballot so that Councilmembers
and Charter Board members could Tan for three consecutive
terms at the next Municipal Election.
Mayor Abramowitz Closed the Public Hearing with no
further response.
C/M Hoffman said if a person has served two terms, they
could run for a third term in March, 1989, and Mr.
Bernard replied, yes.
Mayor Abramowitz said since he became Mayor, he has seen
that the Charter Board positions could not be filled by
anyone because it required hard work,,a lot of time and
much review. He said it took time for people to become
totally familiar with the position and this Amendment was
very good.
At 10:15 A.M., City Manager Kelly ENTERED the meeting.
Mayor Abramowitz said he asked Senator Weinstein,
Representatives Peter Deutsch and Joe Titone,
independently, why there were problems in Tamarac's
District and they answered that a big problem was that
the District lacked continuity.
Cl!
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9/7/88
Mayor Abramowitz said by the time the terms are up and
the Councilmembers and Charter Board members start to
become familiar with their positions, they are replaced
with someone new.
Mayor Abramowitz said there have been several comments
regarding the elected officials wanting a dynasty. He
Ir said he felt that the persons wanting a dynasty should
not be in office. He said it was impossible for anyone
to enter a position and totally understand what the
position required without experiencing the position for a
period of time. He said everyone in the room was
knowledgeable enough to know how the system worked. He
said the system worked by getting to know people and
gaining confidence in the people which could not be done
in a short period of time.
Mayor Abramowitz said the City would be best served if
the Charter Board members could remain in office for
longer periods. He said he favored this Amendment and it
was a good step in the right direction for the City and
its residents.
Mayor Abramowitz said recently, the City of Miami passed
an Ordinance extending the terms of office.
VOTE:
ALL VOTED AYE
3. PUBLIC HEARING - MOTION TO ADOPT Temp. Ord. #1398 on
second reading proposing an amendment to Artic�le�VIII, Section
8.01 (c), of the City Charter providing that the Charter Board
members shall forfeit their office if they miss three (3)
consecutive regular board meetings or five (5) out of seven
(7) consecutive regular board meetings to be placed on the
November 8, 1988 ballot.
SYNOPSIS OF ACTION: ORDINANCE NO. 0-88-25 - PASSED
PublicHearing was held.
APPROVED on second reading as Amended.
City Attorney Doody read Temp. Ord. #1398 by title.
City Attorney Doody said he would be Amending this
Ordinance from "General Election" to "Election" as well.
* C/M Bender MOVED to APPROVE Temp. Ord. #1398 on
* second reading as Amended, SECONDED Ey C M Bender.
Mayor Abramowitz Opened the Public Hearing.
Melanie Reynolds, Resident, asked if the Amendment
included the Chairman excusing an absence.
City Attorney Doody read the new language as follows:
"Extended absence from Office -- Any Charter Board member who
Is absent from three (3) consecutive regular board meetings
or five (5) out of seven (7) consecutive regular board meetings
shall forfeit his office. Any absence excused by the Chairman
shall not be counted as an absence for the purposes of this
Section. The Charter Board shall declare a vacancy due to its
members absence. The vacancy should be filled pursuant to the
provisions of this Charter."
Page 3 -"
9/7/88
Mrs. Reynolds said Ordinance 0-83-53 was widely quoted
recently and the Charter Board stated that when they
submitted their Resolutions of the proposed Charter
Amendments, they worded the Amendments correctly. She
suggested the Ordinances being submitted for the November
ballot be verified.by the Charter Board as the same
language submitted through their Resolutions.
Mayor Abramowitz said the Charter Board and City Council
met at a Workshop meeting to verify how the language was
to be submitted for the November ballot.
VOTE:
ALL VOTED AYE
Mayor Abramowitz said he and the City Council wanted to
L.hank the Charter Board for their diligence, hard work
and the time they spent on these Amendments. He said the
City Council never would want to decimate the Charter
Board. He said the City Council was living up to a
loyal ruling by placing the Amendment on the November
ballot and this was a perfect example how the Charter
Board and the City Council could work cooperatively with
each either. He asked the Charter Board to continue
their good work in amending the Charter.
C/M Hoffman asked if there was a Charter Amendment
proposed regarding the City Council's forfeiture of
office.
Stan Bernard, Vice Chairman of the Charter Board, said
the Charter Board has not met regarding this Amendment;
however, it would be discussed to see if the language
could be rectified.
C/M Hoffman asked if it would be too late to place the
Amendment on the November Ballot and Mr. Bernard replied,
ye s .
Vickie Beech, Resident, said every person sitting in the
room that ran for office knew what the position entailed;
however, within the last 7 years, there has been constant
speeches to remove the Charter Board and create conflict.
She said the energy being wasted on this type of
conflict should be spent in other areas of importance and
Mayor Abramowitz agreed.
Mrs. Reynolds asked if the existing Ordinance for
forfeiture of office would have to be Amended.
City Attorney Doody said if the Amendment was approved by
the voters at the November 8, 1988 Election, the new
Ordinance would supersede the old Ordinance.
Mrs. Reynolds said the existing Ordinance should be
changed because it stated that Board members
automatically forfeit their office if they are absent
from all regular meetings, over a period 75 consecutive
days for any reason.
Mayor Abramowitz suggested that the existing Ordinance be
changed to comply with the Amendment if it is approved.
C/M Hoffman said he was not an Attorney; however, a
Charter Amendment superseded any Ordinance.
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WAYAKE
Mayor Abramowitz asked the City Attorney to investigate
the procedures of what was to be done with existing
Ordinances of the Charter if new Amendments were
implemented.
Mrs. Beech said the City has been having problems for
several years because one document was in conflict with
another.
Mayor Abramowitz said he would not agree to a matter
Ir being changed if it would confuse the issue.
Mr. Bernard thanked the City Council for noticing the
work of the Charter Board. He said it was a very
difficult job to serve on the City Council, Charter Board
and the Boards and Committees.
Mr. Bernard said there has been conflict between the City
Council and the Charter Board; however, he hoped that the
present City Council and Charter Board could settle their
differences amicably without severe problems. He said he
hoped that the future City Council and Charter Board
members had the same outlook as he which was to work to
the benefit of each other, the City and the residents.
Mayor Abramowitz asked when the City Council could meet
regarding Insurance matters.
City Manager Kelly said there would be a City Council
meeting on September 8, 1988 and this matter could be
placed on that Agenda.
The City Council AGREED to discuss Insurance matters on
September 8, 1988.
NO MAN ABRAMOWITZ, AYOR
CAROL A. EVAN S, CITY CLERK
"This public document was promulgated at a cost of $54.00 or $1.50 per
copy to inform the general public, public officers and employees of
recent opinions and considerations of the City Council of the City of
Tamarac."
CITY OF TAMARAC
APPROVED AT MEETING OF
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