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07-14-18 Town Hall Meeting MinutesMINUTES l Town Hall Meeting Meeting rl Saturday, July 14, 2018 - 10:00 AM -� Commission Chamber ATTENDANCE: Present: Ellen Glasser, Mayor - Seat 1 Candice Kelly, Commissioner - Seat 4 Brittany Norris, Commissioner - Seat 5 John Stinson, Commissioner - Seat 2 Absent: Blythe Waters, Mayor Pro Tem / Commissioner - Seat 3 Also Present: Joe Gerrity, City Manager (CM) Phyllis Nadeau, Associate City Clerk / Recording Secretary CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 10:00 AM followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Glasser announced today as National Serve Day in recognition of selfless acts of kindness and encouraged everyone to participate. 1. NOVEMBER BALLOT With consensus from the Commissioners present, Mayor Glasser moved Item 1B on the agenda to discuss at this point in the meeting. B. Presentation by Property Appraiser Jerry Holland regarding Amendment 1 and other Amendments. Mayor Glasser introduced Jerry Holland, Property Appraiser. Jerry Holland summarized the thirteen (13) amendments covering twenty-five (25) issues on the November 2018 ballot. He spoke about advertising of amendments, the Constitutional Revision Commission's role in reviewing of the Constitution, how the amendments are placed on the ballot, Fiscal Impact Statements and bundled amendments. Mr. Holland answered a question regarding the bundling of amendments. He then read and summarized each amendment on the ballot. Amendment No. 1: Additional Homestead Exemption of $25,000 (placed on ballot by legislature). Questions about stopping bundling, qualifying criteria for exemption and, if passed, the effective date. Town Hall Meeting July 14, 2018 Page 1 of 4 Amendment No. 2: Permanent cap on non -homestead property (placed on ballot by legislature). Questions were answered about the fiscal impact on the City, rental property impact, and municipal/state taxes. Amendment No. 3: County -wide authorization of casino gambling by Florida voters (placed on ballot by citizens). Amendment No. 4: Restores voting rights of Floridians with non-violent felony convictions (placed on ballot by citizens). A question regarding the types of felonies included in the amendment were answered. Amendment 5: Prohibits the legislature from imposing or raising a state tax or fee except by legislation approved by two-thirds vote of each house of the legislature in a bill containing no other subject (placed on ballot by the legislature). Mr. Holland responded to a question regarding why two-thirds vote was decided upon by the legislature. Amendment 6: This amendment is bundled into two items (placed on the ballot by the Charter Revision Commission). 1) state-wide constitutional rights of crime victims; and 2) raising State judges mandatory retirement age from 70 -years of age to 75 -years of age. Amendment 7: This amendment is bundled into three items (placed on ballot by the Charter Revision Commission). (1) first responders and military member survivor benefits; (2) super -majority votes for university trustees and state systems for fees; and (3) establishes existing state college system as a constitutional entity. Mr. Holland answered questions about survivor benefits and the source of funding. Discussion ensued about unfunded mandates. Amendment 8: This amendment is bundled into three items (placed on ballot by the Charter Revision Commission). (1) creates a term limit of 8 consecutive years for school board members throughout the State of Florida; (2) requires the legislature to provide the promotion of civic literacy in public schools; constitution; and, (3) state control of charter schools. Discussion ensued about charter schools. Amendment 9: This amendment is bundled into two items (placed on ballot by the Charter Revision Commission). (1) prohibits drilling for the extraction of oil or natural gas on all state-owned waters. (2) use of vapor -generating electronic devices to current prohibition of tobacco smoking in enclosed indoor workplaces. Amendment 10: This amendment is bundled into four items. State (placed on ballot by the Charter Revision Commission). (1) requires the legislature to retain Departments of Veterans Affairs; (2) Ensures the elections of sheriffs, property appraisers, supervisors of elections, tax collectors, and clerks of the courts in all counties; (3) removes county charters' ability to abolish, change term, transfer duties, and eliminate election of these offices; (3) changes the annual legislative session commencement date to even - numbered years from March to January; and (4) creates the Office of Domestic Security and Counter Terrorism within the department of law enforcement. Town Hall Meeting July 14, 2018 Page 2 of 4 Amendment 11: This amendment is bundled into three (3) items (placed on ballot by the Charter Revision Commission). (1) property rights and removal of obsolete provisions and criminal statutes; (2) removes discriminatory language related to real - property rights, obsolete language repeal by voters, deletes the provision that amendment of a criminal statute will not effect prosecution/penalties for a crime committed before the amendment; and 3) retains current provision allowing prosecution of a crime committed before the repeal of a criminal statute. Questions were answered about the impact on corporations. Amendment 12: Lobbying and abuse of office by public officers (placed on ballot by the Charter Revision Commission). Changes the wait time for legislative officers that have left office to become lobbyists from two years to six years. A question of what constitutes a lobbyist was answered. Amendment 13: Prohibits gaming or pari-mutuel entities from racing dogs in connection with wagering. (placed on ballot by the Charter Revision Commission). Prohibits Greyhound racing in the State of Florida. All questions were answered. Mr. Holland answered various questions concerning the above amendments and informed citizens where to go online to get more information. Mayor Glasser thanked Mr. Holland for his presentation. A. Atlantic Beach Referendum regarding Primary and General Elections Mayor Glasser referred to Commissioner Stinson for presentation of Item IA. Commissioner Stinson referred to a handout showing a historical voter participation chart. He gave a brief history of the City's voter turnout in its current cycle, which is one year off from the gubernatorial and presidential election cycle. He explained that the prior Commission passed an Ordinance changing the City's voting cycle to even - numbered years to begin in the year 2020. The ballot this November will contain a referendum to move the City to a November cycle in even -numbered years to coincide with the gubernatorial and presidential elections and would be decided by a plurality of vote. He explained the difference between plurality voting and majority voting. The change in cycle would accomplish a larger voter turnout, would be less costly, would be easier for the voter, and would establish more consistency. Discussion ensued about how the cycle change would affect non-partisan politics, where the City will be placed on the ballot, and under -voting (ballot fatigue). Commissioner Stinson explained the outcome of the referendum as follows: If the referendum passes: The cycle will go directly to November (eliminating the primary election in August) and changes from a majority to plurality vote. If the referendum fails: The cycle will remain as it is currently, the primary election will be in August and a runoff election in November at the presidential and gubernatorial cycle. Town Hall Meeting July 14, 2018 Page 3 of 4 CM Gerrity spoke about stress on the City staff with the current voting cycle and the 2.5 months between elected officials going out and the new elected officials coming in. He expressed his opinion that the stress levels would go down considerably if new elected officials could take their seats shortly after the election, eliminating the 2.5 months before taking office. 2. TERM OF ATLANTIC BEACH MAYOR Mayor Glasser deferred Item 2 to Commissioner Stinson for presentation. Commissioner Stinson explained the Mayoral process and the strain on the City staff with a two- year Mayoral term. A four-year term was discussed at length at the last Charter Review Committee, and it was considered but not adopted. He explained the processes for moving forward with a four-year term Mayor as: 1. Discussion in a Town Hall Meeting. 2. Presented to Commission in an Ordinance requiring two readings. 3. On Ballot in 2019. Discussion ensued about the pros and cons of a four-year Mayoral term and all questions were answered. PUBLIC COMMENT None. ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn at 12:15 PM Attest: Donna L. Bartle, City Clerk Ellen Glasser, Mayor Town Hall Meeting July 14, 2018 Page 4 of 4