Draft Special Called Meeting Min 9-4-04
MINUTES
SPECIAL CALLED CITY COMMISSION MEETING
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2004
CITY HALL, 800 SEMINOLE ROAD
Attendance IN ATTENDANCE:
Mayor John Meserve City Manager Jim Hanson
Mayor Pro Tem Richard Beaver
Commissioner Paul B. Parsons
Commissioner Sylvia N. Simmons
Public Works Director Rick Carper
'""' Utility Director Donna Kaluzniak
Human Resource Director George Foster
ABSENT:
Commissioner J. Dezmond Waters III
Call to Order Mayor Meserve called the meeting to order at 11:05 a.m.
~" Purpose of the Meeting The purpose of the Special Called Meeting was to update the
Commissioners on the status of Hurricane Frances, review the city's
Hurricane Plan, review the Mayor's and Commissioners' responsibilities
during a disaster, and discuss any other issues related to the impending
hurricane.
Hurricane Frances City Manager Jim Hanson outlined the current forecast for Hurricane
Forecast Frances, which was obtained from the National Hurricane Center. The
Commissioners viewed the 11:00 a.m. update for the forecast storm track
from an Internet connection in the Commission Chambers. City Manager
Hanson relayed that the landfall was expected somewhere between
midnight and 2:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, with the storm would coming
closest to Duval County on Sunday afternoon. It was reported that the
National Hurricane Center had forecasted tropical storm winds at the Duval
County beaches to be in the 40 to 50 m.p.h. range with occasional gusts
going above that and winds inland in the 25 to 35 m.p.h. range. It was also
reported that the current rain forecast called for five inches at the beaches,
and there was no significant storm surge estimated on the oceanfront even
though the St. Johns River was expected to rise because of the hurricane.
Overview of the City's Public Safety Director Thompson provided an overview of the city's
Hurricane Plan hurricane plan. Discussion ensued concerning the way the city was to be
organized for hurricane response, which included the Incident Command
*- System or ICS, operation of the city's emergency shelter at Kernan Trail
Elementary School, including the city's responsibility to man the shelter for
September 4, 2004 SPECIAL CALLED COMMISSION MEETING Page 2
~, public use, and provisions of the plan that required all employees to be
present at the city shelter unless they had received a prior written exemption
from the City Manager.
Commission Mayor Meserve outlined the responsibilities of the Mayor and
Responsibilites in a Commissioners in connection with a disaster such as the impending
Disaster Hurricane Frances. The roles of the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tem to be
present at the Jacksonville Emergency Operation Center (EOC) and to
collaborate on major decisions such as possible evacuations relating to
hurricanes were explained. The Mayor also summarized the meeting held at
7:OOa.m. that morning in the Jacksonville EOC and the decision not to call
for an evacuation or for the opening of shelters in Duval County.
Hurricane Related City Manager Hanson raised a concern over the city's present policy for
Issues payment of employees for their time while spent at the emergency shelter.
He explained the current policy included a payment provision that all
employees would receive $5.15 per hour (minimum wage) for any time
spent at the shelter, unless they were required to perform city related duties
in which case they would receive normal regular pay. It was explained that
any employees regularly scheduled to work during those hours would
receive their regular rate of pay. City Manger Hanson pointed out that
several other beaches cities were paying their employees considerably more
for their time spent at shelters after an evacuation had been called, and he
believed the current rate of pay listed in the city's hurricane policy was too
low. He recommended a revised policy that employees receive a regular
rate of pay for all hours spent at the city shelter and that any employees
required to work for the city would be eligible for overtime pay for those
hours spent working. He recommended that this policy also apply for
exempt employees to receive their regular rate of pay, but not overtime. The
City Manager did not believe he should be eligible for this extra pay or any
additional compensation as a result of hurricanes.
Human Resource Director Foster reported aworse-case cost estimate for
shelter pay under the City Manager's proposal to be approximately $80,000,
and indicated this included a 20% benefit estimate and an assumption that
all hourly employees were working for a full twenty-four hours at the city
"~ shelter. The estimate also included compensation for all exempt staff at
regular hourly rates.
Discussion ensued concerning the proposed changes. The Commissioners
generally expressed approval of the proposed amendments to the hurricane
policy and recommended that amendments be brought to them for approval
at a regular city commission meeting.
Commissioner Simmons requested that a resolution be prepared thanking
employees for their hard work in connection with Hurricane Frances,
September 4, 2004 SPECIAL CALLED COMMISSION MEETING Paee 3
~„ including distribution of hurricane passes and the expected extra duty
required from the Police, Public Works, Utilities and other departments.
~,,,,, Commissioner Beaver requested that city staff consider leasing satellite
phones as an extra means of communication after a hurricane in case land-
lines and cell phones were not functional.
Adjournment There being no further discussion, the Mayor declared the meeting
adjourned at 12:30pm.
John Meserve, Mayor/Presiding Officer
ATTEST:
Jim Hanson
Interim Municipal Clerk
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