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HomeMy WebLinkAbout86160 - MINUTES - City Commission • MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING, CITY COMMISSION, CITY OF DANIA, FLORIDA, HELD NOVEMBER 10, 1964. The City Commission of the City of Dania, Florida, met in Special Session in the Commission Room at the City Hall. • Present were: MAYOR-COMMISSIONER VERA L. HILL COMMISSIONERS ROBERT GRAMMER VIRGIL TARPLEY S. ELLIS YOUNG CITY ATTORNEY CLARKE.WALDEN • CITY MANAGER LESTER CULVERSON CHIEF OF POLICE MONTIE SMITH CITY CLERK MARY THORNHILL The meeting was called to order .at 12:00 Noon by Mayor Hill. • Mayor Hill: Is there any old business to bring up? Commissioner Tarpley: I have one thing I want to. speak on. I want to know where Mr. Zenobia got the authority to go into the Police Station and remove orders off the bulletin board that had been posted there before he took office. . . . • orders which Dity Manager Culverson put there; and also he asked two city employees to resign before Mr. Zenobia even took seat. I 'd like an answer on it. Carl Zenobia: No comment. . • Commissioner Tarpley: Well, you are not up here in this seat yet, Carl. And you have no business removing any kind of lit- erature or any office memos or anything off that bulletin board, any more than any other citizen of this town. So if you are that kind of Commissioner. before you take a seat, what are you • going to be for the next two years? Commissioner Grammer: Let me. comment on that, Mr. Tarpley. I happened to be with Mr. Zenobia, and whether I had the authority to do it or not, I am not arguing that point, but I say it is just as much I who tore that poster down as it was Mr. Zenobia. • Commissioner Tarpley: Well, you as an individual didn't have any authority to tear it down. Commissioner Grammer: I said I don't want to argue with you on that. But I am just telling you that I am as much to blame • as Mr.. Zenobia. Commissioner Tarpley: There are five commissioners here, and no one of them has the authority to do anything be himself. Commissioner Grammer: I admitted to being part of it. • Commissioner Tarpley: Well, I just wanted the public to know what kind of commissioner they had coming up. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned sine-die. • Mayor Hill again called the meeting to order for the purpose of electing a Mayor. At this time Attorney Walden administered the Oath of Office to Frank Salvino, S. Ellis Young and Carl Zenobia, newly elected commissioners. • • • A motion was made by Commissioner Zenobia that Frank Salvino be nominated for Mayor. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Youjtg,. and the roll being called, the Commissioners voted as follows: Grammer Yes • Salvino Pass Young Yes Zenobia Yes Hill Yes At this time Mayor Salvino took the chair and asked for nomina- tions for Vice Mayor. A motion was made by Commissioner Hill to appoint Commissioner S. Ellis Young as Vice Mayor. The motion was seconded by Com- missioner Zenobia, and the roll being called, the Commissioners voted as follows: Grammer Yes Hill Yes Young Pass Zenobia Yes Salvino Yes • Mayor Salvino: This is a key seat where the public of^Dania put #ne here to represent their city. I am not tied up'with any commissioner, never was tied up, with any commissioner, and will run the city to the- best of my knowledge to satisfy every- body, if I can. A motion was made by Commissioner Grammer to accept ,the commit- tees as listed, and to name the ones appointed as chairman of each committee. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Zeno- bia. • Attorney Walden read the list as follows: POLICE AND FIRE: FRANK SALVINO, CHAIRMAN R. L. GRAMMER CARL' ZENOBIA • FINANCE: S. ELLIS YOUNG, CHAIRMAN VERA L. HILL R. L. GRAMMER STREETS: CARL ZENOBIA, CHAIRMAN FRANK SALVINO S. ELLIS YOUNG PARKS, BEACH & RECREATION: R. L. GRAMMER, CHAIRMAN VERA L. HILL CARL ZENOBIA ;r UTILITIES: VERA L. HILL, CHAIRMAN FRANK SALVINO S. ELLIS YOUNG The roll being called, the Commissioners voted as follows: Grammer Yes Hill Yes Young Yes Zenobia Yes Salvino Yes s�• • Mayor Salvino presented recommendations for appointments to the Planning and Zoning Board as follows: Harry Loury Luther Sparkman • William Tanner John Kennedy . Janice Panella A motion was made by Commissioner Young to accept the recommen- dations as presented. The motion was seconded by Commissioner • Grammer, and the roll being called, the Commissioners voted as follows: Grammer Yes Hill Yes Young Yes • Zenobia Yes Salvino Yes Mayor Salvino presented recommendations for appointments to the Contractor's Board as follows: • Jake Crouch Harry Hillard Roger Charest Conrad Ingold Peter Broome • A motion was made by Commissioner Grammer to accept the recommen- dations as presented. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Young, and the roll being called, the Commissioners voted as follows: Grammer Yes • Hill Yea Young Yes Zenobia Yes Salvino Yes Mayor Salvino presented recommendations. for appointments to • the Electrical Board as follows: Terry Bruton Alton Waite Robert LaCroix • A motion was made by Commissioner Zenobia toyaccept the recommen- dations as presented. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Grammer, and the roll being called, the Commissioners 'voted as follows: Grammer Yes •. Hill Yes Young Yes Zenobia Yes Salvino Yes Mayor Salvino presented recommendations ,for appointments to • the Plumbers Board as follows: ' William Lippoth Eddie Cornelius William Koerner _3- • A motion was made by Commissioner Grammer to accept the recommen- dations as presented. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Young, and the roll being called, the Commissioners voted as follows: • Grammer Yes Hill Yes Young Yes Zenobia Yes Salvino Yes • A motion was made by Commissioner Zenobia to vacate the office of City Manager, appoint Mary Thornhill as acting City Manager and to advertise for applications immediately, The motion was seconded by Commissioner Grammer. Commissioner Young: I will have to disagree with that. The pre- sent City Manager has been on the job, has worked hard, and I think that he is entitled to a sufficiency of time such as other department heads , or until permanent appointments are made. There- fore, in view of that, I at this time make a motion that the matter be tabled. • The motion was seconded by Commissioner Hill. Commissioner Grammer: Well, this could go on forever, a motion on a motion. It is just like a bunch of children up here instead of men and women like it should be. I could turn around and make a motion to overrule your motion. I think that is a very poor attitude to take towards a new commissioner, who is elected to this board, to cut him off before he could even get the seat warm. Commissioner Zenobia: Wait a minute. I'm not being cut off. We can vote on your motion to table and if it fails , then we will vote on my motion. That's all. • Commissioner Young: I am entitled to make any motion that I see fit that is in accordance with good parliamentary procedure. Commissioner Zenobia: I respect your motion, Mr. Young, and I think we should vote on it. • Attorney Walden: The motion to table supercedes the earlier one. So you should call for a vote on the motion to table. The roll being called , the Commissioners voted as follows: Grammer No Hill Yes Young Yes Zenobia No. Salvino No Attorney Walden: Now you revert back to the original motion to vacate the office of City Manager, appoint Mary Thornhill as Act- ing City Manager and advertise for applications immediately. Mayor Salvino called for discussion on the motion. • Commissioner Hill: Your motion is to vacate the office of City Manager, right? Well, I don't see any need to vacate the office of City Manager when we have a qualified man who has done an ex- cellent job for as long as he has been in there. I have never known that man to do anything but work conscientiously for the City of Dania. And I will say this. . .if as many of us Commission- ers spent our nights and days and energy and put our hearts into the City of Dania like this man has done, we could put a start into our town. We have not done it. Not a one of us. I'm not for getting rid of the City Manager. It is the first time in the history of Dania that we have had a qualified City Manager, and I am against it. -4- s • • ® Elmer Christensen: I agree with Mrs. Hill 100%,. It seems to me that this new commission is taking action pretty fast after being installed just a few minutes ago. I am in favor of the City Man- ager at the present time. He has worked hard. He can't satisfy everybody. I don't approve of the action that this new commis- sion is taking on him. He is a fine man. At least get acquainted with the man and see how he operates. There have been too many City Managers fired. And you have fired a good one withdut him even having a chance to prove his worth. This man has worked practically day and night getting the city back on its feet, and I am 100% for keeping the man on. At least until you find some reason to fire him. Bernard O'Connor: What is the reason that you don't want the City Manager? I'm asking the City Commission. You have been in office twelve minutes and you want to fire him. Commissioner Zenobia: I'll answer this. I am being accused of railroading, and I am not in the railroading business at all. But I will say this. . .I have been very close to the City of Dania for quite a long time now. I am not here to railroad anybody, and I do.:know what the City Manager has done in the past. And I don't feel that he is the City Manager that I.,can work with, and that he is doing what is best for the City of Dania. I have made a decis- ion, and I am doing what I think is beat for the City of Dania, re- gardless of how many people will clap in the audience, when I make a decision I am making it for the good of the City of Dania, and I will not waver when it is for Dania. I don't believe the man is the best qualified man for Dania. That is my decision. Bernard O'Connor: If that is the situation I agree. If you don't like a certain City Manager you should advertise, but I don't think he should be released and the City Clerk should be apointed. You','. have a professional man here, which you will never gel;�_again. I have respect for him. You represent the people , but how much do you represent the people? Commissioner Zenobia: I think I represent a lot of the people. I have talked to a lot of people in my campaign, and I know what their feeling is. You can read all the stories you want in the paper, there are a lot of rumors going around, and if you want to believe them all go right ahead. That is the way I feel about it. Bernard O'Connor: You have a qualified engineer to set up a sewage program. And I will speak truly, he is qualified. I have checked S him. He doesn't know half of what I know about him. I hope one City Commissioner has enough nerve to stand up and say "I represent the people of Dania;' and will make it three to two for the City Manager. Commissioner Grammer: I don't want to get in any argument about this , but here is a man up here saying that he represents the City. You ran the race , you ran last, so I wouldn't say anything. You don't represent the people, because if you did, the people would have voted for you. They don't want you to represent them. So why should you come up here and try to. sway the men who want to vote to represent the people? Bernard O'Connors Today I am strictly;-a tax payer and a citizen of Dania speaking for the City of Dania. If you let this man go you will never get a qualified technician as Mr. Culverson. Commissioner Youngs I have something that I would like to say. Mr. Culverson has worked for the City since last March, and he has worked at times under a very severe handicap. The gentleman. 0 if well qualified. He has a degree in Sanitary Engineering, he is graduated from the City Manager's School, and has many other qualifications, such as writing for different publications and lecturing in well-known colleges and universities. He has worked very closely with the City Engineers , City Attorney and the Fiscal a • Agent and the Commission in setting.forth a number of very important programs for the City. And I will say this, if the man is released, who is highly qualified skilled technician as far as I am concerned, it will be nothing more than politics and I don't think that that is any reason to dismiss the man. • Mr. Culverson: I would like to say one thing. I came here eight months ago, and whether I have made decisions that agreed with everybody or whether I have made decisions that hurt some- body, I don't know. I have been here as administrator, and I have tried to do to the best of my ability. I would 'Just like to clarify one point with Mr. Zenobia, Commissioner Zenobia. I know he is an honorable man, and I •think he will answer this . You sat in my office yesterday, did 'you'not, Mr. Zenobia? Commissioner Zenobia: That's right. Mr. Culverson: You told me you have nothing against me person- ally, did you not? Commissioner Zenobia: That's right. Mr. Culverson: You told me it is for political reasons that I was being fired. • Commissioner Zenobia: That is one of the reasons. Mr. Culverson: That's all I need to know. I just wanted to rest my point on the fact that I was fired for politics and not inefficiency. Because I can tell the people of the City of Dania that I have worked night and day, and I have worked hard for the City of Dania. And if I am fired it sure is with no sense of dis- grace in my own heart that I am fired. Whether I am here today or tomorrow or ever again I will always appreciate the very fine friends that I have made in the City of Dania. And I just want to thank you once and for all for the ones who thought I did a good • job, and even the ones who didn't think I did a good job, because they have a right to their own opinion. In my own heart I did the very best I possibly could, and if I had it to do all over again I would do exactly the same as I did before. There was only one thing that I knew and, that was to work for the people that I worked for. Thank you very much. Attorney Walden: Mrs. Thornhill, may I suggest you again read the motion and then ask the Mayor to call for a,vote on it? Mary Thornhill: The motion was made by Commissioner Zenobia, and seconded by Commissioner Grammer to vacate the office of City Manager, appoint Mary Thornhill as acting City Manager and adver- tise for applications immediately. The roll being called, the Commissioners voted as follows: Grammer Yes Hill No Young No Zenobia Yes Salvino Yea A motion was made by Commissioner Young to table the rest of the appointments until the next regular meeting. The motion was secon- ded by Commissioner Zenobia, and the roll being called, the Commis- sioners voted as follows: Grammer Yes Hill Yes Young Yes Zenobia Yes Salvino Yes There being no further business, the meeting adjourned. ran a v no -6- Maryiornhi Mayor-Commissioner City Clerk-Auditor