The premise of this memorandum is to memorialize the actions discussed by the City Council at the regular meeting of April 15, 2020. As part of this discussion, the City Council agreed in principle to establish areas that will be focused on, assisting in a holistic initiative to see the city rebound socially and economically. The categories that were established are as follows: Health and Human Services, Public Safety, hospitality/tourism and maritime industries, small/medium business assistance, fast-track permitting, and clergy and community faith-based services. Each elected official will be spearheading a committee/task force to address the areas of focus articulated in this memorandum, as well as the memorandum proffered on April 15, 2020.
· Health and Human Services – Councilperson Lanier
o Staff: O. Bullard and V. Grimsley
· Public Safety – Councilperson Miller – Anderson
o Staff: Chief Osgood and Chief Curd
· Hospitality/Tourism and Maritime Industries – Chairperson Botel
o Staff: Dr. Wihbey and M. Noel
· Small/Medium Business Assistance – Councilperson McCoy
o Staff: D. Jacobs and A. Pemsel
· Fast-Track Permitting – Chair Pro Tem Lawson
o Staff: J. Gagnon and G. Joyce
· Community Faith-Based Services – Mayor Felder
o Staff: C. Anthony and T. Smith
An additional category that will be the principle focus of the city manager will be capital construction projects. This category is intended to spur an economic rebound vis-à-vis the construction industry and will address the capital project needs of the city.
· Capital Construction Projects – City Manager Evans
o Staff: R. Sherman, D. Wynn, A. Pemsel, and D. Jacobs
The frequency of the committee/task force meetings will be solely up to the elected representatives who are chairing the meetings. The meetings/conversations will be subject to Florida’s public meetings law and will require public notices and minutes being taken. Meetings will not be televised, but the elected representatives will be requested to report the findings or request legislative assistance for appropriations vis-à-vis the normal process to approve a city expenditure or resource allocation. The appointees will be chosen by each individual councilperson, and we respectfully request that task forces/committees involve no more than five people, including city personnel assigned to the committees. This is to ensure that the committees remain nimble and easy to operate, without wasting time to coordinate large meetings or discussions. City administration, as well as legal, will be available to support each committee as deemed necessary.
These committees are structured to address the economic and social elements that have been exacerbated as a result of COVID-19, as well as to invest in the recovery efforts.