CITY OF TAMPA EMERGENCY MEETING
THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020
11:00 A.M.
DISCLAIMER:
THIS FILE REPRESENTS AN UNEDITED VERSION OF REALTIME
CAPTIONING WHICH SHOULD NEITHER BE RELIED UPON FOR COMPLETE
ACCURACY NOR USED AS A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT.
ANY PERSON WHO NEEDS A VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT OF THE
PROCEEDINGS MAY NEED TO HIRE A COURT REPORTER.
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11:03:05 THE WEBINAR WILL BEGIN SHORTLY.
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11:03:19 >>LUIS VIERA: WELCOME TO EVERYBODY HERE IN THE PUBLIC.
11:03:21 THIS IS AN EMERGENCY MEETING OF TAMPA CITY COUNCIL.
11:03:24 LIKE BEFORE, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN LIKE WE ALWAYS DO WITH OUR
11:03:28 MEETINGS WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
11:03:29 SO LET'S OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR A FEW SECONDS
11:03:32 STARTING NOW, PLEASE.
11:03:34 [MOMENT OF SILENCE]
11:03:37 OKAY.
11:03:38 NOW WE MOVE FORWARD TO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
11:03:40 STAND IF YOU'RE ABLE TO DO SO, WHEREVER YOU ARE, AND BE READY
11:03:44 FOR THE PLEDGE WHICH I WILL BEGIN.
11:03:46 [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
11:03:58 OKAY.
11:03:58 MADAM CLERK, IF YOU COULD PLEASE DO THE ROLL CALL.
11:04:02 >>THE CLERK: YES, CHAIRMAN.
11:04:03 CARLSON?
11:04:04 >>BILL CARLSON: HERE.
11:04:07 >>JOSEPH CITRO: HERE.
11:04:11 >>THE CLERK: DINGFELDER?
11:04:13 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: HERE.
11:04:15 >>ORLANDO GUDES: HERE.
11:04:18 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: HERE.
11:04:18 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: HERE.
11:04:24 >>LUIS VIERA: HERE.
11:04:25 THANK YOU FOR THAT.
11:04:27 OKAY.
11:04:27 A REMINDER TO EVERYBODY WHO IS GOING TO BE SPEAKING THAT IF
11:04:30 YOU ARE NOT SPEAKING TO PLEASE MUTE YOUR PHONE.
11:04:32 STATE YOUR NAME BEFORE YOU SPEAK.
11:04:34 FOLLOWING THIS MEETING, THERE WILL BE A 15-MINUTE BREAK AND
11:04:37 THEN THE MEETING OF THE CRA WILL CONVENE, WHICH WILL BE A
11:04:40 SEPARATE MEETING CHAIRED BY OUR COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN CITRO.
11:04:43 THE CRA MEETING WILL NOT BEGIN BEFORE 12:30.
11:04:47 BEFOREHAND, I WANTED TO READ THE PUBLIC NOTICE, IF I MAY.
11:04:51 IT GOES AS FOLLOWS: PURSUANT TO RULE 3F OF TAMPA CITY
11:04:54 COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE AN EMERGENCY MEETING IS CALLED.
11:04:57 THE PURPOSE OF THIS SPECIAL-CALL IS TO REVIEW AND DISCUSS
11:05:00 AVAILABLE OPTIONS FOR CONDUCTING FUTURE CITY COUNCIL
11:05:04 MEETINGS WHILE THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IS IN EFFECT AS
11:05:06 RELATED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
11:05:09 THIS MEETING IS HELD IN ACCORDANCE WITH DECLARATIONS AND
11:05:11 PROVISIONS OF THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER 20-69.
11:05:15 IT SHALL BE CONDUCTED BY REMOTE PARTICIPATION OR
11:05:18 TELECONFERENCING, WHAT IS REFERRED TO BY THE STATE OF
11:05:21 FLORIDA RULES AS, QUOTE, COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA TECHNOLOGY.
11:05:26 END QUOTE.
11:05:26 NO OFFICIAL ACTION WILL BE TAKEN.
11:05:29 LIKE LAST TIME, I WANTED TO BRIEFLY BEGIN WITH TWO THINGS.
11:05:33 FIRST AGAIN, I WANTED TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR WORK
11:05:36 AND COOPERATION IN THESE UNIQUE FORMATS.
11:05:41 I AGAIN APPRECIATE IT AND I AGAIN WANTED TO THANK THE
11:05:44 ADMINISTRATION FOR PUTTING THIS MEETING TOGETHER TODAY.
11:05:47 CHIEF BENNETT AND STAFF, ESPECIALLY LEGAL, THAT I KNOW DID A
11:05:51 LOT OF WORK AND RESEARCH ON THIS, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
11:05:54 SECOND, AGAIN, PROCEDURE FOR TODAY, IT IS LARGELY THE SAME
11:05:57 AS LAST TIME, EXCEPT WITH FEWER OR MORE LIBERALITY.
11:06:03 FIRST CHIEF BENNETT AND THE ADMINISTRATION WILL DO THEIR
11:06:06 PRESENTATION.
11:06:06 WHICH WILL RUN ABOUT 30 MINUTES I'M TOLD.
11:06:09 THERE WILL BE CLEARLY NO QUESTIONS DURING THE PRESENTATION
11:06:11 BUT AFTERWARDS, THE ADMINISTRATION IS GIVING US ABOUT 90
11:06:14 MINUTES OF THEIR VALUABLE TIME UP TO POTENTIALLY 1:20 OR SO,
11:06:19 I BELIEVE, 1:10.
11:06:21 I APPRECIATE IT AND WILL RESPECT IT.
11:06:23 THEREAFTER I WANT TO GIVE EACH COUNCIL MEMBER SEVEN MINUTES
11:06:27 OR THE TIME APPORTIONS THAT WE HAVE LEFT OVER, WHICH SHOULD
11:06:30 BE ROUGHLY 7 MINUTES TO ASK QUESTIONS AND MAKE ANY
11:06:33 STATEMENTS.
11:06:33 I'LL GO IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BEGINNING WITH COUNCILMAN
11:06:37 CARLSON.
11:06:38 WE WILL HOLD TO THIS.
11:06:40 I ASK WHEN A COUNCIL MEMBER HAS THE FLOOR NOBODY ELSE,
11:06:44 INCLUDING MYSELF OR MR. SHELBY INTERVENES.
11:06:47 AGAIN, IF WE HAVE MORE TIME AT THE END AND MORE QUESTIONS
11:06:50 ARE NEEDED ON THE PART OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WE'LL, AGAIN, GO
11:06:54 DOWN THE LINE FOR THAT.
11:06:55 THAT SHOULD TAKE US TO THE MARK FOR CRA.
11:06:57 AGAIN, NO VOTES, NO MOTIONS.
11:07:00 THIS WILL BE AN OVERVIEW OF THE FEASIBILITY OF FUTURE
11:07:04 COUNCIL MEETINGS WITH REGARDS TO CONSENT AGENDA,
11:07:06 NON-QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS AND QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS.
11:07:10 I WILL HAND IT OFF TO CHIEF BENNETT.
11:07:12 GO, SIR.
11:07:15 >>JOHN BENNETT: GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN.
11:07:16 GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL, AND GOOD MORNING THE PUBLIC.
11:07:19 AS THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED, WE FELT -- WE, THE
11:07:24 ADMINISTRATION, FELT IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR DECISION SUPPORT
11:07:29 TO FRAME THIS OUT, FRAME THIS PRESENTATION FOR ABOUT 30
11:07:32 MINUTES TO ALLOW COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC TO ABSORB THAT AND
11:07:37 THEN HANDLE A Q & A PERIOD THAT IS NECESSARY TO MAKE SOME
11:07:42 DECISIONS ABOUT MOVING COUNCIL FORWARD.
11:07:44 I WANT TO MAKE ONE TECHNICAL COMMENT BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR
11:07:48 PRESENTATION.
11:07:49 THE BROADCAST SECTION OF THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND
11:07:55 KEEP PACE WITH.
11:07:56 I'M MONITORING BOTH THE PUBLIC BROADCAST THROUGH CCTV AS
11:07:59 WELL AS THE INTERNET BROADCAST THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.
11:08:02 THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A TIME DISPARITY BETWEEN THE TWO.
11:08:06 MAYBE 10 SECONDS OR SO.
11:08:08 SO DEPENDING ON HOW THE PUBLIC IS VIEWING THIS THROUGH CCTV
11:08:12 CHANNEL OR THROUGH THE INTERNET, THEY MAY SEE A DIFFERENT
11:08:16 SLIDE AT A DIFFERENT TIME, BUT ALL OF THE CONTENT WILL BE
11:08:19 BROADCAST.
11:08:20 WITH THAT, I WOULD ASK OUR TEAM TO BRING UP THE WELCOME
11:08:24 SLIDE, WHICH I DO SEE NOW ON THE CCTV CHANNEL.
11:08:28 CAN YOU BACK UP ONE SLIDE, PLEASE, TO THE WELCOME SLIDE?
11:08:33 ALL RIGHT.
11:08:40 TO KICK THIS OFF, COUNCIL, I JUST KIND OF WANT TO GIVE A
11:08:44 QUICK CURRENT STATE OF BOTH COVID-19 AND AS THAT RELATES TO
11:08:49 OUR LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STATE OF OPERATIONS FROM THE
11:08:53 BEGINNING OF OUR CRISIS OR OUR EMERGENCY.
11:08:57 AS I MENTIONED, ON TUESDAY, WE'RE IN THIS IMMEDIATE STATE OF
11:09:01 RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY AND WE'RE ADAPTING AND
11:09:05 MITIGATING TO, OBVIOUSLY, THE BUSINESS AND THE CONTINUITY OF
11:09:08 GOVERNMENT AS WE GO FORWARD.
11:09:10 AS A REMINDER, THIS IS A DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND A SURGEON
11:09:14 GENERAL LEAD WITH THE UNIFIED COMMAND IN EMERGENCY
11:09:16 MANAGEMENT AT THE LOCAL, COUNTY, STATE AND, OF COURSE, THE
11:09:19 FEDERAL LEVELS.
11:09:21 WE'RE TRYING TO MANAGE THE SHOCKS OF COVID-19 WHICH ARE IN
11:09:25 THE MEDIACY AND THE STRESSORS OF CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT
11:09:29 AND THE ECONOMIC CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING.
11:09:31 I WANTED TO TAKE A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND ALLOW GINA GRIMES,
11:09:36 OUR CITY ATTORNEY, TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON HOW WE'RE OPERATING
11:09:39 IN OUR CURRENT STATE AND THEN I WILL SUPPORT THAT WITH A
11:09:43 QUICK UPDATE ON HOW WE'RE HANDLING THIS ADMINISTRATIVELY AND
11:09:46 THEN WE'LL GO INTO THE REST OF THE SLIDES.
11:09:49 GINA.
11:09:49 >>GINA GRIMES: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
11:09:51 GINA GRIMES, CITY ATTORNEY.
11:09:52 WE TOUCHED ON THIS IN OUR EMERGENCY MEETING ON THE 31st.
11:09:56 I JUST WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT THE LEGAL STATUS OF OUR
11:10:02 OPERATIONS ARE FOLLOWING THE MAYOR'S DECLARATION OF A STATE
11:10:06 OF LOCAL EMERGENCY.
11:10:08 AS I MENTIONED ON THE 31st, ON MARCH 12th, THE COUNTY
11:10:15 EMERGENCY POLICY GROUP ISSUED AN ORDER DECLARING A LOCAL
11:10:20 STATE OF EMERGENCY.
11:10:21 THAT SAME DAY, THE MAYOR FOLLOWED SUIT, AND BY EXECUTIVE
11:10:25 ORDER DECLARED A STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY PURSUANT TO OUR
11:10:28 CITY CODE.
11:10:29 UPON INVOCATION OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDER IN HER EMERGENCY
11:10:37 POWERS SHE WAS AUTHORIZED, THE MAYOR IS AUTHORIZED TO
11:10:40 EXERCISE CERTAIN LIMITED EMERGENCY POWERS AND AUTHORITY.
11:10:45 THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THOSE IS TO REFER TO THEM AS THE
11:10:48 CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT POWERS.
11:10:50 AND THEY INCLUDE ALLOWING THE MAYOR, WITHOUT COUNCIL
11:10:54 APPROVAL, TO ENTER INTO CONTRACTS, INCUR OBLIGATIONS AND
11:10:59 ACQUIRE AND DISTRIBUTE SUPPLIES, MATERIALS, AND THOSE KINDS
11:11:02 OF ACTIONS.
11:11:03 THE CITY CODE AUTHORIZES THE MAYOR, AUTHORIZES BY OPERATION
11:11:08 OF LAW ACTUALLY THAT CERTAIN ORDINANCE AND OTHER KINDS OF
11:11:13 LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES ARE WAIVED, AND THAT'S
11:11:16 WHAT ALLOWS HER TO EXERCISE THE CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT
11:11:20 POWERS.
11:11:21 UNDER THE CITY CODE, SHE'S ALSO AUTHORIZED TO EXERCISE
11:11:25 CERTAIN OTHER ADDITIONAL POWERS, WHICH SHE HAS DONE BY
11:11:30 EXECUTIVE ORDER.
11:11:31 THOSE INCLUDE SUCH MEASURES AS ANTI-PRICE GOUGING, CLOSING
11:11:37 CITY BEACHES, CITY RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, AND CITY PARKS,
11:11:42 AND OTHER ACTIONS, OTHER MEASURES TO REGULATE BUSINESSES.
11:11:48 NOW, ALL OF THE REGULATIONS ON THE BUSINESSES HAVE NOW BEEN
11:11:51 SUPERSEDED BY THE STATE'S STAY-AT-HOME ORDER.
11:11:56 SO THOSE ARE NO LONGER EFFECTIVE.
11:11:59 THOSE ADDITIONAL POWERS SHE'S EXERCISED REGARDING PRICE
11:12:03 GOUGING, CLOSURE OF THE BEACHES AND OTHER CITY FACILITIES
11:12:05 THAT ARE STILL IN EXISTENCE.
11:12:08 THAT BASICALLY SUMS UP FOR YOU WHAT AUTHORITY THAT THE MAYOR
11:12:12 HAS UNDER THE STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY AND I THINK OUR NEXT
11:12:18 STEP THAT CHIEF BENNETT WANTS TO ADDRESS IS HOW WE CAN BEST
11:12:23 MEET COUNCIL'S NEEDS AS FAR AS CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT
11:12:28 POWERS AND HOW THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS CAN BE CONDUCTED GOING
11:12:33 FORWARD.
11:12:33 CHIEF BENNETT?
11:12:34 >>JOHN BENNETT: THANK YOU, GINA.
11:12:36 AGAIN, JOHN BENNETT, CHIEF OF STAFF, CITY OF TAMPA.
11:12:39 THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE UNDER WHAT MS. GRIMES JUST SPOKE
11:12:44 ABOUT KIND OF CAUGHT US IN BETWEEN A COUNCIL SESSION THAT
11:12:48 WAS PLANNED TWO WEEKS PRIOR.
11:12:54 THE FOCUS ON MOVING GOVERNMENT FORWARD OR WHAT MS. GRIMES
11:12:57 TALKED ABOUT IS CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT, IS A BALANCING
11:13:01 ACT, OF COURSE.
11:13:01 AND IN CONCERT THROUGH CITY COUNCIL ATTORNEY, WE'VE BEEN
11:13:06 SHARING INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AS TRANSPARENT
11:13:09 AND INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE TO KEEP GOVERNMENT MOVING BUT YET
11:13:14 DELAY OR POSTPONE THOSE THINGS THAT EITHER BY LEGAL OR
11:13:20 NECESSITY CAN WAIT UNTIL WE ARE BACK IN SESSION, WHICH IS
11:13:24 ONE OF THE GOALS TODAY.
11:13:25 NEXT SLIDE.
11:13:26 SO YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT WHAT'S CALLED THE SLIDE COVID-19
11:13:31 STRATEGY AND CONTEXT.
11:13:33 I'LL TAKE TWO SECONDS AND COVER THIS.
11:13:35 THE STRATEGY ON THE LEFT I TALKED ABOUT TUESDAY, THAT OUR
11:13:38 GOAL IS TO STAY SANITIZED BOTH AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND
11:13:43 ENVIRONMENT.
11:13:43 ONE OF THE THINGS WE KEEP HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC HEALTH
11:13:45 COMMUNITY IS TO PRETEND EVERYBODY HAS THE VIRUS AND PRETEND
11:13:49 EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH HAS RESIDUE FROM THE VIRUS ON IT TO
11:13:53 PROTECT YOURSELF.
11:13:53 WE ALSO INCLUDE THE SOCIAL AND WORKPLACE AND PHYSICAL
11:13:59 DISTANCING AS PART OF ALL THE ORDERS YOU ALREADY HEARD.
11:14:02 WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ENCOURAGE PERSONAL
11:14:04 RESPONSIBILITY AND MEDICAL SUPPORT TO MONITOR WELLNESS TO
11:14:09 POSSIBLY CREATE A COLLECTION QUARANTINE AND TESTING
11:14:13 OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FLATTEN THE
11:14:17 CURVE, WHICH IS THE ULTIMATE MISSION.
11:14:19 WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, WE'RE ASKING EVERYBODY TO STAY CALM
11:14:22 AND BE NICE AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER AS A COMMUNITY.
11:14:24 NOW, TO QUICKLY CONTEXTUALIZE THAT, AS WE'VE BEEN SAYING
11:14:28 OVER AND OVER AGAIN SINCE THIS STARTED IS WE'RE LOOKING FOR
11:14:31 THE BEST WAY TO CONTINUE THE CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT, WHICH
11:14:34 IS A BALANCING ACT, AS YOU ALREADY KNOW.
11:14:37 THAT'S BALANCED BETWEEN HANDLING THE EMERGENCY EFFORTS TO
11:14:40 OBVIOUSLY ULTIMATELY SAVE LIVES AND FLATTEN THE CURVE, BUT
11:14:44 ALSO KEEP THE ECONOMY AS SUSTAINABLE AND IN A STATE OF
11:14:49 RECOVERY AS POSSIBLE.
11:14:50 A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT IS OUR STRATEGY AROUND FISCAL
11:14:55 RESPONSIBILITY.
11:14:57 ONCE AGAIN, THERE IS A BALANCE BETWEEN TRYING PUSH CONSENT
11:15:01 ITEMS THROUGH THAT HAVE A SECURED PRICE POINT WHERE WE ARE
11:15:05 SAVING TAX DOLLARS AND WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THE EQUIPMENT AND
11:15:10 THE LOGISTICS MOVING FOR THE CITY BUT AT THE SAME TIME
11:15:14 BALANCE THAT AGAINST THE TIMELINESS AND THE NECESSITY OF
11:15:17 THOSE ITEMS UNDER THE MAYOR'S EMERGENCY POWERS.
11:15:20 NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
11:15:23 SO AS PART OF YOUR DECISION SUPPORT TODAY, I PUT TOGETHER
11:15:32 WHAT I CALLED THE RISK FACTOR RUBRIC.
11:15:35 WE ALREADY DISCUSSED THE COVID-19 RISK, WHICH IS ANY KIND OF
11:15:40 ASSEMBLY THAT CREATES WHAT THE CDC HAS TALKED ABOUT, 10 OR
11:15:45 LESS AGAINST 10 OR MORE AND KEEPING A SIX-FOOT DISTANCE.
11:15:50 WE HAVE TECHNOLOGICAL RISKS, OF COURSE.
11:15:52 YOU COULD SEE THAT ON TUESDAY, WE WERE AUDIO ONLY.
11:15:56 TODAY WE PROGRESSED TO SOME SLIDES TO ENHANCE THE PUBLIC'S
11:16:00 VIEWING AND CITY COUNCIL'S INTERACTION.
11:16:02 MS. GRIMES WILL TALK ABOUT THROUGH THE PRESENTATION THE
11:16:06 VARYING LEGAL RISKS ON OUR OPPORTUNITIES, AND THE
11:16:10 OPERATIONAL RISKS OF MOVING AND SHIFTING STAFF AND LOGISTICS
11:16:14 TO SUPPORT THE NECESSARY LEVEL OF THE CONTINUITY OF
11:16:18 GOVERNMENT AS IT RELATES TO SUPPORTING CITY COUNCIL ACTION.
11:16:21 NEXT SLIDE.
11:16:26 SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A PHASEAL APPROACH FROM THE
11:16:35 ADMINISTRATION.
11:16:35 OF COURSE, WHEN WE GET TO THE Q & A FOR COUNCIL, THIS CAN BE
11:16:39 DISCUSSED FURTHER.
11:16:40 I'M GOING TO LET GINA GRIMES, THE CITY ATTORNEY, TALK ABOUT
11:16:44 THE THREE LEVELS OF WHAT WE'RE CALLING EMERGENCY MEETINGS,
11:16:46 LIMITED MEETINGS, OR FULL MEETINGS.
11:16:49 GINA?
11:16:51 >>GINA GRIMES: GINA GRIMES, CITY ATTORNEY.
11:16:53 AS YOU SEE FROM THIS SLIDE, WE HAVE THREE PHASES OF WHICH WE
11:16:58 ARE PROPOSING TO RESUME CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
11:17:02 THE FIRST PHASE, WHICH IS THE EMERGENCY MEETING, WE'VE
11:17:06 ALREADY UNDERTAKEN.
11:17:08 LAST TUESDAY WE HAD AN ALL-VIRTUAL MEETING, IN THE SUNSHINE
11:17:12 MEETING.
11:17:13 PUBLIC NOTICE WAS GIVEN.
11:17:14 THE PUBLIC WAS IN ATTENDANCE VIRTUALLY AND MINUTES WERE
11:17:19 TAKEN.
11:17:20 WE DID NOT, HOWEVER, HAVE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
11:17:23 AND THAT MADE IT SOMEWHAT SIMPLER, I THINK, THAN THE SECOND
11:17:27 PHASE AND THE THIRD PHASE MIGHT BE.
11:17:30 I'LL EXPLAIN THAT IN JUST ONE MINUTE.
11:17:32 WE KNOW WE CAN ACCOMPLISH VIRTUALLY THE EMERGENCY MEETINGS,
11:17:35 WHICH DON'T INVOLVE THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
11:17:38 THE NEXT PHASE OF MEETINGS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING BE
11:17:43 CONSIDERED TO DISCUSS AT THIS EMERGENCY MEETING IS WHAT WE
11:17:47 ARE CALLING THE LIMITED MEETINGS, THE LIMITED CITY COUNCIL
11:17:50 MEETINGS.
11:17:51 WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THAT?
11:17:53 WE ARE PROPOSING THAT AT THESE LIMITING MEETINGS THAT YOU
11:17:57 WOULD CONSIDER ITEMS ON YOUR CONSENT AGENDA, ITEMS THAT ARE
11:18:00 APPROVED BY RESOLUTION.
11:18:02 WE COULD EVEN HAVE LEGISLATIVE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR
11:18:06 ORDINANCES, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, TEXT AMENDMENTS OR COMP PLAN
11:18:10 AMENDMENTS.
11:18:11 IT WOULD EXCLUDE AT THIS STAGE THE TYPICAL CITY COUNCIL
11:18:18 ACTIVITIES LIKE CEREMONIAL ACTIVITIES, STAFF APPEARANCES,
11:18:23 AND THEN QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS.
11:18:25 AND THE REASON THAT WE'RE PROPOSING THIS -- THESE TYPES OF
11:18:31 LIMITED MEETINGS IS BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO THE ISSUE --
11:18:36 AND THIS IS THE RISK THAT JOHN REFERRED TO -- WHEN IT COMES
11:18:43 TO THE ISSUE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, THE MORE PUBLIC
11:18:45 PARTICIPATION THAT'S INVOLVED, THE MORE DIFFICULT IT BECOMES
11:18:49 FROM A TECHNOLOGICAL STANDPOINT AND THE RISKIER IT BECOMES,
11:18:53 ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS.
11:18:56 I'LL COVER THOSE IN JUST ONE SECOND.
11:18:58 BUT AS YOU MAY HAVE SEEN YESTERDAY AT THE BOCC MEETING FOR
11:19:03 THE ALL FOR TRANSPORTATION TAX ISSUE, THERE WERE A LOT OF
11:19:07 GLITCHES, TECHNOLOGICAL GLITCHES THAT OCCURRED AS A RESULT
11:19:11 OF ALLOWING THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY.
11:19:14 THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT APPEARED THAT WERE TRYING TO
11:19:17 -- THEY WERE IN A VIRTUAL QUEUE AND WERE TRYING TO COMMENT
11:19:21 AND WERE UNABLE TO DO SO BECAUSE OF TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
11:19:25 WHEN THOSE KIND OF THINGS HAPPEN, IT CREATES A SITUATION
11:19:29 WHERE PEOPLE CAN RAISE DUE PROCESS ISSUES.
11:19:31 ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES THAT I THINK WE'VE
11:19:35 ALL ACTUALLY HAD OURSELVES IS SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL BE ON
11:19:41 MUTE AND DON'T REALIZE IT AND THEY ARE TALKING AND TALKING
11:19:45 AND THE OTHER SIDE IS WAITING TO HEAR FROM THEM AND THEY ARE
11:19:49 -- THEIR TIME HAS PASSED AND THEY WERE ON MUTE THE WHOLE
11:19:52 TIME.
11:19:52 SO YOU HAVE THOSE KINDS OF JUST REAL PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES
11:19:56 INVOLVED WITH CONDUCTING PUBLIC VIRTUAL MEETINGS WHEN
11:20:01 THERE'S PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
11:20:02 SO WE THINK, THOUGH, THAT WE HAVE SOME MEASURES, I THINK
11:20:07 JOHN WILL ADDRESS, AS TO HOW WE CAN ALLOW FOR FULL AND
11:20:11 MEANINGFUL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN WHAT WE CALL THE PHASE
11:20:15 TWO LIMITED MEETINGS.
11:20:17 NOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE PHASE THREE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS,
11:20:21 THE FULL CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, THAT WOULD INCLUDE
11:20:23 QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS, THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF
11:20:29 ADDITIONAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE QUASI-JUDICIAL
11:20:33 HEARINGS, AND THEY ALL REVOLVE AROUND ACCOMMODATING PUBLIC
11:20:37 PARTICIPATION.
11:20:38 WHEN I SAY "PUBLIC," I MEAN NOT JUST THE GENERAL PUBLIC BUT
11:20:42 PARTICIPATION BY THE PETITIONERS AND THE VARIOUS PEOPLE THAT
11:20:45 ARE ADVANCING THE PETITIONS, THE QUASI-JUDICIAL PETITIONS.
11:20:49 WHEN THE PARTICIPANTS -- AND SOME MIGHT BE ASKING, WILL
11:20:54 PEOPLE HAVE -- WELL, PEOPLE HAVE CONFERENCE CALLS AND
11:20:57 VIRTUAL MEETINGS ALL THE TIME AND THAT'S TRUE, BUT THAT'S
11:21:00 USUALLY WHEN THE PARTICIPANTS ARE KNOWN.
11:21:01 WHEN YOU HAVE TO SET UP A SYSTEM WHERE PEOPLE ARE CALLING IN
11:21:04 AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHO IT IS THAT IS GOING TO BE CALLING IN
11:21:06 AND YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK VIRTUALLY,
11:21:10 THAT'S WHEN THE DIFFICULTIES APPEAR.
11:21:15 AND BASED ON WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE, THAT'S WHEN THE
11:21:18 DIFFICULTIES AND RISKS ARE INCURRED.
11:21:21 WE HAVE FOUND, I THINK, AND JOHN, AGAIN, WILL ADDRESS WAYS
11:21:28 TO ACCOMPLISH PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION,
11:21:32 BUT THE ISSUE WITH PHASE THREE PARTICIPATION IS IN A
11:21:36 QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARING, YOU HAVE THREE ISSUES THAT A COURT
11:21:41 LOOKS AT.
11:21:42 YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU FOLLOW THE ESSENTIAL
11:21:46 REQUIREMENTS OF LAW.
11:21:47 YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU BASE YOUR DECISION ON
11:21:51 COMPETENT AND SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
11:21:54 AND THEN THE THIRD AND ALL IMPORTANT AND RELEVANT IN THIS
11:21:57 SITUATION, CRITERIA ON QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS IS YOU HAVE
11:22:00 TO COMPLY WITH OR FOLLOW PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS.
11:22:04 AGAIN, THAT MEANS PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS, NOT JUST FOR THE
11:22:08 PETITIONERS OF A QUASI-JUDICIAL APPLICATION, BUT ALSO FOR
11:22:11 THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT MAY WANT TO HAVE INPUT ON A
11:22:14 QUASI-JUDICIAL APPLICATION.
11:22:16 AND THE REASON IT BECOMES DIFFICULT IS, UNLIKE MOST OTHER
11:22:20 TYPES OF ACTIONS THAT CITY COUNCIL TAKES IN A QUASI-JUDICIAL
11:22:23 HEARING, YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO BE SWORN.
11:22:28 THEIR TESTIMONY HAS TO BE UNDER OATH.
11:22:31 THE SUPREME COURT RECENTLY ISSUED AN ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER IN
11:22:35 THIS EMERGENCY SITUATION SAYING THAT THE TYPICAL REQUIREMENT
11:22:42 FOR A NOTARY OR OTHER PERSON WHO GIVES AN OATH HAVING TO BE
11:22:47 PHYSICALLY PRESENT WITH THE PERSON TO WHOM THE OATH IS GIVEN
11:22:49 IS WAIVED; HOWEVER, THE PERSON GIVING THE OATH HAS TO HAVE
11:22:55 THE ABILITY TO VIEW THE PERSON THAT'S GIVING THE OATH AND TO
11:23:00 BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PERSON GIVING THE OATH.
11:23:02 SO THAT WOULD MEAN IN OUR SITUATION, WHEN THE CLERK GIVES
11:23:06 THE OATH AT A QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARING AND SWEARS EVERYONE IN,
11:23:09 THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF VISUAL CONTACT AND
11:23:15 ABILITY TO IDENTIFY EVERYONE THAT'S SWORN IN.
11:23:18 SO THAT'S ONE ISSUE AS FAR AS ADMINISTRATION OF THE OATH IN
11:23:23 QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS.
11:23:25 ANOTHER ISSUE IS AUTHENTICATING THE VARIOUS WITNESSES THAT
11:23:30 MIGHT TESTIFY.
11:23:31 PEOPLE COULD REPRESENT THEMSELVES TO BE SOMEONE OTHER THAN
11:23:33 THEY ARE WHEN THEY ARE NOT PRESENT.
11:23:35 WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER WAY OF IDENTIFYING WHO THE PERSON
11:23:38 WAS THAT WAS ON THE PHONE.
11:23:41 ANOTHER ISSUE IS WITH EXPERT TESTIMONY, A LOT OF TIMES
11:23:46 EXPERTS ARE QUALIFIED AS TO WHAT THEIR VARIOUS
11:23:49 QUALIFICATIONS ARE.
11:23:51 THAT, AGAIN, WITHOUT THERE BEING SOME SORT OF VISUAL CONTACT
11:23:55 OR INTERACTION WITH AN EXPERT, THAT MAKES THAT MORE
11:23:59 DIFFICULT.
11:23:59 ANOTHER ISSUE WHICH WE'RE SOMEWHAT CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE
11:24:05 CROSS-EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES.
11:24:06 IN A QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARING, ALTHOUGH WE, THE CITY OF TAMPA
11:24:10 DOESN'T TYPICALLY ALLOW FOR OR PROVIDE CROSS-EXAMINATION OF
11:24:15 WITNESSES, IF PRESSED, WE WOULD HAVE TO ALLOW IT.
11:24:19 SO WE'D HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SET UP SOME SORT OF VIRTUAL
11:24:26 SCENARIO WHICH WOULD ACCOMMODATE AND ALLOW FOR PETITIONERS
11:24:30 TO CROSS-EXAMINE WITNESSES AND FOR THE PUBLIC TO
11:24:33 CROSS-EXAMINE WITNESSES OF THE PETITIONER.
11:24:36 WE ALSO HAVE AN ISSUE OF HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THE REMOTE
11:24:40 INTRODUCTION OF EVIDENCE.
11:24:41 A LOT OF TIMES AT OUR QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS, MEMBERS OF
11:24:43 THE PUBLIC WILL COME UP.
11:24:45 THEY'LL HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS.
11:24:46 THEY'LL HAVE DIAGRAMS AND SO FORTH.
11:24:48 HOW DO WE ASSURE FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF THOSE KINDS OF
11:24:51 DOCUMENTS INTO EVIDENCE AND ASSURE THAT THE CLERK HAS A COPY
11:24:56 OF THOSE DOCUMENTS FOR THE RECORD?
11:24:57 AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE ISSUE OF SITE PLAN REVIEW.
11:25:02 A LOT OF TIMES IN THE QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS YOU'LL BE
11:25:05 LOOKING AT A SITE PLAN.
11:25:06 AS THE HEARING PROCEEDS, THE PETITIONERS OFTEN WILL PROPOSE
11:25:11 CHANGES AND POINT TO VARIOUS DIFFERENT ITEMS ON A SITE PLAN
11:25:14 THAT REQUIRE VISUAL INTERACTION.
11:25:17 AS YOU CAN SEE, THE QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS, MORE SO THAN
11:25:21 THE PHASE ONE HEARING OR THE PHASE TWO LIMITED MEETINGS,
11:25:25 THEY ARE BASICALLY A BREEDING GROUND FOR THE CREATION OF
11:25:28 PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS ISSUES.
11:25:31 THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT WILLING TO CONSIDER ANY
11:25:33 OPTIONS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE THAT ARE TECHNOLOGICALLY VIABLE
11:25:39 AND LEGALLY SUPPORTABLE, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S NOT AS
11:25:43 SIMPLE AS SOME MIGHT THINK THAT IT WOULD BE.
11:25:46 BUT WE ARE CONTINUING TO MONITOR WHAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS
11:25:49 DO.
11:25:50 BUT GIVEN -- JUST TO BE HONEST WITH YOU -- GIVEN THE STAFF
11:25:54 RESOURCES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY ALLOCATING TO THE FOUR LAND
11:25:58 USE LAWSUITS, QUASI-JUDICIAL LAWSUITS THAT ARE PENDING RIGHT
11:26:02 NOW, INCLUDING THESE LAWSUITS THAT HAVE CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES
11:26:05 AND ATTORNEYS' FEES, I'M LETTING YOU KNOW I'M GOING TO
11:26:08 PROCEED IN A VERY CAREFUL, MEASURED MANNER WITH REGARD TO
11:26:12 VIRTUAL QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS.
11:26:14 I NEED TO ASSURE THAT WE'RE NOT SUBJECTING THE CITY TO ANY
11:26:17 ADDITIONAL LEGAL AND FINANCIAL LIABILITY THAN WHAT WE'RE
11:26:22 CURRENTLY DEALING WITH.
11:26:24 AND I DO BELIEVE THAT VIRTUAL QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS WILL,
11:26:29 IN FACT, GIVE ANYBODY THAT IS UNHAPPY OR UNSATISFIED WITH
11:26:35 YOUR DECISION IN ONE OF THESE QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS, IT
11:26:38 WILL GIVE THEM FERTILE GROUND TO APPEAL IT BASED ON
11:26:42 PROCEDURAL DUE PROCESS.
11:26:43 WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO JOHN.
11:26:49 >>JOHN BENNETT: THANK YOU, GINA.
11:26:50 JOHN BENNETT, CHIEF OF STAFF.
11:26:52 NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
11:26:54 SO, JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW, AGAIN, HOW TO FRAME OUR DECISIONS
11:27:03 THIS MORNING, THE OBJECTIVES ARE VERY SIMPLE.
11:27:05 WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE A GOOD-FAITH LEVEL OF CONTINUITY OF
11:27:08 GOVERNMENT, BALANCING THE RISK FACTORS OF COVID-19 AGAINST
11:27:11 THE ADMINISTRATION, AND THE TECHNOLOGY ABILITY THAT WE CAN
11:27:15 SERVE THE PUBLIC.
11:27:17 WE ULTIMATELY LOOK FOR AS MUCH INCLUSION AS POSSIBLE, AGAIN,
11:27:21 WITH THOSE AFOREMENTIONED SAFEGUARDS.
11:27:23 AND LASTLY, WE WANT TO KEEP A LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY WHILE
11:27:26 DOING CITY BUSINESS.
11:27:29 AGAIN, SCALED TO THE LEVEL OF RISK FACTORS THAT WE
11:27:33 DISCUSSED.
11:27:33 NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
11:27:34 SO, THIS IS QUITE OBVIOUS, BUT JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S
11:27:44 UNDERSTANDING AS WELL, THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO THESE
11:27:46 DECISIONS TODAY LOOKING AT WHAT WE BELIEVE ARE THE
11:27:50 STAKEHOLDERS, CLEARLY THE PUBLIC, CITY COUNCIL, AND CITY
11:27:54 COUNCIL STAFF AND, OF COURSE, THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION AND
11:27:57 STAFF, TO INCLUDE THE CLERK'S OFFICE IN TRYING TO FACILITATE
11:28:01 THE BEST OUTCOME THIS MORNING FOR COUNCIL GOING FORWARD.
11:28:05 NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
11:28:07 I'M GOING TO GIVE A VERY HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW.
11:28:14 AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT YOUR DECISIONS
11:28:18 TODAY.
11:28:18 WE'RE GOING TO PUT THREE MODELS UP THERE.
11:28:21 THE FIRST ONE WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WILL BE ACTUALLY THE
11:28:25 VIRTUAL MODEL.
11:28:27 THEN WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A HYBRID MODEL AND THEN
11:28:31 FINALLY AN ALL-PRESENT MODEL.
11:28:33 WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE NEXT SLIDE OF THE VIRTUAL MODEL.
11:28:36 SO THE VIRTUAL MODEL BASICALLY IS ALL COUNCIL EITHER VOICE
11:28:48 AND SLIDES, OR IF WE CAN EVOLVE TO A VIDEO OPPORTUNITY TO
11:28:53 MAKE SURE THAT THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN BE SUSTAINABLE THROUGHOUT
11:28:57 THE MEETING AND THROUGHOUT THE JOURNEY OF THIS LEVEL OF
11:29:00 EFFORT AND LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC.
11:29:03 BUT THEN TO THE LEFT, YOU SEE THAT THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND
11:29:07 BROADCAST FEATURES HAVE TO ALIGN AS WELL.
11:29:10 WE HAD TALKED EXTENSIVELY YESTERDAY ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT,
11:29:14 WHICH WE KNOW IS A BIG PART OF OUR GOVERNMENT
11:29:16 RESPONSIBILITY, AND WE'VE BASICALLY IDENTIFIED THREE OPTIONS
11:29:19 THAT WE THINK ARE VIABLE, EVEN IN A SINGLE MEETING SYSTEM.
11:29:24 ABSENT OF WHAT MS. GRIMES TALKED ABOUT AS IT RELATES TO
11:29:28 QUASI-JUDICIAL.
11:29:29 BUT IN THE EMERGENCY MEETING SCENARIO, WHICH WE'RE DOING
11:29:31 NOW, BUT IN A LIMITED ENVIRONMENT, HOW COULD THE PUBLIC
11:29:36 ENGAGE AND FEEL LIKE WE HAVE MET THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR
11:29:40 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT?
11:29:41 ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IS MAKING SURE
11:29:46 PUBLIC COMMENT WOULD HAVE A WINDOW BEFORE THE MEETING,
11:29:50 POSSIBLY TWO DAYS, EXAMPLE, IF THE MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR
11:29:53 THURSDAY, WE WOULD ALLOT ALL DAY MONDAY AND ALL DAY TUESDAY
11:29:58 OF THAT WEEK TO COLLECT PUBLIC COMMENT THROUGH A WEB PORTAL,
11:30:03 TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION IS WORKING ON A WAY TO COLLECT
11:30:07 THAT PUBLIC COMMENT TO ALIGN ITSELF WITH WHAT A THREE-MINUTE
11:30:14 COMMENTARY PERIOD WOULD BE, WHICH IS OFTEN GIVEN BY COUNCIL.
11:30:17 THEN WE WOULD NEED TO FIND A WAY TO GET THAT PUBLIC COMMENT
11:30:20 INTO THE RECORD AS PART OF THE MEETING AND MAKE SURE THAT
11:30:24 THE PERSON SENDING THAT IN HAD CONFIDENCE THAT IT MADE IT TO
11:30:29 THE CITY FOR THE RECORD.
11:30:31 THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TELEPHONIC MESSAGE.
11:30:36 AGAIN, WITH THE SAME PARAMETERS AS A WEB PORTAL BUT THAT
11:30:39 WOULD GIVE MORE INCLUSION FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT MAY NOT BE
11:30:43 TECHNICAL SAVVY TO GET INTO A WEB PORTAL, FILL OUT A FORM
11:30:47 AND SEND IT IN AND DO IT THAT WAY.
11:30:49 BUT A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE, AGAIN, SAME DURATION, DEPENDING ON
11:30:53 COUNCIL'S WISHES, ONE MINUTE WORKS TO MINUTES, THREE
11:30:55 MINUTES, AND THEN FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT GOT INTO
11:30:58 RECORD WITH THE CLERK.
11:30:59 LASTLY, YOU HEARD MS. GRIMES TALK ABOUT IN THE
11:31:04 QUASI-JUDICIAL WHICH IS, AGAIN, A SPACE THAT WE'RE
11:31:06 RECOMMENDING THE MOST CHALLENGES WITH, IS TO BE ABLE TO
11:31:10 DELIVER SOME SORT OF EXHIBIT IF YOU ARE IN THIS VIRTUAL
11:31:15 MODE.
11:31:16 AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY REQUIRE SOME SORT OF DROP-OFF TO
11:31:21 CITY COUNCIL OR SOME SORT OF FILE ELECTRONICALLY TO MAKE
11:31:24 SURE THAT IF THEY WERE GIVING PUBLIC COMMENT AND INCLUDED
11:31:27 SOME SORT OF EXHIBIT THAT WE WOULD HAVE IT IN THE RECORD.
11:31:31 SO THAT MAY CREATE A THIRD SCENARIO WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE TO
11:31:34 DROP THAT OFF ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY AHEAD OF THE COUNCIL
11:31:37 MEETING, AND THEN THE ADMINISTRATION, THE CLERK'S OFFICE
11:31:41 WOULD SORT THAT INFORMATION ON WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF THE
11:31:44 MEETING ON THURSDAY.
11:31:45 SO THAT KIND OF COVERS THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF PUBLIC COMMENT
11:31:48 THAT WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE THE INCLUSION ABOUT.
11:31:53 AND THEN AS FAR AS STAFF GOES IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT, MUCH
11:31:56 LIKE WE ARE TODAY, WE WOULD BE TELEWORKING THROUGH CITY
11:32:02 COUNCIL WITH VOICE AND COMPLEMENTED POSSIBLY BY SLIDES SO
11:32:07 THE VIEWER WOULD SEE WHO IS TALKING, JUST LIKE YOU SAW THE
11:32:11 CHAIRMAN VIERA SLIDE IN THE BEGINNING.
11:32:13 AND, OF COURSE, WE WOULD HAVE THOSE SLIDES MADE FOR
11:32:16 EVERYBODY ON CITY COUNCIL AS WELL AS ASHLEY BOWMAN'S AREA,
11:32:22 MARKETING COMMUNICATION HAS ALREADY DEVELOPED SLIDES FOR
11:32:25 MOST OF OUR STAFF.
11:32:27 NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
11:32:28 THE HYBRID OPPORTUNITY IS A COMBINATION AND I'M PROBABLY
11:32:39 GOING TO GIVE IT BACK TO MS. GRIMES FOR A SECOND, ABOUT A
11:32:43 EQUAL QUORUM, WHICH, AGAIN, SLIGHTLY INCREASES THE COVID
11:32:48 RISK, ALTHOUGH WE COULD GET THE SEPARATION AND DISTANCING,
11:32:51 DEPENDING ON THE VENUE, AND USING VOICE FOR THE REMAINING
11:32:56 THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY.
11:32:59 AGAIN, USING SLIDES TO DESIGNATE WHICH COUNCIL PERSON IS
11:33:03 CURRENTLY SPEAKING.
11:33:04 THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THE BROADCAST WOULD REMAIN THE SAME
11:33:08 AS WE SPOKE ABOUT IN VIRTUAL, UNLESS FOR SOME REASON WE
11:33:12 WANTED TO HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF PUBLIC COME ON-SITE.
11:33:19 JUST TO KIND OF BUILD ON THAT FOR A SECOND, IF WE DID ALLOW
11:33:22 PHYSICAL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, NO MATTER WHAT THE VENUE WAS
11:33:26 AND WE DESIGNED IT AROUND THE COVID RISK, YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP
11:33:30 IN MIND THAT IF WE'RE USING THE TEN-PERSON PER ROOM OR PER
11:33:34 SETTING, THAT BY THE TIME YOU GET PAST THE COUNCIL NUMBERS
11:33:38 AND POSSIBLY THE SUPPORT STAFF, ONLY ONE PERSON WOULD BE
11:33:43 ABLE TO BE IN THAT ROOM SPEAKING AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE
11:33:45 LAG TIME OF GETTING SOMEBODY OUT OF A SECOND OR TERTIARY
11:33:50 ROOM THAT IS ALSO BEING SIMULCAST INTO THOSE ROOMS.
11:33:54 YOU CAN SEE QUICKLY THAT 10, 20, 30 PEOPLE CREATE A LARGE
11:33:59 ENVIRONMENT.
11:34:00 WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE THE VENUE TO THE CONVENTION CENTER
11:34:03 WHICH IS POSSIBLY DOWN STREAM OF HOSPITAL SURGE CAPACITY.
11:34:08 SO ANY ENVIRONMENT THAT WE STOOD UP, WE'D HAVE TO QUICKLY
11:34:12 ADAPT IF WE WERE NOT ABLE TO KEEP THE CURVE FLAT BELOW THE
11:34:16 MEDICAL CAPABILITY OF THE CITY AND THE REGION.
11:34:20 LASTLY, YOU CAN SEE UNDERNEATH THAT, THE DIFFERENT RISK
11:34:24 FACTORS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, SCALED ACCORDINGLY TO THE
11:34:28 VIRTUAL OR HYBRID MODEL.
11:34:30 THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
11:34:34 OBVIOUSLY, THE EASIEST ONE FROM A LOGISTICS POINT OF VIEW IS
11:34:43 TO HAVE FULL PRESENCE AND YET SCALE THE VENUE TO DECREASE
11:34:50 THE COVID RISK FACTORS BY SEPARATING COUNCIL WELL ABOVE THE
11:34:55 SIX FEET AND SEPARATING THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, BUT,
11:34:59 AGAIN, HAVING TO SCALE THAT AND INCREASE STAFF AND THE LEVEL
11:35:03 OF PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT TO DO ALL THE SECURITY
11:35:07 ENVIRONMENT AND ALL THE HANDLING OF DOCUMENTS AND HANDLING
11:35:10 OF PODIUMS, ET CETERA AND IN AN EVEN LARGER VENUE
11:35:15 AND CREATING THE STAGING ROOMS WITH THE VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY
11:35:19 PENDING THAT PERSON'S OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
11:35:22 SO YOU CAN SEE AS WE GO THROUGH A COMPLETE VIRTUAL, TO A
11:35:26 HYBRID, TO A FULL PRESENT MODEL, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCES
11:35:31 AND WHETHER THEY SCALE OVER TIME OR THERE IS A DECISION
11:35:34 TODAY TO BALANCE THE CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT AGAINST THE
11:35:37 RISK FACTORS AND THE ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT, WE JUST WANTED
11:35:41 TO GIVE YOU A FULL FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT THOSE DECISIONS AND
11:35:46 DISCUSSIONS GOING INTO THE BALANCE OF THE MEETING.
11:35:48 BEFORE I TURN IT BACK TO THE CHAIRMAN, I WANT TO SEE IF
11:35:51 MS. GRIMES HAS ANY ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS ABOUT THOSE THREE
11:35:54 MODELS.
11:35:55 >>GINA GRIMES: GINA GRIMES, CITY ATTORNEY.
11:35:57 THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO ADD IS THE REASON THAT WE CAME UP
11:36:01 WITH THE HYBRID SCENARIO FOR THESE LIMITED MEETINGS IS
11:36:05 BECAUSE, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR DID, IN FACT,
11:36:11 ISSUE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER 20-69 IN WHICH HE SAID HE SUSPENDED
11:36:16 ANY STATE STATUTE THAT REQUIRES A QUORUM TO BE PHYSICALLY
11:36:22 PRESENT.
11:36:22 SOME INDIVIDUALS HAVE QUESTIONED THE LEGAL AUTHORITY FOR THE
11:36:28 GOVERNOR TO SUSPEND THAT STATUTE IN THIS SITUATION.
11:36:33 SO THE HYBRID SCENARIO THAT WE PROPOSED AVOIDED THE RISK
11:36:40 THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN AVAILING OURSELVES OF THAT -- THE
11:36:45 GOVERNOR'S WAIVER OF THE STATUTE.
11:36:47 SO WHAT WE HAD PROPOSED WOULD BE THAT THERE STILL BE A
11:36:51 PHYSICAL QUORUM PRESENT IN THE ROOM, THEREBY NOT HAVING TO
11:36:56 RELY ON THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER, AND THEN ALLOWING
11:37:00 THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT DID NOT FEEL
11:37:05 COMFORTABLE PHYSICALLY ATTENDING THE MEETING TO STILL
11:37:08 PARTICIPATE BY TELECONFERENCING.
11:37:09 AND THAT TYPE OF SCENARIO IS WHAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
11:37:15 SANCTIONED AND APPROVED OF IN AN ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION
11:37:19 ISSUED VERY RECENTLY IN RESPONSE TO THE SITUATION OF LOCAL
11:37:23 GOVERNMENT MEETINGS.
11:37:24 SO THE HYBRID MODEL IS IN LINE WITH WHAT THE ATTORNEY
11:37:28 GENERAL HAS SANCTIONED, AND IT AVOIDS THE ISSUE OF THE
11:37:32 VALIDITY OF THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER DEALING WITH
11:37:36 SUNSHINE LAW.
11:37:38 I'M NOT OPINING ON WHETHER I BELIEVE IT'S VALID OR NOT.
11:37:43 AT THIS STAGE, THERE'S NO REASON TO BELIEVE IT ISN'T, BUT
11:37:46 THERE IS A RISK ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
11:37:49 AND THEN LET ME GO BACK AND FINALIZE ON THE POINT OF WHY IT
11:37:53 SEEMS THAT WE ARE SO CAREFULLY EVALUATING ALL THE DIFFERENT
11:37:58 ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LEGAL RISKS INVOLVED IN MEETINGS.
11:38:01 I KNOW YOU'VE ALL KNOWN AND SEEN THAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS
11:38:04 ARE CONDUCTING MEETINGS, BUT -- AND MARTY SHELBY CAN ADD TO
11:38:11 THIS IF HE'D LIKE, BUT THE RISK INVOLVED IN CONDUCTING A
11:38:14 MEETING THAT DOESN'T COMPLY WITH THE SUNSHINE LAW IS THAT
11:38:17 ANYONE CHALLENGING IT, EVEN AFTER THE FACT, CAN CLAIM THAT
11:38:21 THE ACTIONS TAKEN WERE INVALIDATED.
11:38:24 SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO BE SO CAREFUL IN MAKING SURE
11:38:29 WE DO, IN FACT, COMPLY WITH THE SUNSHINE LAW AND THAT WE
11:38:32 ALLOW COUNCIL TO PARTICIPATE.
11:38:34 WE ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE, AND THAT WE CAN BE
11:38:37 ASSURED THAT IF YOU DO, IN FACT, ACT AND HOLD THESE MEETINGS
11:38:40 THAT YOUR ACTIONS WILL NOT LATER BE INVALIDATED OR
11:38:45 CHALLENGED.
11:38:45 I'M GOING TO CONCLUDE WITH THAT REMARK.
11:38:48 >>JOHN BENNETT: THANK YOU, GINA.
11:38:49 JOHN BENNETT.
11:38:50 CHIEF OF STAFF.
11:38:51 AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO FOREGO GIVING A TECHNICAL
11:38:55 OVERVIEW BECAUSE I THINK WE FRAMED THOSE UP.
11:38:58 I'D RATHER GIVE TIME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR THE QUESTION AND
11:39:01 ANSWER PERIOD AND TO SUPPORT YOUR DECISIONS GOING FORWARD.
11:39:05 WITH THAT I WILL TURN IT BACK TO CHAIRMAN VIERA.
11:39:08 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, FOR YOUR VERY DETAILED
11:39:13 PRESENTATION.
11:39:13 WE APPRECIATE THAT A GREAT DEAL.
11:39:16 NOW WE WILL BE GOING TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER WITH THIS
11:39:20 IMPERFECT VENUE THAT WE HAVE.
11:39:21 MY CLOCK SAYS ABOUT 11:40.
11:39:24 I THINK
11:39:26 IF WE DO ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES EACH COUNCIL MEMBER AND SOME
11:39:29 PEOPLE MAY TAKE A MINUTE MORE.
11:39:30 SOME PEOPLE MAY TAKE FOUR MINUTES LESS, THEN I THINK WE CAN
11:39:34 GET WITHIN THAT.
11:39:35 THIS WILL BE RESERVED FOR COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, ET CETERA,
11:39:38 AND WE BEGIN WITH COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
11:39:41 >>BILL CARLSON: GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.
11:39:42 THANKS SO MUCH FOR PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER.
11:39:44 GINA, THE FIRST THING I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU IS ABOUT THE
11:39:48 COMMENTS WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ABOUT
11:39:50 THE LEGALITY OF THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER.
11:39:55 IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK IN DEPTH BUT ANY OTHER
11:40:00 THOUGHTS ON THAT BEFORE WE CONTINUE?
11:40:03 >>GINA GRIMES: YOU'RE ON POINT.
11:40:04 THAT'S, IN FACT, WHY WE SUGGESTED THE HYBRID APPROACH IS
11:40:07 THEN WE CAN AVOID THAT ISSUE ALTOGETHER.
11:40:10 THE HYBRID APPROACH IS DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH WHAT THE
11:40:14 ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS SANCTIONED.
11:40:16 SHE SAID UNLESS AND UNTIL JUDICIALLY OR LEGISLATIVELY
11:40:21 DETERMINED OTHERWISE, HER POSITION WAS A PHYSICAL QUORUM WAS
11:40:26 REQUIRED TO CONDUCT THE MEETING.
11:40:30 >>BILL CARLSON: YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT LONGER A MINUTE AGO.
11:40:34 I DON'T WANT TO MAKE YOU WASTE YOUR TIME.
11:40:36 THE SECOND THING IS, IS THERE ANY LIABILITY IN NOT HOLDING
11:40:41 QUASI-JUDICIAL MEETINGS.
11:40:42 IN THE LAST MEETING WE HAD, THERE WERE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
11:40:45 READY TO SPEAK.
11:40:45 THERE WERE PETITIONERS READY TO GO AND THEY WERE ASKING US
11:40:51 TO CONTINUE.
11:40:52 IS THERE ANY DOWNSIDE TO DELAYING THIS INDEFINITELY BECAUSE
11:40:55 OF THE POTENTIAL LIABILITY OF HOLDING THOSE MEETINGS?
11:41:03 >>GINA GRIMES: WHENEVER THE GOVERNOR DECLARES A STATE OF
11:41:06 EMERGENCY, AS HE HAS DONE IN THIS INSTANCE, THERE IS A
11:41:09 PROVISION UNDER STATE LAW THAT SAYS THAT CERTAIN DEADLINES
11:41:12 ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPMENT ORDERS AND CERTAIN BUILDING
11:41:14 PERMITS ARE STAYED DURING THE PENDENCY OF THE EMERGENCY.
11:41:17 IN FACT, THE LEAGUE OF CITIES HAS ON THEIR WEBSITE HAS A
11:41:23 LINK TO THAT STATUTORY PROVISION AND HAS TAKEN NOTE OF THE
11:41:27 FACT THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT THAT STATUTE APPLIES TO ANY
11:41:30 DEADLINE LIKE YOU'RE SPEAKING OF, THAT THEY WOULD BE STAYED
11:41:33 DURING THE PENDENCY OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
11:41:37 AS FAR AS THE INDIVIDUALS, PETITIONERS, MEMBERS OF THE
11:41:46 PUBLIC EXPECTING THESE QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS TO GO
11:41:49 FORWARD, THE MAYOR, UNDER HER EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY, HER
11:41:55 EXECUTIVE ORDER, I'M SORRY, AND EMERGENCY AUTHORITY HAS THE
11:42:00 POWER TO SUSPEND OR STAY, WAIVE THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT
11:42:03 REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES THAT ARE OTHERWISE IN EFFECT
11:42:07 PURSUANT TO LAW.
11:42:08 SO I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A LEGAL OBLIGATION TO MOVE FORWARD
11:42:11 WITHIN A CERTAIN TIME FRAME UNDER THE CURRENT STATE OF
11:42:15 EMERGENCY THAT WE'RE OPERATING UNDER.
11:42:19 >>BILL CARLSON: THANK YOU.
11:42:19 AND THE PART OF IT THAT I'M MOST CONCERNED ABOUT, WHICH I
11:42:24 THINK OTHER FOLKS ARE IS ONCE WE'RE PAST THE IMMEDIATE
11:42:28 HEALTH CRISIS AND THE HEALTH ISSUES, OBVIOUSLY THE ONES WE
11:42:31 WANT YOU TO FOCUS ON, WE ALL NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON BUT ONCE
11:42:35 WE GET PAST THAT, THIS HAS REALLY DECIMATED THE ECONOMY.
11:42:39 WE WERE ALREADY COMING OFF EIGHT MEDIOCRE YEARS AND WE WERE
11:42:44 JUST GETTING OUR FINANCIAL FOOTING AGAIN.
11:42:47 MY CONCERN IS THAT IF WE ARE UNABLE TO MOVE SOME OF THESE
11:42:51 FORWARD, IT MAY SLOW THE ECONOMY FROM CATCHING WIND AGAIN
11:42:56 QUICKLY.
11:42:57 WERE YOU JUST SAYING THAT THE MAYOR COULD APPROVE SOME OF
11:42:59 THESE OR ARE YOU JUST SAYING UNDER THE ORDERS WE'RE --
11:43:03 >>GINA GRIMES: NO.
11:43:06 I WASN'T SAYING THAT AT ALL.
11:43:07 WHAT I WAS SAYING IS THAT UNDER ANY REQUIREMENT IN OUR CODE
11:43:10 THAT WOULD REQUIRE US TO ACT ON A QUASI-JUDICIAL PETITION,
11:43:15 WITHIN A CERTAIN TIME FRAME, THAT THOSE KINDS OF PROCEDURAL
11:43:19 REQUIREMENTS COULD, IN FACT, BE WAIVED OR ALTERED UNDER HER
11:43:23 EMERGENCY POWERS.
11:43:24 I DIDN'T MEAN THAT SHE WAS CONSIDERING APPROVING ANY
11:43:27 QUASI-JUDICIAL MATTERS.
11:43:28 ABSOLUTELY NOT.
11:43:29 AS FAR AS GETTING THE ECONOMY BACK UP AND RUNNING AGAIN AS
11:43:38 QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE OR CONTRIBUTING TO IT TO THE EXTENT WE
11:43:43 CAN, BELIEVE ME, NOBODY BETTER THAN ME AS A PREVIOUS FORMER
11:43:48 LAND USE LAWYER UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS OF THE CLIENTS AND THE
11:43:52 BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN WANTING TO MOVE THESE QUASI-JUDICIAL
11:43:55 HEARINGS FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
11:43:57 AND EVEN THOUGH IN MY REMARKS THIS MORNING I MENTIONED TO
11:44:02 YOU ALL THE CONCERNS I HAVE WITH CONDUCTING THEM VIRTUALLY,
11:44:05 THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'M SITTING BACK AND NOT CONTINUING
11:44:08 TO EVALUATE DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES THAT WE CAN UNDERTAKE TO
11:44:12 TRY TO RESUME THE QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARINGS AS QUICKLY AS
11:44:16 POSSIBLE.
11:44:16 I THINK ALSO CHIEF BENNETT HAS A SUGGESTION ABOUT WHAT
11:44:20 COUNCIL CAN DO THEMSELVES TO ACCELERATE THE QUASI-JUDICIAL
11:44:25 HEARINGS ONCE THESE HEARINGS ARE RESUMED.
11:44:27 CHIEF, DO YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT?
11:44:29 >>JOHN BENNETT: WELL, ONE CONCEPT -- JOHN BENNETT, CHIEF OF
11:44:31 STAFF -- ONE CONCEPT, COUNCILMAN, IS TO LOOK AT INCREASING
11:44:35 THE MEETING PACE ONCE WE HAVE REDUCED THE COVID RISK TO THE
11:44:40 COMMUNITY AND TO, OF COURSE, THE COUNCIL AND THE
11:44:46 ADMINISTRATION AND TRY AND INCREASE THE PACE OF THOSE.
11:44:50 WE CURRENTLY MEET ON THURSDAY AND WE KNOW, AS MS. GRIMES
11:44:53 MENTIONED, THAT PART OF OUR BALANCING ACT HERE IS TO KEEP
11:44:57 THE ECONOMY STABLE AND THEN RECOVER AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
11:45:00 AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WE WANT TO KEEP THE CONTINUITY
11:45:04 OF GOVERNMENT GOING ON THOSE CONSENT ITEMS IS TO, AGAIN,
11:45:09 PROTECT THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND THE PRICE POINTS AND TO
11:45:12 KEEP GOVERNMENT MOVING IN PARALLEL TO THE EMERGENCY.
11:45:16 ONE OPTION WOULD BE TO INCREASE THE MEETING RATE UNTIL WE
11:45:22 CAUGHT UP AND STIMULATED THE ECONOMY BACK TO AS CLOSE AS
11:45:25 NORMAL AS POSSIBLE.
11:45:27 >>BILL CARLSON: GREAT.
11:45:28 THANK YOU.
11:45:28 HOPEFULLY IN ONE OF THE FUTURE MEETINGS WE CAN GET CAROL
11:45:31 POST IN, TOO.
11:45:32 I KNOW SEVERAL OF US I THINK HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH HER AND
11:45:37 LOOK FORWARD TO TRYING TO HELP HER IN WHATEVER SHE'S GOING
11:45:41 TO DO TO HELP STIMULATE THE ECONOMY AS WELL.
11:45:44 ONE THING I WOULD SUGGEST ALL OF YOU AND MY COLLEAGUES THINK
11:45:47 ABOUT AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, AS I UNDERSTAND
11:45:49 IT, 10, 12 YEARS AGO, THESE SPECIAL POWERS WERE PUT IN
11:45:54 PLACE, APPROVED BY COUNCIL, AND I WOULD JUST SUGGEST THAT WE
11:45:57 ALL THINK ABOUT THIS PROCESS AND THINK ABOUT NOT JUST THE
11:46:00 ABILITY OF CITY COUNCIL TO MEET BUT ALSO THE SPECIAL POWERS
11:46:03 AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE NEED TO MODIFY ALONG THE WAY.
11:46:07 WE'RE LUCKY THAT WE HAVE A MAYOR WHO IS VERY COLLABORATIVE
11:46:15 AND GINA AND STAFF AND OTHERS WHO ARE COLLABORATIVE AND
11:46:18 PROCESS ORIENTED AND WORK WITH US.
11:46:20 I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TRANSPARENCY THAT YOU HAVE
11:46:24 GIVEN US IN SHOWING US THE THINGS APPROVED.
11:46:27 I THINK THEY ARE GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO BE TRANSPARENT
11:46:29 AND COLLABORATIVE.
11:46:30 IT MIGHT BE JUST GOOD AT THE END OF ALL THIS TO LOOK BACK
11:46:34 AND NOT JUST FROM A TECHNOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW BUT FROM A
11:46:37 RULE POINT OF VIEW AND FIGURE OUT IF WE SHOULD ADAPT AT THE
11:46:40 END.
11:46:41 THE NEXT THING IS THAT THE BIGGEST DRUM BEAT I HEAR IS THAT
11:46:45 THE PUBLIC WANTS TO HAVE A CHANCE TO, NUMBER ONE, HEAR
11:46:48 WHAT'S GOING ON.
11:46:49 THE MAYOR HAS A TALK SHOW EVERY DAY AND THERE ARE OTHER
11:46:53 PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE WHERE PEOPLE ARE HEARING THINGS.
11:46:56 BUT I THINK THEY ARE USED TO HEARING ALSO IN THIS KIND OF
11:47:00 FORUM AND ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE.
11:47:02 TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN INFORM THE PUBLIC WOULD BE GREAT.
11:47:06 ALSO, THE BIGGEST PART OF THAT ALSO BECAUSE THEY ARE GETTING
11:47:09 LOTS OF INFORMATION, THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE FEEDBACK.
11:47:12 SOME PEOPLE ARE E-MAILING US AND CALLING US, BUT THEY ARE
11:47:15 ALSO USED TO GIVING FEEDBACK IN A PUBLIC FORUM.
11:47:20 AS SOON AS WE CAN GET TO THAT THE BETTER.
11:47:22 THANK YOU TO THE LEGAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS OF IT.
11:47:28 ANOTHER QUICK THING, THERE MAY BE A LOT OF PEOPLE LISTENING
11:47:31 AND ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS I'VE GOTTEN, WHAT DO PEOPLE DO
11:47:34 WHEN THEY SEE FOLKS BREAKING THE RULES?
11:47:37 HUGE CROWDS GATHERING IS ONE COMPLAINT.
11:47:40 ANOTHER COMPLAINT IS PEOPLE WORKING IN WORKPLACE
11:47:43 ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THEY SAY THE OWNERS OF THE BUSINESSES ARE
11:47:46 NOT STICKING TO THE RULES.
11:47:48 COULD YOU ALL STATE PUBLICLY WHAT THE -- WHAT OUR RESPONSE
11:47:52 TO THAT SHOULD BE?
11:47:54 >>LUIS VIERA: CHAIRMAN VIERA, IF I MAY.
11:47:57 ONE MORE MINUTE FOR YOUR TIME, COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
11:47:59 YOU'RE OVER, BUT THAT'S FINE.
11:48:01 JUST ONE MORE MINUTE TO FINISH THAT UP, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
11:48:04 GO AHEAD, SIR.
11:48:08 >>BILL CARLSON: CHIEF BENNETT, DID YOU HEAR MY QUESTION?
11:48:11 >>JOHN BENNETT: I DID.
11:48:12 IF I UNDERSTOOD IT PROPERLY, COUNCILMAN, AND WE UNDERSTAND A
11:48:18 COUPLE OF THINGS BEFORE I ANSWER THE QUESTION, THAT PUBLIC
11:48:20 ENGAGEMENT IS BIG.
11:48:23 WE WANT TO HAVE THAT TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC
11:48:27 AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WHICH IN PART IS WHY THE CALL CENTER
11:48:31 WAS OPENED UP TO ALLOW THAT REAL-TIME FEEDBACK.
11:48:34 AND WE WANT TO GET AS MUCH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AS POSSIBLE,
11:48:38 WHETHER IT'S AT THE EMERGENCY LEVEL OR THE LIMITED LEVEL, OF
11:48:41 COURSE, PENDING THE QUASI-JUDICIAL LEVEL OF THE PHASES THAT
11:48:44 MS. GRIMES TALKED ABOUT.
11:48:45 BUT GOING BACK TO PUBLIC RISK AND SOME LEVEL OF IMMEDIACY,
11:48:51 IF THERE IS A SITUATION THAT REQUIRES CLARIFICATION ABOUT
11:48:54 THE CURRENT RULES THAT ARE IN PRACTICE, MS. BOWMAN'S GROUP
11:48:59 IS UPDATING OUR WEBSITE IN REAL-TIME BASED ON THE ORDERS
11:49:02 COMING OUT.
11:49:03 YOU CAN SEE THE DYNAMISM IN THE CHANGE BETWEEN TUESDAY AND
11:49:06 TODAY.
11:49:07 WE'VE ALREADY HAD A NEW ORDER COME OUT FROM THE STATE, SO
11:49:10 WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THAT UP TO DATE IN REAL TIME AS MUCH AS
11:49:15 POSSIBLE.
11:49:15 THEN ALL OF THE BRIEFING PACKETS ARE GIVEN TO THE CALL
11:49:19 CENTER FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO CALL AGAIN DURING THE
11:49:24 PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT, THE CALL CENTER, 8 A.M. TO
11:49:28 8 P.M., MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, AND LAST WEEKEND, LOOKING
11:49:31 FORWARD TO THIS WEEKEND IS EITHER GOING TO BE 9 TO 5 --
11:49:35 9 A.M. TO 5 P.M., 10 TO 4 P.M.
11:49:39 AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, IF WE SEE A FLAGRANT VIOLATION IN
11:49:43 THE COMMUNITY OF ONE OF THE ORDERS, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO
11:49:45 CALL THE NONEMERGENCY LAW ENFORCEMENT LINE THAT IS PUBLISHED
11:49:49 ON OUR WEBSITE.
11:49:50 AND MOST OF OUR CITIZENS HAVE THAT NUMBER.
11:49:53 OF COURSE, THAT DOESN'T EVER EXCLUDE 911 IF YOU THINK IS A
11:49:59 CRITICAL SITUATION.
11:50:00 >>BILL CARLSON: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE
11:50:02 DOING.
11:50:02 THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR FOR KEEPING THINGS MOVING FORWARD AND
11:50:05 FOR YOUR TRANSPARENCY.
11:50:06 AND THANKS ESPECIALLY TO ALL THE FIRST RESPONDERS FOR
11:50:09 PUTTING YOUR LIVES ON THE LINE EVERY DAY FOR US.
11:50:11 THANK YOU.
11:50:11 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.
11:50:12 NEXT WE MOVE TO COUNCILMAN CITRO.
11:50:17 >>JOSEPH CITRO: YES, MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
11:50:20 COUNCILMAN CARLSON HAD SOME VERY, VERY GOOD QUESTIONS, AND I
11:50:24 CHECKED MOST OF MY QUESTIONS OFF.
11:50:26 THANK YOU, MR. CARLSON -- COUNCILMAN CARLSON FOR YOUR
11:50:29 INSIGHT AND YOUR QUESTIONS ON THOSE.
11:50:31 I JUST HAVE A FEW MORE.
11:50:33 I WANTED TO COMMENT, I KNOW WE ARE GOING TO BE PRESSED FOR
11:50:36 TIME DURING OUR MEETINGS NO MATTER WHAT PHASE THEY ARE IN.
11:50:40 PUBLIC COMMENT, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD BE KEPT TO AGENDA
11:50:43 ITEMS ONLY.
11:50:45 I'M JUST WONDERING, AND MS. GRIMES, YOU BRIEFED US RATHER
11:50:48 WELL ON LEGAL LIABILITIES.
11:50:51 I'M STILL QUESTIONING THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK
11:50:57 AT ANY OF THESE MEETINGS, WHETHER IT BE PETITIONERS OR
11:51:00 PUBLIC COMMENT, HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT GETS DONE NO
11:51:05 MATTER THE PHASE WE DO?
11:51:08 BEFORE YOU ANSWER THAT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PLAY
11:51:12 CATCH-UP ON SOME ITEMS.
11:51:14 IS THERE ANY THOUGHT TO GOING AND HAVING MORE THAN ONE --
11:51:19 EXCUSE ME, MORE MEETINGS PER MONTH UNTIL WE CATCH UP?
11:51:23 MS. GRIMES, IF YOU WANT TO ANSWER THOSE TWO QUESTIONS.
11:51:26 >>GINA GRIMES: I'LL ANSWER THE FIRST ONE AS TO HOW WE CAN
11:51:28 ENSURE WE GIVE THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
11:51:34 LIKE CHIEF BENNETT HAS SAID, THERE ARE ALL THESE ISSUES WE
11:51:38 HAVE TO BALANCE.
11:51:40 I'VE CONSIDERED THE ISSUE THAT SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE
11:51:43 COMPUTERS, DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE COMPUTERS, DON'T FEEL
11:51:46 COMFORTABLE SUBMITTING COMMENTS THROUGH THE INTERNET.
11:51:50 SO THE HYBRID MODEL THAT WE PRESENTED ALLOWS THE OPPORTUNITY
11:51:55 FOR PEOPLE IF THEY FEEL SAFE IN DOING SO TO PHYSICALLY
11:51:59 ATTEND THE MEETING AS THEY DO NOW.
11:52:04 IN AN EFFORT TO BE INCLUSIVE, THAT WOULD BE ONE OPTION UNDER
11:52:07 THE HYBRID MODEL.
11:52:08 AND THEN ALSO FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE IN
11:52:11 PHYSICALLY ATTENDING THE MEETING FOR SAFETY ISSUES, WE WOULD
11:52:15 ALLOW THEM TO EITHER SUBMIT -- OR WE'VE PROPOSED TO ALLOW
11:52:19 THAT THEY PARTICIPATE BY EITHER SUBMITTING A VOICE MAIL OR
11:52:24 SUBMISSION OF AN ONLINE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM.
11:52:27 SO THOSE WERE THE THREE OPTIONS THAT WE WOULD PROVIDE TO THE
11:52:32 PUBLIC AS A MECHANISM TO PARTICIPATE IN MEETINGS AND PUBLIC
11:52:39 HEARINGS.
11:52:39 AND THEN I'LL LET CHIEF BENNETT TALK ABOUT THE FREQUENCY OF
11:52:42 THE MEETINGS IN ORDER TO PLAY CATCH-UP.
11:52:42 >>JOHN BENNETT: THANK YOU, MS. GRIMES.
11:52:44 JOHN BENNETT, CHIEF OF STAFF.
11:52:45 GREAT QUESTION, COUNCILMAN, ABOUT INCREASING THE MEETING
11:52:48 PACE.
11:52:49 AS THE CURVE SETTLES ON COVID-19 AND WE CAN MOVE STAFF MORE
11:52:58 INTO NORMAL OPERATIONS, IF YOU WILL, WE ARE FULLY READY TO
11:53:03 ACCOMMODATE ADDITIONAL AGENDA ACTIVITY TO, AGAIN, BE
11:53:07 INCLUSIVE AND TRANSPARENT WITH THE PUBLIC TO THE RATE THAT
11:53:10 IT'S NEEDED.
11:53:11 I THINK ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THE EMERGENCY POWERS IS THAT
11:53:14 THERE IS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE
11:53:18 ADMINISTRATION TO KEEP GOVERNMENT MOVING.
11:53:21 A TERM I'VE BEEN USING INTERNALLY IS WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE
11:53:24 AN AGENDA TSUNAMI WHEN THIS IS OVER.
11:53:27 WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP THINGS MOVING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,
11:53:30 ONE, TO PROTECT THE PRICE POINTS, TO KEEP THE LOGISTICS
11:53:32 MOVING AND THE LEADERSHIP MOVING WITHIN THE CITY FOR THE
11:53:35 SAKE OF THE LEVELS OF SERVICE THAT THE CITY HAS ESTABLISHED.
11:53:38 I ALWAYS REMIND OUR ADMINISTRATION THAT WE DO HAVE ONE OF
11:53:41 THE LEANEST FORMS OF GOVERNMENTS FOR A CITY OUR SIZE BASED
11:53:45 ON CITY EMPLOYEES AGAINST A POPULATION.
11:53:47 I THINK AS WE LOOK AT THE AGENDA AND ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE CAN
11:53:52 TODAY, THE ABILITY TO INCREASE THE FREQUENCY TO CATCH UP ON
11:53:56 THOSE CRITICAL AGENDA ITEMS WILL BE PERFECTLY IN SCOPE
11:54:01 BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN MOVING IN PARALLEL WITH THE
11:54:04 COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT COUNCILMAN CARLSON JUST TALKED
11:54:07 ABOUT AND MOVING SOME OF THOSE QUANTIFIED ITEMS, IF YOU
11:54:12 WILL, OR THE LARGER PART OF THE CONSENT ITEMS, THROUGH AN
11:54:16 INTERNAL AWARENESS PROCESS AND EXECUTION BY THE MAYOR WITH
11:54:21 THIS SYSTEM THAT WE'VE CREATED UNDER THE EMERGENCY POWERS.
11:54:23 IN SHORT, I WOULD SAY THAT THE THINGS THAT ARE STACKING UP
11:54:28 COULD BE MOVED IN AN ACCELERATED PACE OF EITHER ADDITIONAL
11:54:32 MEETINGS WITHIN THE SAME DAY, MORNING AND NIGHT OR AN EXTRA
11:54:36 MEETING DURING THE WEEK.
11:54:40 >>JOSEPH CITRO: CHIEF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
11:54:41 MS. GRIMES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ANSWER.
11:54:42 I JUST HOPE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE PUTTING THROUGH THIS
11:54:46 CRISIS ANY UNDUE BURDEN UPON OUR PETITIONERS.
11:54:49 AGAIN, AS MR. CARLSON SAID, HELPING OUR ECONOMY GET BACK ON
11:54:54 PACE.
11:54:54 AT THIS TIME, MR. CHAIR, I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
11:54:56 SPEAK.
11:54:57 I WANT TO THANK ALL CITY STAFF, CLERK'S OFFICE, LEGAL, AND
11:55:02 EVERYBODY FOR WORKING TOGETHER.
11:55:04 AGAIN, WE WILL ALL GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.
11:55:07 THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
11:55:09 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN CITRO, FOR THAT.
11:55:11 NEXT, WE MOVE TO COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER.
11:55:15 GO AHEAD, SIR.
11:55:17 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU TO ALL
11:55:19 THE PARTICIPANTS.
11:55:20 JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS ON THE VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES, I'M
11:55:28 GOING TO START BACKWARDS IN REGARD TO THE QUASI-JUDICIAL.
11:55:34 CLEARLY, MS. GRIMES HAS IDENTIFIED AND MR. BENNETT --
11:55:38 MS. GRIMES IDENTIFIED THE LEGAL CONSTRAINTS AND HURDLES;
11:55:42 MR. BENNETT IDENTIFIED SOME OF THE PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS AND
11:55:45 HURDLES.
11:55:46 I THINK THAT AT THIS TIME, WE NEED TO JUST TAKE
11:55:51 QUASI-JUDICIAL OUT OF THE DISCUSSION.
11:55:57 I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'VE CHATTED WITH A COUPLE
11:56:02 OF THE LAND USE ATTORNEYS AND ALSO MR. MICHELINI WHO IS
11:56:06 OBVIOUSLY IN FRONT OF US OFTEN, TO GET THEIR INPUT ON THIS.
11:56:11 THEY DIFFER A LITTLE BIT.
11:56:16 ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS SAID HE'S BUSIER THAN EVER AND CLIENTS
11:56:21 CHAMPING AT THE BIT TO MOVE FORWARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
11:56:24 ANOTHER INPUT I GOT WAS THAT THEY CAN WAIT A BIT BUT THEY
11:56:29 NEED SOME CERTAINTY.
11:56:30 WELL, WE ALL NEED CERTAINTY IN THE UNCERTAIN ENVIRONMENT,
11:56:36 BUT THEY WOULD APPRECIATE SOME CERTAINTY IN TERMS OF A PLAN.
11:56:41 WHETHER OR NOT IT'S MID MAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IN
11:56:45 REGARD TO NOTICE SO THEY CAN NOTICE ALL INVOLVED, CONTINUE
11:56:49 TO NOTICE ALL INVOLVED AND THEY WOULD LIKE US TO AT LEAST
11:56:53 COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR MID MAY FOR QUASI-JUDICIAL.
11:56:56 BOTH TO GINA AND TO MR. BENNETT, I KNOW WE'RE NOT VOTING
11:57:00 TODAY, BUT I WILL GIVE MY PREFERENCE IN THAT REGARD.
11:57:04 I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR QUASI-JUDICIAL
11:57:07 THAT PROBABLY SPEAKS TO SOME TYPE OF PHYSICAL SETTING,
11:57:17 PERHAPS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER IN A VERY, VERY LARGE
11:57:21 SETTING WHERE A QUASI-JUDICIAL PROCESS CAN BE UNDERTAKEN IN
11:57:28 A TRADITIONAL FORUM BUT IN A VERY SPREAD OUT AND SOCIAL
11:57:34 DISTANCE FORM.
11:57:37 IN REGARD TO OUR REGULAR MEETINGS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, I TAKE
11:57:42 OUR REGULAR MEETINGS, AS WE ALL DO, ALL SEVEN OF US, VERY,
11:57:46 VERY SERIOUSLY.
11:57:46 I THINK WE HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT FUNCTION IN TERMS OF CHECK
11:57:50 AND BALANCES WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
11:57:52 I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE CHARTER SPEAKS TO AND I THINK THAT'S
11:57:55 WHY WE WERE ELECTED.
11:57:56 I KNOW YOU GUYS KNOW HOW STRONGLY I FEEL ABOUT THAT IN
11:58:01 REGARD TO ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASK ABOUT LOTS OF STUFF.
11:58:04 WITH THAT SAID, AND I SAY THIS VERY HESITANTLY, BUT WITH
11:58:10 THAT SAID, I THINK I NEED TO BALANCE THAT WITH EVERYTHING
11:58:15 ELSE THAT'S GOING ON ON A RISK-BENEFIT ANALYSIS.
11:58:19 AND REALLY ASK THE QUESTION OF ARE WE CURRENTLY AN ESSENTIAL
11:58:25 SERVICE?
11:58:26 IN OTHER WORDS, AS MR. CARLSON POINTED OUT, THE
11:58:30 ADMINISTRATION IS DOING A GOOD JOB, THE MAYOR IS DOING A
11:58:33 GOOD JOB OF TEMPORARILY TAKING OVER OUR FUNCTION.
11:58:38 BUT AT THE SAME TIME RECEIVING OUR INPUT ON CONSENT ITEMS,
11:58:45 PULLING CERTAIN CONSENT ITEMS THAT AREN'T NECESSARY TO MOVE
11:58:49 FORWARD ON BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT EMERGENCY, THEY ARE NOT
11:58:52 ESSENTIAL, AND TAKING OUR INPUT AND DEFERRING OTHERS THAT
11:58:57 NEED DEFERRING.
11:58:58 SO I JUST WONDER IF WE SHOULDN'T CONTINUE ALONG WITH THAT
11:59:05 TASK FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER MONTH.
11:59:08 AGAIN, I SAY THAT VERY HESITANTLY.
11:59:11 MY DRUTHERS IS THAT WE WOULD FIGURE IT OUT AND FIGURE OUT A
11:59:15 WAY TO MEET, BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE -- IF WE COULD
11:59:21 JUST MEET TELEPHONICALLY, I'D BE FINE.
11:59:24 BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE NOTION OF AT LEAST FOUR
11:59:29 COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVING TO GET TOGETHER TO HOLD ANY KIND OF
11:59:32 LEGITIMATE MEETING.
11:59:34 MY CONCERN IS SEVERAL.
11:59:35 NUMBER ONE, YOU'RE PUTTING FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AT COVID
11:59:39 RISK.
11:59:40 NUMBER TWO, YOU'RE PUTTING THE COMMUNITY POTENTIALLY AT
11:59:45 COVID RISK TO THE EXTENT THAT THE COMMUNITY COMES DOWN TO
11:59:48 GIVE PUBLIC INPUT.
11:59:50 AND NUMBER THREE IS, WHAT IS THE OPTIC -- WHAT ARE THE
11:59:54 OPTICS OF SEEING FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, FOUR OR MORE COUNCIL
12:00:01 MEMBERS TOGETHER AT THIS POINT IN TIME WHEN WE'RE TELLING
12:00:05 EVERYBODY TO STAY HOME?
12:00:06 I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE OPTICS.
12:00:13 THEY SEE THE MAYOR OUT THERE, TYPICALLY THEY SEE HER ALONE
12:00:17 OR WITH ONE OTHER PERSON, APPROPRIATELY SPACED, BUT IF
12:00:21 COUNCIL GETS TOGETHER ON OUR VERY, VERY SMALL DAIS, AND
12:00:25 THERE ARE FOUR OR MORE OF US, WE ARE NOT SPACING
12:00:28 APPROPRIATELY.
12:00:28 I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
12:00:33 MS. GRIMES, MR. BENNETT AND ALL THE REST HAVE BEEN VERY
12:00:37 FORTHRIGHT IN ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND GIVING US THIS
12:00:41 PRESENTATION.
12:00:41 BUT, AGAIN, I CIRCLE BACK TO AT THIS POINT IN TIME I'M NOT
12:00:46 REALLY CONVINCED THAT WE ARE AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE AND
12:00:51 THEREFORE I'M NOT REALLY CONVINCED THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING
12:00:55 ANYTHING MORE THAN WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
12:00:58 I THINK WEEKLY UPDATES, TELEPHONIC CONFERENCES LIKE THIS I
12:01:02 THINK ARE VERY VALUABLE AND IT'S GOOD THAT THE PUBLIC CAN
12:01:05 TUNE IN.
12:01:06 BUT I'LL LISTEN AND SEE WHAT -- SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY
12:01:11 OTHER IDEAS.
12:01:12 SORRY FOR THE LONG MONOLOGUE.
12:01:17 >>LUIS VIERA: OKAY.
12:01:18 ANYTHING ELSE, COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER?
12:01:22 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: NO.
12:01:22 I'M JUST GLAD I WASN'T ON MUTE THROUGH ALL THAT.
12:01:26 [ LAUGHTER ]
12:01:28 >>LUIS VIERA: THAT'S FUNNY.
12:01:29 THANK YOU FOR THAT, SIR.
12:01:30 NEXT WE MOVE TO COUNCILMAN GUDES.
12:01:34 >>ORLANDO GUDES: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
12:01:36 I HEARD THE COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES AND I LIKE SOME OF
12:01:40 THEM AND SOME IDEAS I DON'T.
12:01:42 I GUESS ME BEING A PUBLIC SERVANT FOR A LONG, LONG TIME,
12:01:45 I'VE ALWAYS BEEN ON THE FRONT LINE SERVING THE PEOPLE.
12:01:48 THAT'S WHAT I LOOK AT COUNCIL TO BE DOING, SERVING THE
12:01:51 PEOPLE BECAUSE WE GET PHONE CALLS EVERY DAY AND QUESTIONS
12:01:53 EVERY DAY ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT'S NOT GOING ON.
12:01:57 I GUESS FOR ME, I CAN BE A PERSON WHO CAN BE ON THE FENCE
12:02:00 WITH WHATEVER WAY WE GO, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE
12:02:04 HOWEVER WE DO IT THAT THE PEOPLE ARE INVOLVED IN THE
12:02:08 PROCESS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING.
12:02:10 THEY FEEL THAT THEY ARE NOT INVOLVED.
12:02:11 THEY FEEL THAT COUNCIL IS NOT REALLY INVOLVED BECAUSE
12:02:14 SOMETIMES THEY CALL, WE DON'T HAVE INFORMATION.
12:02:16 I CAN RELY ON CHIEF JOHN BENNETT.
12:02:20 HE DOES COME THROUGH.
12:02:21 HE DOES RETURN THE PHONE CALL.
12:02:22 HE DOES GET THE ANSWERS AS SOON AS HE CAN.
12:02:24 I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
12:02:25 I'M ALSO GRATEFUL TO THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WE HAVE A
12:02:29 STRONG FORM MAYOR OF GOVERNMENT.
12:02:31 THE MAYOR WE HAVE HAS REALLY BEEN WORKING WITH US AND I'M
12:02:35 APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
12:02:36 YOU CAN LOOK AT OTHER PLACES WHERE YOU MAY NOT GET ANY
12:02:38 CONSIDERATION ESPECIALLY WITH THE STATE OF EMERGENCY ORDER
12:02:41 THAT'S IN.
12:02:41 I THINK WHAT MR. CARLSON SAID, AFTER IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE,
12:02:46 WE HAVE TO HAVE AN AFTER-ACTION PLAN TO REVIEW EVERYTHING
12:02:48 THAT'S GONE ON WITHIN THE CITY SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HAVE
12:02:51 SOME CHECKS AND BALANCES GOING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE IN CASE
12:02:56 WE HAVE ANOTHER SITUATION LIKE THIS.
12:02:58 FOR ME, I LIKE TO MEET.
12:03:01 BUT, AGAIN, AFTER HEARING ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEY
12:03:04 BELIEVE WE NEED TO KEEP STAYING HOME AND BEING VIRTUAL, I
12:03:07 CAN LIVE WITH THAT.
12:03:08 I LIKE TO HEAR WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING AND HAVE AN
12:03:12 OPPORTUNITY TO TALK BACK WITH THEM.
12:03:13 ANY IDEAS THAT COME FORTH, I'M WILLING TO BE ON BOARD TO BE
12:03:17 A TEAM PLAYER.
12:03:18 ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M
12:03:20 GETTING A LOT OF CALLS FROM THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY
12:03:22 ABOUT THE TESTING.
12:03:24 SO HOPEFULLY I WON'T BELABOR THE TIME NOW, HOPEFULLY CHIEF
12:03:28 BENNETT CAN TELL ME WHAT WE'RE DOING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I'M
12:03:31 GETTING A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT FOLKS NOT BEING TESTED IN THE
12:03:34 AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
12:03:35 I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE THAT ADDRESSED SOMETIME TODAY.
12:03:41 I DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH MORE TO SAY, MR. CHAIRMAN.
12:03:43 JUST THAT I'LL BE A TEAM PLAYER.
12:03:46 I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STILL ENGAGING THE PUBLIC AND
12:03:51 GETTING INFORMATION.
12:03:52 THANK YOU, SIR.
12:03:52 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.
12:03:53 CHIEF BENNETT, DID YOU HAVE ANY RESPONSE AT THIS TIME OR
12:03:56 LATER?
12:03:59 >>JOHN BENNETT: JOHN BENNETT, CHIEF OF STAFF.
12:04:00 THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN.
12:04:01 THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN GUDES AND COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER.
12:04:05 I'LL TRY TO DO A COMBINATION ANSWER TO BOTH WHAT COUNCILMAN
12:04:08 DINGFELDER MENTIONED WAY OF MEETING -- [INAUDIBLE] -- AND
12:04:16 PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND THEN ALSO THE TESTING FOR THE
12:04:21 COMMUNITY AND SPECIFICALLY, AS COUNCILMAN GUDES MENTIONED,
12:04:23 THE CONCERNS IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
12:04:26 AT FIRST, IF IT'S COUNCIL'S PLEASURE TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY
12:04:35 MEETING ONCE A WEEK, TO HAVE US UPDATE THE DIALOGUE WITHOUT
12:04:40 TAKING ACTION, THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION I WOULD HAVE IS TO
12:04:43 POSSIBLY MAKE IT ON TUESDAY.
12:04:47 MONDAY AND THURSDAY WE'RE HAVING EMERGENCY POLICY GROUP
12:04:50 MEETINGS WITH THE COUNTY.
12:04:52 AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE DYNAMISM OF THESE ORDERS AND THE
12:04:56 COVID-19 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS -- [INAUDIBLE] -- THOSE FEW
12:05:02 DAYS.
12:05:03 SECONDLY, IF THERE WERE EMERGENCY MEETINGS FOR INFORMATION,
12:05:08 USING A PROGRESSIVE OPPORTUNITY WITH THE PUBLIC IS ONE
12:05:13 CONCEPT TO BRING IN PUBLIC COMMENT TO THAT EMERGENCY MEETING
12:05:18 JUST KNOWING THAT -- OF COURSE, I WOULD ALWAYS DEFER TO
12:05:22 MR. SHELBY ON THAT AND GINA GRIMES ABOUT THE COUNCIL NOT
12:05:27 TAKING ACTION, BUT JUST MAKING SURE THE VOICE OF THE
12:05:30 COMMUNITY WAS BROUGHT TO THAT EMERGENCY MEETING FOR
12:05:34 INFORMATION UPDATES ON TUESDAY.
12:05:36 SECONDLY, GOING BACK TO THE TESTING, AS YOU KNOW, FROM A
12:05:44 NATION AND LOCALITY, THE MAYOR HAS PUSHED HEAVILY TO GET
12:05:49 TESTING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND AS MUCH AS THE LOGISTICS
12:05:54 WILL ALLOW US, CALLING FOR TEST KITS TO BE BROUGHT INTO THIS
12:05:57 AREA FROM THE FEDERAL SUPPLY LINE, IF YOU WILL.
12:06:02 AND LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVE OPPORTUNITIES IN WORKING WITH THE
12:06:06 PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY AND CALLING FURTHER WEST AS WE SAW
12:06:11 THIS PANDEMIC MOVE ACROSS THE GLOBE AND HIT OUR WESTERN
12:06:15 STATES AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR NORTHEASTERN STATES TO THE
12:06:19 LEVEL THAT THEY HAVE.
12:06:20 THE MAYOR HAS BEEN CALLING TO SEE WHAT ADVANCED INFORMATION
12:06:25 WE CAN GET AND ALIGN THAT WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE
12:06:26 HAVE HERE LOCALLY.
12:06:28 THE CHALLENGES ACROSS THE BOARD HAVE BEEN THE COLLECTION
12:06:35 KITS AND THE QUANTITY OF THOSE COLLECTION KITS.
12:06:38 AND THE VERY FIRST THING SHE DID, AS YOU KNOW, IS BROUGHT
12:06:42 ALL THE HOSPITAL NETWORKS TOGETHER AND TRIED TO GET AN
12:06:46 UNDERSTANDING OF PROCESS AND CAPACITY TO COLLECT, WHICH ONCE
12:06:50 YOU TRIAGED INTO A COLLECTION, WE KNOW THAT YOU WOULD GO
12:06:53 INTO A STATE OF QUARANTINE AND REDUCE THE COVID RISK AND
12:06:58 WHAT WE CALL FLATTENING THE CURVE, PENDING THOSE TEST
12:07:01 RESULTS.
12:07:02 THE MAYOR HAS BEEN ON THE PHONE DAILY WITH SOME PUBLIC
12:07:07 HEALTH LEADERSHIP MODEL, WHETHER IT'S AT THE LOCAL, STATE,
12:07:11 NATIONAL, AND EVEN BEYOND LEVEL, TRYING TO GET ADDITIONAL
12:07:15 INFORMATION TO CONTINUE TO FLATTEN THAT CURVE, AND THEN WE
12:07:18 BRING THOSE LOGISTICAL NEEDS TO THE COUNTY EMERGENCY
12:07:22 OPERATIONS CENTER OR THE COUNTY EOC WHO IS THE LEAD
12:07:26 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT GROUP FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WHICH
12:07:29 WOULD INCLUDE THE CITY OF TAMPA.
12:07:31 AND THEN, OF COURSE, THEY REPORT UP TO THE STATE.
12:07:33 AND THE MORE THAT WE GET IN COLLECTION KITS, THE LONGER THE
12:07:38 COUNTY WILL KEEP OPEN THEIR TRIAGE LINE, WHICH IS ACCESSIBLE
12:07:42 TO EVERYBODY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE
12:07:46 TESTS.
12:07:47 CURRENTLY, RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM IS OPEN AND THE CALL CENTER
12:07:51 FOR RAYMOND JAMES IS OPEN AS WELL AS THE DEPARTMENT OF
12:07:54 HEALTH, DEPENDING ON AN INDIVIDUAL'S SITUATION, AND, OF
12:08:00 COURSE, ANY LOCAL PROVIDERS.
12:08:03 IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING FROM TALKING TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH
12:08:05 NETWORK THAT ABOUT 72% OF OUR HEALTH NETWORK IN HILLSBOROUGH
12:08:10 COUNTY ARE PRIVATE PROVIDERS ON A SMALL SCALE AND THE
12:08:13 BALANCE ARE THE LARGER, WHICH ARE THE HOSPITALS AND THE
12:08:16 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
12:08:17 SO THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY CITIZEN IN ANY COMMUNITY IS
12:08:22 TO GO TO THE COUNTY'S TRIAGE PHONE LINE IN HILLSBOROUGH
12:08:26 COUNTY AND GET TRIAGED AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH THE
12:08:31 RAYMOND JAMES COLLECTION SITE OR ADDITIONAL COLLECTION SITES
12:08:34 THAT WILL BE STOOD UP.
12:08:35 AND WE ALSO RECOMMEND ALL OF THE PUBLIC TO MONITOR THE
12:08:39 EMERGENCY POLICY GROUP MEETING TODAY AT 1:30 THAT THE COUNTY
12:08:43 HOLDS NOW TWICE A WEEK ON MONDAY AND THURSDAY AT 1:30 P.M.
12:08:48 TO SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES CONTINUE TO EXIST AS WELL AS HOW
12:08:51 WE'RE DOING TO FLATTEN THAT CURVE.
12:08:53 IF ANY OF THE COUNCILMEN NEED SPECIFIC TALKING POINTS AROUND
12:08:58 THIS, EITHER OUR TAMPA GOV WEBSITE OR WE CAN SUPPORT
12:09:05 SPECIFIC NEEDS THROUGH A MEMORANDUM, THROUGH MARTY SHELBY TO
12:09:09 ALL OF YOU TO HELP SHARE THAT WITH YOUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITY
12:09:13 CONSTITUENCY.
12:09:15 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, SIR, FOR THAT.
12:09:16 WE APPRECIATE THAT.
12:09:17 NEXT WE GO TO COUNCILMAN MANISCALCO.
12:09:22 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
12:09:23 GUIDO MANISCALCO HERE.
12:09:25 A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASKED, SPECIFICALLY
12:09:28 BY COUNCIL MEMBERS CARLSON AND COUNCIL MEMBER DINGFELDER.
12:09:31 THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED.
12:09:36 OF COURSE, THE GOVERNOR ISSUED THE STATEWIDE STAY AT HOME
12:09:40 ORDER WHICH, OF COURSE, WE'VE DONE LOCALLY.
12:09:42 NOW I KNOW THAT NONESSENTIAL BUSINESSES ARE TO REMAIN
12:09:46 CLOSED.
12:09:46 WE DID RECEIVE THE E-MAIL FROM ATTORNEY SHELBY REGARDING A
12:09:51 LINK, WHAT IS CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL AND NONESSENTIAL.
12:09:54 SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED LOCALLY.
12:09:56 THEY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED FOR THE LAST MONTH.
12:09:58 NOW A LOT MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE HURTING FOR THE NEXT
12:10:01 30 DAYS.
12:10:02 ONCE WE COME OUT OF THIS, IT'S GOING TO BE A
12:10:06 POST-CORONAVIRUS WORLD, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY CHANGED THE WAY,
12:10:10 AS THEY SAY IN BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE LEARNED TO
12:10:13 PIVOT AND TRYING TO SURVIVE.
12:10:15 NOW WE SEE WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND CITY BUSINESS
12:10:20 HOW LAND USE AND OTHER ISSUES HAVE BEEN ESSENTIALLY
12:10:24 POSTPONED INDEFINITELY.
12:10:26 I KNOW WE'RE HAVING THE DISCUSSION HERE.
12:10:28 WE'RE HAVING THE EMERGENCY MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE BECAUSE, OF
12:10:33 COURSE, HEALTH AND SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
12:10:35 IT WAS ALREADY MENTIONED HERE A FEW MINUTES AGO THAT IF FOUR
12:10:40 COUNCIL MEMBERS MEET OR WHATEVER, PEOPLE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY,
12:10:44 HOW DANGEROUS IS THIS?
12:10:46 I WAS READING AN ARTICLE -- I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS -- IT WAS
12:10:48 FROM A MAJOR NEWS SOURCE -- ABOUT AN HOUR AGO SAYING THIS
12:10:53 COULD BE SPREAD BY BREATHING, COUGHING OR SPEAKING.
12:10:57 PEOPLE ARE SAYING START WEARING THE MASKS.
12:10:59 AND THE MASKS ARE SO IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE OUT IN
12:11:02 PUBLIC, CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
12:11:05 I HOPE THIS CURVE IS FLATTENED AND I HOPE THAT THE MEASURES
12:11:10 WE'VE TAKEN ARE GOING TO SHOW RESULTS QUICKER THAN THE 30
12:11:13 DAYS THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS ISSUED THE STAY AT HOME ORDER.
12:11:16 WE START SEEING RESULTS IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.
12:11:19 OF COURSE, WE'VE RAMPED UP OUR TESTING.
12:11:22 AS MORE TESTS ARE BEING DONE, WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE
12:11:27 POSITIVE RESULTS BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THE NUMBERS ARE
12:11:30 CLIMBING UP.
12:11:31 ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TESTED.
12:11:33 AS MORE GET TESTED, WE SEE MORE POSITIVE RESULTS.
12:11:37 I HOPE THERE'S LIGHT AT THE END OF THIS TUNNEL AND WE START
12:11:41 FLATTEN THE CURVE WITH THE STAY AT HOME WHICH I BELIEVE WILL
12:11:44 BE EFFECTIVE PER OUR MAYOR AND PER THE COUNTY AND THE
12:11:48 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT POLICY GROUP AND WHATNOT.
12:11:51 BUT WE JUST HAVE TO PLAY IT BY EAR.
12:11:53 I APPRECIATE THESE MEETINGS.
12:11:55 I APPRECIATE CHIEF OF STAFF JOHN BENNETT.
12:11:58 AGAIN, I MENTIONED IT BEFORE AND WILL AGAIN, YOU'VE BEEN
12:12:00 WONDERFUL WITH THE UPDATE.
12:12:02 MARTY SHELBY, OUR CITY COUNCIL ATTORNEY ON TOP OF THINGS
12:12:06 24/7, ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE.
12:12:07 THE MAYOR, GINA GRIMES.
12:12:09 I CANNOT IMAGINE THE WORKLOAD THAT YOU HAVE BECAUSE YOU ARE
12:12:13 ALWAYS ON CALL.
12:12:14 THIS IS A 24/7 EMERGENCY, AND EVERYBODY I BELIEVE IS
12:12:18 HANDLING IT VERY, VERY WELL, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
12:12:21 COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE USED SOCIAL MEDIA WHICH IS A TOOL THAT
12:12:25 WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE 15 YEARS AGO, AND WE ARE ABLE TO GET
12:12:31 OUT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, AT LEAST TO A CERTAIN DEGREE,
12:12:34 MESSAGES AND UPDATES, WHICH I KNOW ARE VERY HELPFUL.
12:12:38 I SEE RESPONSES FROM PEOPLE ON MY Facebook AND TWITTER
12:12:41 ACCOUNTS, THEY APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION.
12:12:43 AND WE ARE ALL, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, DOING WHAT WE CAN.
12:12:47 AT THE SAME TIME, TRYING TO BE SAFE.
12:12:50 PRACTICING THAT SOCIAL DISTANCING, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THE
12:12:54 COUNCIL MEMBERS IN A WEEK, HAVEN'T SEEN THE MAYOR IN A WEEK
12:12:57 BECAUSE WE'VE ALL BEEN BUSY, BEEN APART AND FOLLOWING THE
12:13:00 RULES.
12:13:00 I APPRECIATE AGAIN THESE EMERGENCY MEETINGS.
12:13:02 WE'LL PLAY IT BY EAR.
12:13:05 SHOULD THE CONVENTION CENTER IN THE FUTURE HAVE TO BE AN
12:13:07 OPTION, I'M OPEN FOR WHATEVER IS BEST FOR KEEPING THE PUBLIC
12:13:13 SAFE, ALLOWING US TO MOVE FORWARD DOING BUSINESS IN WHATEVER
12:13:17 CAPACITY WE CAN AND WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE LAW.
12:13:21 OF COURSE, WE HAVE SUNSHINE ISSUES AND REGARDLESS OF THE
12:13:25 GOVERNOR WAIVING CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS AND WHATNOT, WE STILL
12:13:29 HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE LEGALLY PROTECTED IN ANY ADDITION
12:13:33 THAT WE'RE MAKING.
12:13:34 I KNOW THE MAYOR HAS EMERGENCY POWERS AND WHATNOT MORE
12:13:39 ABILITY TO GET THINGS DONE, BUT, AGAIN, THE CITY OF TAMPA IS
12:13:45 OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT, AND WE ARE
12:13:48 AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS DOING OUR JOB.
12:13:52 JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T SEE US, WE'RE DOING IT OUT OF
12:13:56 SAFETY AND TAKING THE PROPER PRECAUTIONS.
12:13:58 THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
12:14:00 AGAIN, A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED, AND I
12:14:02 APPRECIATE IT.
12:14:03 THAT'S IT FOR ME.
12:14:04 THANK YOU.
12:14:05 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU FOR THAT, COUNCILMAN MANISCALCO.
12:14:08 WE APPRECIATE THAT.
12:14:09 WE HAVE ABOUT 15 MINUTES, WHICH SHOULD BRING US INTO A
12:14:14 SMOOTH LANDING HERE.
12:14:15 COUNCILMAN MIRANDA, GO AHEAD, SIR.
12:14:19 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: MR. CHAIRMAN, THERE ARE THREE ITEMS.
12:14:21 VIRTUAL ONLY, HYBRID, AND PRESENT ONLY.
12:14:25 WHEN YOU'RE AT WAR, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.
12:14:27 THIS IS A WAR AGAINST SOMETHING YOU DON'T SEE, SOMETHING YOU
12:14:30 CAN'T FEEL, BUT SOMETHING WHEN IT GRABS YOU YOU'RE GOING TO
12:14:32 HAVE A PROBLEM.
12:14:34 THAT'S THE WHOLE UNITED STATES, NOT ONLY HERE IN THE CITY OF
12:14:36 TAMPA.
12:14:36 THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO SOLVE THIS
12:14:39 PROBLEM AND TRY TO GET EVERYONE SAFE AND SOUND AND
12:14:43 FINANCIALLY ABLE TO PAY THEIR BILLS.
12:14:46 SO WHEN I LOOK AT THINGS, I LOOK AT THEM A LITTLE
12:14:48 DIFFERENTLY.
12:14:49 HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE NOW?
12:14:51 THE SAME BUILDING, THE SAME ITEMS.
12:14:54 LET ME GO THROUGH THEM REAL QUICKLY IF I CAN REMEMBER THEM.
12:14:57 FIRST OF ALL, PRESENT ONLY.
12:14:58 COUNCIL WAY BACK IN THE '70s USED TO MEET TWICE A WEEK,
12:15:04 TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS.
12:15:05 LET ME TELL YOU, HOW DO YOU HANDLE THIS IN THE SAME BUILDING
12:15:09 WE'RE IN NOW WITHOUT HAVING TO MOVE AND WITHOUT VIOLATING
12:15:13 ANY ONE OF THESE SPECIAL ORDERS?
12:15:15 FIRST OF ALL, YOU ENTER TWO WAYS TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
12:15:20 YOU HAVE THE WEST ENTRANCE, WHICH IS TO THE LEFT OF THE
12:15:23 ELEVATOR, THE NORTH ENTRANCE TO THE RIGHT OF THE ELEVATOR.
12:15:26 THEN YOU HAVE AN ENTRANCEWAY THROUGH THE DETECTION MACHINE
12:15:30 INTO THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, BUT WE'RE FORGETTING THAT WE HAVE
12:15:34 AN EXIT AREA IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM THAT, YES, IT GOES
12:15:36 THROUGH ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, BUT WE CAN HAVE ROTATING
12:15:39 INDIVIDUALS COME IN AND COME OUT.
12:15:41 WE COULD HAVE SEVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE, FOUR ON THE DAIS.
12:15:44 THE CITY COUNCIL ATTORNEY WILL SIT TOWARDS THE BACK WITH A
12:15:47 MIKE SO HE CAN BE INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSIONS.
12:15:50 ONE COUNCIL MEMBER WILL SIT THERE.
12:15:52 YOU'D HAVE AT LEAST EIGHT TO TEN FEET BETWEEN COUNCIL
12:15:55 MEMBERS.
12:15:55 SO YOU COULD HAVE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL ON THE DAIS,
12:15:58 THREE BACK IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON VIRTUAL PHONE LIKE WE
12:16:03 HAVE NOW, AND YOU ROTATE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS EVERY 45
12:16:08 MINUTES.
12:16:09 FROM 9:00 ON, YOU HAVE FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE THERE,
12:16:12 ONE LEAVES, THE OTHER ONE COMES IN.
12:16:14 SO EVERYBODY HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF SEEING THE PUBLIC AND
12:16:18 BEING WITH THE PUBLIC.
12:16:19 THE PUBLIC IS ALSO GIVING -- WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DEPARTMENT
12:16:22 STORES AND YOU TALK ABOUT THINGS, WHAT DO THEY GIVE YOU WHEN
12:16:25 YOU COME IN?
12:16:26 THEY GIVE YOU A TICKET.
12:16:27 ON THE OTHER SIDE, THEY HAVE A MACHINE TO TELL YOU WHAT'S
12:16:30 NUMBER UP.
12:16:32 DOWN STAIRS, ANOTHER FLOOR OF THIS BUILDING OF THE OLD
12:16:36 COUNCIL BUILDING, YOU HAVE PEOPLE SITTING TEN FEET APART
12:16:40 FROM EACH OTHER WITH A NUMBER.
12:16:43 AS THE COUNCIL STARTS, PUBLIC NOTICE AND PUBLIC HEARINGS,
12:16:47 YOU GO UP ONE ELEVATOR, YOU SPEAK, YOU GO OUT THE BACK AND
12:16:50 YOU GET IN THE OTHER ELEVATOR WHICH WILL ONLY BE USED GOING
12:16:53 DOWN SO YOU'RE NOT IN THE SAME ELEVATOR TWICE.
12:16:57 YOU SPEAK, YOU DO WHATEVER YOU GOT TO SPEAK, YOUR THREE
12:17:00 MINUTES, WHATEVER THE ITEM IS, AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS?
12:17:03 YOU KEEP ROTATING THAT UNTIL EVERYONE IS HEARD UNDER THE
12:17:07 PUBLIC FORUM FOR RIGHT TO SPEAK FOR THREE MINUTES.
12:17:09 THAT'S NUMBER ONE.
12:17:10 NUMBER TWO, ALL THE HEARINGS I THINK CAN BE DONE VERY
12:17:13 CORDIALLY.
12:17:14 YOU HAVE SEATING IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS FOR LET'S SAY A
12:17:19 HUNDRED.
12:17:19 EACH ONE THAT COMES UP TO YOU, NUMBER 47 IS THE HEARING
12:17:24 REGARDING PUBLIC ZONINGS AND YOU PUT THEM INTO DIFFERENT
12:17:26 AREAS, 10, 12, 15 FEET FROM EACH OTHER.
12:17:30 YOU GIVE THEM PORTABLE MIKES, THEY CAN SPEAK.
12:17:32 THE CHAIRMAN, WHEREVER THE CHAIRMAN MAY BE BECAUSE IT
12:17:35 ROTATES BETWEEN TWO, THREE INDIVIDUALS, YOU CAN DO THAT AND
12:17:39 HAVE THAT HEARING DONE IN THIS BUILDING, BY MY CALCULATION,
12:17:42 WITHOUT VIOLATING ANY ONE OF THE ORDER OF THE MAYOR, OF THE
12:17:46 COUNTY, AND OF THE GOVERNOR.
12:17:48 THAT'S JUST MY OPINION.
12:17:50 I MAY BE WRONG.
12:17:51 SO YOU HAVE EXITS.
12:17:52 YOU HAVE ENTRANCES THAT ARE DIFFERENT.
12:17:54 YOU MEET TWICE A WEEK UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED AND THESE ARE
12:17:58 THE WAYS YOU HANDLE THESE THINGS WITHOUT CREATING ANY MORE
12:18:02 PRESSURE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC WHO WANTS TO BE HEARD AND
12:18:05 SHOULD BE HEARD.
12:18:06 THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.
12:18:07 MAYBE I'M WRONG, BUT WHAT I SEE HERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE
12:18:10 HAVEN'T LOOKED AT.
12:18:11 WHEN YOU'RE AT WAR AND THE ENEMY IS ALL AROUND YOU, YOU
12:18:14 CAN'T LEAVE.
12:18:15 YOU BETTER BUNKER DOWN AND FIND OUT HOW TO FIGHT THE WAR.
12:18:19 WE ARE AT WAR WITH A VIRUS.
12:18:22 AND THAT VIRUS CANNOT WIN, BECAUSE IT WOULD BE DESTRUCTION
12:18:26 OF ALL ON EARTH.
12:18:28 YOU DO THE BEST YOU CAN WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.
12:18:31 BY ROTATING WHAT I JUST SAID WITHOUT VIOLATING, TWO MAIN
12:18:35 THINGS, ROTATE, YOU DO NOT VIOLATE AND YOU HAVE THE PROBLEM
12:18:39 SOLVED.
12:18:39 THAT'S JUST MY OPINION.
12:18:40 I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME.
12:18:42 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MIRANDA.
12:18:44 I APPRECIATE IT.
12:18:45 JUST, I GUESS, IN CLOSING IN MY REMARKS, LISTENING TO WHAT
12:18:50 MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SAID HERE TODAY, I TEND TO AGREE WITH
12:18:54 COMMENTS MADE BY COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER, TAKING
12:18:57 QUASI-JUDICIAL OFF THE RADAR FOR NOW.
12:18:59 I MEAN FOR NOW BECAUSE WE LEARN SOMETHING NEW ON THIS IT
12:19:05 SEEMS EVERY TWO OR THREE WEEKS.
12:19:07 NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING IS BAD THINGS.
12:19:12 HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE LEARNING GOOD THINGS AND THAT OUR WORK
12:19:15 HAS BEEN MAKING PROGRESS.
12:19:17 I THINK FOR RIGHT NOW QUASI-JUDICIALS ARE FRANKLY LEGALLY
12:19:20 RISKY UNDER SOME -- AND CERTAINLY RISKY FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH
12:19:24 PERSPECTIVE, NOT JUST TO THE PUBLIC BUT TO THE STAFF THAT
12:19:27 NEEDS TO COME IN AND DEAL WITH THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE GOING
12:19:31 TO BE ADDRESSING.
12:19:32 A COMMENT HAS BEEN MADE WITH REGARDS TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND
12:19:37 HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC.
12:19:38 IF WE GO TO MODIFIED MEETINGS, WE CAN CERTAINLY ACCOMMODATE
12:19:42 THAT.
12:19:43 SOME THINGS I'VE BEEN DOING AND TRYING TO DO FOR MY OWN
12:19:46 CONSTITUENTS IS TO HAVE TELEPHONIC TOWN HALLS.
12:19:49 THEY ARE VERY IMPERFECT.
12:19:51 IT IS CERTAINLY A POOR SUBSTITUTE FOR WHAT WE HAD, BUT IT'S,
12:19:55 UNFORTUNATELY, THE ONLY METHOD I THINK THAT WE HAVE RIGHT
12:19:57 NOW FOR A MORE ROBUST DISCUSSION.
12:20:01 I THINK THAT WE ALL NEED TO KEEP THE ATTENTION ON PUBLIC
12:20:04 HEALTH WITH AN EYE ALSO ON THE ECONOMY.
12:20:06 THERE IS AN EQUILIBRIUM OR A BALANCE TO BE HAD HERE AND WE
12:20:11 HAVE TO KEEP THE RIGHT BALANCE.
12:20:12 I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US MOVE TOWARD MORE LIMITED MEETINGS,
12:20:17 PARTICULARLY IF, BECAUSE THERE WERE THE THREE OPTIONS.
12:20:21 PARTICULARLY IF THOSE CAN BE HELD OVER THE PHONE OR VIA
12:20:24 SKYPE OR WHATEVER METHOD THAT THERE IS, IF THAT CAN BE DONE,
12:20:28 THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO TO
12:20:31 APPROVE THINGS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY QUASI-JUDICIAL,
12:20:34 THINGS LIKE TEXT AMENDMENTS, BONDS, ET CETERA, THINGS THAT
12:20:38 MOVE OUR ECONOMY FORWARD WITHOUT PUTTING THE PUBLIC HEALTH
12:20:42 AT RISK.
12:20:43 WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO JUST REALLY SERVE AS ROLE MODELS ON
12:20:47 THIS.
12:20:48 SOMETHING THAT THIS COUNCIL BEGAN DOING A MONTH AGO BY
12:20:52 CANCELING THE MEETING AND LEADING INDIVIDUALLY IN OUR OWN
12:20:55 LIVES AND EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER HERE, ALL SEVEN OF US
12:20:59 HAVE BEEN VERY OUTSPOKEN, I BELIEVE, IN SUPPORTING SOCIAL
12:21:02 DISTANCING.
12:21:04 WE'VE BEEN VERY OUTSPOKEN IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING DIRECTIVES
12:21:07 AND ORDERS THAT KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCING FIRST AND FOREMOST.
12:21:12 THIS IS A COUNCIL ALL SEVEN OF US WHO HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY
12:21:16 SUPPORTIVE OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
12:21:17 I THINK WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY THAT KEEPS PUBLIC
12:21:20 SAFETY FIRST, BUT ALSO MAKES US A GOOD ROLE MODEL.
12:21:24 WHEN FOLKS TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS, THEY WANT
12:21:27 ROLE MODELS.
12:21:28 IF WE'RE GOING TO TELL THE PUBLIC TO BEHAVE IN CERTAIN WAYS,
12:21:32 WE CANNOT PUT THAT VERY PUBLIC AT RISK ON THINGS THAT CAN BE
12:21:35 DONE THROUGH OTHER MORE REASONABLE METHODS OR MEANS.
12:21:38 THAT'S CERTAINLY MY POSITION I THINK GOING FORWARD.
12:21:42 BUT I THINK WE'VE HEARD FROM -- I THINK MOST OR ALL THE
12:21:46 COUNCIL MEMBERS IN TERMS OF THEIR PREFERENCE.
12:21:48 WE HAVE ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES LEFT.
12:21:52 LET ME FIRST GO TO CHIEF BENNETT.
12:21:55 IF ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER, I'LL GO THROUGH THE LINE WANTED
12:21:58 TO TALK FOR ONE MINUTE IN CLOSING, WE CAN DO THAT.
12:22:01 CHIEF BENNETT, DID YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE, SIR?
12:22:04 >>JOHN BENNETT: THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN.
12:22:06 JOHN BENNETT, CHIEF OF STAFF.
12:22:08 THE ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO, AGAIN, IN THAT BALANCING ACT
12:22:13 WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT BETWEEN PUBLIC SAFETY AND
12:22:17 ADMINISTRATIVE EFFORT AS WELL AS PROTECTING THE PUBLIC FROM
12:22:21 THE COVID RISK, BALD AGAINST KEEPING THE ECONOMY AND THE
12:22:25 CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT GOING, I JUST WANT TO TALK THROUGH
12:22:28 A CALENDAR, WHICH MIGHT BE EASIER.
12:22:31 WE KNOW TODAY WOULD HAVE BEEN A REGULAR MEETING.
12:22:35 WE KNOW A WEEK FROM TODAY WAS SCHEDULED FOR A CRA MEETING,
12:22:39 AND THEN NEXT WEEK AFTER THAT, THE 16th WAS A REGULAR
12:22:43 MEETING AND THEN LASTLY THE 23rd WAS A WORKSHOP.
12:22:46 DEPENDING ON THE WISHES OF COUNCIL, WE COULD PUSH FORWARD TO
12:22:53 A LIMITED MEETING AND GET THE PUBLIC COMMENT NECESSARY AND
12:22:58 MEET ON THOSE THINGS THAT WERE DISCUSSED.
12:23:01 I THINK THE BIG QUESTIONS WOULD BE THE BALANCING OF A
12:23:06 COMPLETE VIRTUAL MEETING OR HAVING THE QUORUM THAT
12:23:10 MS. GRIMES TALKED ABOUT AND THEN DECIDING ON WHAT LEVEL OF
12:23:14 PUBLIC COMMENT BETWEEN THE OPTIONS WE GAVE, WHICH WOULD BE
12:23:17 THROUGH THE WEB, THROUGH VOICE MAIL, OR THROUGH DELIVERY OF
12:23:23 COMMENTS AND EXHIBITS TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
12:23:27 AGAIN, BALANCING THE RISK AND THE CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT
12:23:31 WITH COUNCIL IN THERE.
12:23:32 SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO CLOSING THE MEETING OUT WITH A
12:23:36 RECOMMENDATION.
12:23:38 I UNDERSTAND COUNCIL IS NOT CONVENED TO TAKE ACTION TODAY,
12:23:41 BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR DIRECTION TO DECIDE HOW FAR YOU WANT
12:23:45 TO GO AS IT RELATES TO A REGULAR MEETING, SPECIFICALLY ON
12:23:48 THE 16th.
12:23:49 I KNOW WE HAVE A CRA DISCUSSION COMING UP.
12:23:55 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, CHIEF.
12:23:57 I'LL RUN THROUGH THE LINE.
12:23:59 COUNCIL MEMBERS, 45 SECONDS EACH.
12:24:01 WE'LL GO BACKWARDS.
12:24:03 MY BELIEF IS I THINK THAT IF WE CAN DO LIMITED MEETINGS VIA
12:24:09 VIRTUAL MEETING, CERTAINLY WE SHOULD ASPIRE FOR THAT SO LONG
12:24:13 AS THE TECHNOLOGY IS AVAILABLE, THE STAFF IS AVAILABLE FOR
12:24:15 THAT, WE SHOULD CERTAINLY ASPIRE FOR THAT.
12:24:18 BY THE WAY, IF THE TECHNOLOGY IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THAT, FOR
12:24:21 THESE KIND OF ISSUES THAT MOVE OUR ECONOMY FORWARD, THAT WE
12:24:24 CAN DO WITHOUT VIOLATING PUBLIC SAFETY THEN WE OUGHT TO BE
12:24:27 ABLE TO CONTRACT OUT TO GET ADDITIONAL TECHNOLOGICAL
12:24:31 FEASIBILITY, IF THAT IS SO.
12:24:33 WE SHOULDN'T LET THAT BE AN IMPEDIMENT IF WE CAN DO THAT.
12:24:37 CERTAINLY DURING THE TIME THAT WE CAN DO THE LIMITED
12:24:40 MEETINGS FROM NOW TILL THEN, WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE
12:24:43 WEEKLY BRIEFINGS DONE UNDER THE EMERGENCY HEARINGS THAT I
12:24:48 CAN PRESENTLY AS CHAIR CALL OR WHOEVER WOULD BE CHAIR IN THE
12:24:52 FUTURE, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THE CHANGES THAT
12:24:55 HAPPENS AND THE EFFECT ON COUNCIL, MY OPINION.
12:24:57 COUNCILMAN MIRANDA.
12:25:01 >>CHARLIE MIRANDA: MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE
12:25:04 SOME TYPE OF MEETINGS TO ENSURE THAT THE ECONOMY IS NOT ALSO
12:25:09 STAGNATED ANY FURTHER THAN WHAT IT ALREADY WILL BE.
12:25:12 BY DOING THAT WITHOUT VIOLATING ANY RULES AND REGULATIONS
12:25:17 SET FORTH BY THE MAYOR, THE COUNTY, THE STATE, OR THE
12:25:19 COUNTRY, THAT WE MEET SOMEHOW, WHETHER VIRTUALLY OR IN ANY
12:25:25 OTHER WAY TO CONTINUE TO MOVE THE AGENDA.
12:25:27 THAT AGENDA WILL STIMULATE THE MOVEMENT OF THE ECONOMY, NOT
12:25:30 THE PEOPLE, BUT THE MOVEMENT OF THE ECONOMY, WHICH RIGHT NOW
12:25:33 IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT AS WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
12:25:35 I WILL MEET IN ANY WAY VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON OR BY PHONE OR
12:25:40 HOWEVER.
12:25:41 I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S COMMENTS.
12:25:43 THANK YOU.
12:25:44 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, SIR.
12:25:45 COUNCILMAN MANISCALCO, ONE MINUTE, SIR.
12:25:48 GO AHEAD.
12:25:48 >>GUIDO MANISCALCO: YES, SIR.
12:25:49 I AGREE WITH YOU, CHAIRMAN VIERA.
12:25:53 MEETING VIRTUALLY IN A LIMITED CAPACITY, WHATEVER IT IS.
12:25:56 WE'RE STILL MOVING FORWARD.
12:25:58 WE'RE NOT AT A COMPLETE STAND-STILL AND WE'RE MAINTAINING
12:26:01 THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE WITHOUT COMPLETELY STALLING OUT.
12:26:04 THAT'S IT.
12:26:06 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, SIR.
12:26:07 I'M GOING BACKWARDS HERE.
12:26:09 COUNCILMAN GUDES.
12:26:10 >>ORLANDO GUDES: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
12:26:12 THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AGAIN.
12:26:13 I DO AGREE WITH YOU ON THE POINT OF WE ARE A BIG CITY.
12:26:17 AND WHATEVER TECHNOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT WE NEED TO HAVE TO DO
12:26:21 WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR THE CITIZENS AND FOR THE
12:26:23 ADMINISTRATION, WE NEED TO GET AND MAKE SURE WE CAN GET THE
12:26:26 MESSAGE OUT AND MEET.
12:26:30 MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING ON THE MOVE.
12:26:32 RECOMMENDATION YOU MADE BUT I BELIEVE WE NEED TO GET THE
12:26:37 EQUIPMENT WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE DO.
12:26:39 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN GUDES.
12:26:40 COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER, SIR.
12:26:43 ONE MINUTE.
12:26:45 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: ONE MINUTE IS TOUGH ON ME, MR. CHAIR.
12:26:48 >>LUIS VIERA: I'LL GIVE YOU TWO.
12:26:51 GO FOR IT.
12:26:51 [ LAUGHTER ]
12:26:53 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: ALL RIGHT.
12:26:54 I THINK IN REGARD TO THE 16th STANDARD MEETING, AGAIN,
12:26:59 REITERATING WHAT I SAID BEFORE, I DON'T THINK RIGHT THIS
12:27:03 SECOND WE'RE AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE, AND I THINK WE CAN DEFER
12:27:05 THAT MEETING, ALLOW THE ADMINISTRATION TO -- THE MAYOR TO
12:27:11 CONTINUE TO MAKE THESE CONTRACT DECISIONS ON A UNILATERAL
12:27:20 BASIS AND OBVIOUSLY WITH US LOOKING OVER HER SHOULDER AND
12:27:25 GIVING OUR INPUT ONE ON ONE THROUGH MR. BENNETT.
12:27:28 TOTALLY AGREE IN REGARD TO WEEKLY BRIEFINGS.
12:27:33 I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE.
12:27:34 I ALSO THINK WE SHOULD TRY AND FIGURE OUT A WAY FOR THE
12:27:36 PUBLIC TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO OUR WEEKLY BRIEFINGS WITH PERHAPS
12:27:39 A TWO-MINUTE CALL-IN IN ADVANCE.
12:27:41 IN OTHER WORDS, FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HAVE PEOPLE LEAVE VOICE
12:27:45 MESSAGES TO US AND IN ADVANCE OF OUR WEEKLY BRIEFING
12:27:50 SESSION, WE CAN HAVE PERHAPS A HALF HOUR, AN HOUR OF
12:27:53 LISTENING TO THE TWO-MINUTE CALLS AND OBVIOUSLY THE CLERK
12:27:56 CAN EDIT THOSE AS NECESSARY, IF THEY ARE INAPPROPRIATE.
12:28:01 BUT, GENERALLY SPEAKING, ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO GIVE US SOME
12:28:04 INPUT AND TO FEEL LIKE THEY ARE PARTICIPATING TO A CERTAIN
12:28:09 EXTENT.
12:28:10 MAYBE WE CAN INCORPORATE THOSE INTO OUR WEEKLY BRIEFINGS IN
12:28:13 ADVANCE, KIND OF A HYBRID OF WHAT MR. BENNETT HAD SPOKEN TO
12:28:17 EARLIER.
12:28:17 IN REGARD TO QUASI-JUDICIAL, TOTALLY THINK THAT SHOULD BE
12:28:20 OFF THE TABLE FOR NOW.
12:28:21 HOWEVER, THE FEEDBACK I JUST GOT BACK FROM FOUR DIFFERENT
12:28:25 LAND USE ATTORNEYS AND PROFESSIONALS WHILE WE'VE BEEN
12:28:28 SPEAKING, THEY HAVE BEEN TEXTING ME, IS THEY SAID THEIR
12:28:32 CLIENTS NEED SOME PREDICTABILITY AND CERTAINTY.
12:28:36 THEY ARE SUGGESTING SCHEDULE DEFINITE MEETINGS IN JUNE TO
12:28:40 CARRY OVER ALL THESE PENDING MEETINGS, SCHEDULE DEFINITE
12:28:46 MEETINGS IN JUNE.
12:28:47 HOPEFULLY BY THEN WE CAN GET TOGETHER IN PERSON AND MOVE
12:28:49 FORWARD.
12:28:50 THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
12:28:53 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN DINGFELDER.
12:28:55 COUNCILMAN CITRO, ONE MINUTE, MORE OR LESS.
12:28:57 GO FOR IT.
12:29:00 >>JOSEPH CITRO: MR. CHAIR, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
12:29:02 I'M READY TO GET BACK TO WORK.
12:29:05 HOWEVER, WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A CRISIS.
12:29:08 I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US MOVE FORWARD, WHETHER IT BE WITH
12:29:13 COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY OR TO GET SOME SORT OF MEETINGS
12:29:17 PUT TOGETHER, WHETHER IT BE VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON.
12:29:20 I THINK COUNCILMAN MIRANDA CAME UP WITH PERFECTLY GOOD IDEA.
12:29:25 AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY INVOLVED FOR PUTTING
12:29:28 THIS TOGETHER TODAY, ESPECIALLY TO YOU, MR. CHAIR, FOR YOUR
12:29:31 LEADERSHIP, YOUR AIDE WHO HAS BEEN EXEMPLARY IN PUTTING THIS
12:29:35 TOGETHER, THE MAYOR, CHIEF BENNETT, MS. GRIMES, OF COURSE,
12:29:40 ALL THE LEGAL STAFF.
12:29:42 I'M READY TO GET BACK TO WORK.
12:29:43 LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
12:29:45 THANK YOU.
12:29:47 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN CITRO.
12:29:49 LASTLY, COUNCILMAN CARLSON, I'LL GIVE YOU TWO MINUTES.
12:29:52 GO FOR IT.
12:29:53 >>BILL CARLSON: THANK YOU, EVERYONE, AGAIN.
12:29:56 I THINK WE OUGHT TO DO AT LEAST THE BASIC MEETINGS, THE
12:29:59 BASIC BRIEFINGS.
12:30:00 IT'S NOT SO MUCH BRIEFINGS JUST FOR US BUT FOR THE PUBLIC.
12:30:04 THE PUBLIC -- CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE AN
12:30:07 EXPECTATION THAT THEY WILL LEARN AND GATHER INFORMATION
12:30:09 THROUGH THESE MEETINGS.
12:30:10 IT'S ANOTHER FORM OF INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC.
12:30:13 AND IF WE CAN GIVE THEM ANY KIND OF WAY TO GIVE FEEDBACK
12:30:17 EVEN IF WE'RE NOT VOTING ON SOMETHING, I THINK THAT WOULD BE
12:30:20 GOOD.
12:30:20 I'VE BEEN WATCHING ONLINE AS WE'VE BEEN SITTING HERE
12:30:23 MEETING, LISTENING TO ALL THE DIFFERENT COMMENTS PEOPLE ARE
12:30:25 MAKING.
12:30:26 ONE THING I RECOMMEND WHEN WE SEND OUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF
12:30:28 THIS, I THINK WE OUGHT TO PUT WHAT THE AGENDA IS SO FOLKS
12:30:32 KNOW AND THEY CAN CHOOSE TO LOG IN OR NOT.
12:30:35 AND THEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I THINK WE NEED TO GET BACK TO
12:30:38 HOLDING THESE LAND USE MEETINGS.
12:30:40 I LIKE THE IDEA OF MEETING AND SETTING IT UP IN JUNE, FAR
12:30:44 ENOUGH OUT SO THERE'S SOME CERTAINTY.
12:30:46 BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO NOT
12:30:48 ONLY PROTECT EVERYONE'S HEALTH AND SAFETY BUT ALSO GET THE
12:30:52 ECONOMY MOVING.
12:30:52 THANK YOU.
12:30:53 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN CARLSON.
12:30:55 WHAT I'M READING -- AND I WOULD AGREE WITH THIS -- IS THREE
12:30:59 THINGS.
12:30:59 NUMBER ONE, THAT WE HAVE WEEKLY MEETINGS WITH AN AGENDA FOR
12:31:02 THE PUBLIC, AND WE CAN NOTICE A HEARING OR A MEETING FOR
12:31:05 NEXT WEEK, THAT WE HAVE AN ASPIRATION TO BEGIN FOR JUNE, AND
12:31:08 THAT WE TRY TO BEGIN THE LIMITED MEETINGS PRIOR TO THAT IF
12:31:13 THEY CAN BE DONE TELEPHONICALLY, FOR THINGS THAT ARE NOT
12:31:16 QUASI-JUDICIAL, TO HELP GET THE ECONOMY MOVING AS WE CAN.
12:31:19 I WOULD LOVE TO SEE LIMITED MEETINGS OCCUR BY LATE APRIL, IF
12:31:24 POTENTIALLY POSSIBLE.
12:31:25 BUT CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BE BRIEFED ON.
12:31:29 COUNCIL MEMBERS, THIS WILL BE HARD -- ANYONE HAVE AN
12:31:33 OBJECTION TO THAT?
12:31:34 IN TERMS OF TAKING YOUR PULSE.
12:31:38 NOT A VOTE.
12:31:39 OKAY.
12:31:40 NONE.
12:31:42 CHIEF BENNETT, IS THE ADMINISTRATION IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT,
12:31:44 SIR?
12:31:46 >>JOHN BENNETT: WE ARE.
12:31:46 THE ONE OPPORTUNITY I WOULD OFFER IS THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO
12:31:51 HAVE THE BRIEFING MEETING IN ADDITION TO A LIMITED MEETING,
12:31:57 WE'D LIKE TO COMBINE THE BRIEFING AND THE LIMITED MEETING
12:32:00 TOGETHER.
12:32:00 >>LUIS VIERA: YES.
12:32:01 YES, SIR.
12:32:04 >>JOHN BENNETT: NO, NO OBJECTION.
12:32:06 AND WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION WILL DO IS SET UP A COMPLETE
12:32:11 VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW,
12:32:14 AND ALLOW THE DECISION TO BE MADE ABOUT THE QUORUM BASED ON
12:32:18 WHAT MS. GRIMES SPOKE ABOUT IN BETWEEN SETTING UP.
12:32:22 BECAUSE WE CAN ALWAYS GO TO THE PHYSICAL ASPECT EASIER THAN
12:32:26 THE VIRTUAL.
12:32:27 WE'LL SET UP THE VIRTUAL MODEL AND WE'LL SET UP THE PUBLIC
12:32:31 COMMENT MODEL BASED ON WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, EVEN IF IT'S
12:32:34 JUST AN EMERGENCY MEETING, WE'LL SET UP A FORM OF PUBLIC
12:32:38 COMMENT.
12:32:38 BUT IF YOU AS COUNCIL BELIEVE THROUGH MR. SHELBY'S
12:32:42 DISCUSSIONS THAT YOU WANT TO FACILITATE A QUORUM FOR THOSE
12:32:47 DECISIONS YOU WOULD NOW MAKE IN A LIMITED MEETING, WE CAN
12:32:50 ACCOMMODATE THAT VERY EASILY AND ADAPT FROM A COMPLETE
12:32:53 VIRTUAL MODEL.
12:32:56 >>LUIS VIERA: YES.
12:32:57 THANK YOU FOR THAT, CHIEF.
12:32:59 IN TERMS OF THE LIMITED MEETING, AGAIN, MY VISION FOR THAT
12:33:01 IS VIRTUAL.
12:33:03 DOING IT OVER THE PHONE OR VIA VIDEO CONFERENCING, WHATEVER
12:33:06 MAY BE AVAILABLE OR READILY ACCESSIBLE TO THE CITY OTHERWISE
12:33:10 SO WE CAN GET THESE IMPORTANT ECONOMIC MATTERS MOVING AS
12:33:14 SOON AS POSSIBLE.
12:33:15 THEY ARE NOT QUASI-JUDICIAL.
12:33:17 I AGREE, WHICH IS IF WE HAVE A LIMITED MEETING, THAT WOULD,
12:33:20 OF COURSE, MAKE THE BRIEFING COMPLETELY SUPERFLUOUS AND WE
12:33:25 CAN COMBINE THEM.
12:33:26 WE'LL MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBERS --
12:33:30 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: MR. CHAIRMAN?
12:33:33 I'M SORRY.
12:33:34 DINGFELDER.
12:33:35 I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
12:33:37 I'M NOT IN DISAGREEMENT, BUT I THINK THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE
12:33:40 A PROBLEM WITH WHAT MS. GRIMES WAS TRYING TO EMPHASIZE, IS
12:33:45 THAT -- I'LL SPEAK FOR HER.
12:33:50 HER UNDERSTANDING IS THAT -- HER COMFORT LEVEL IS THAT WE
12:33:53 CAN'T VOTE UNLESS WE HAVE A REAL QUORUM IN PERSON UNLESS THE
12:33:58 LEGISLATURE MEETS AND CHANGES THAT STATUTE.
12:34:01 THE CONCERN IS THE GOVERNOR DOESN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO
12:34:05 THAT OR MIGHT NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
12:34:09 IF WE TOOK ANY VOTE WITHOUT ACTUALLY BEING IN PERSON, THEN
12:34:16 THAT CREATES A LEGAL RISK.
12:34:18 >>LUIS VIERA: YES.
12:34:19 >>JOHN DINGFELDER: THEN THE QUESTION IS, IS IT WORTH IT FOR
12:34:22 FOUR MEMBERS TO BE THERE IN A PHYSICAL QUORUM?
12:34:26 AND I'M NOT REALLY -- OF COURSE, I STATED EARLIER, I DON'T
12:34:29 THINK IT REALLY IS.
12:34:30 I THINK THE MAYOR CAN DO THAT WITHOUT US RIGHT NOW IN REGARD
12:34:34 TO THE CONSENT ITEMS.
12:34:37 >>LUIS VIERA: YES, SIR.
12:34:38 I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT 100%.
12:34:40 LET ME BE CLEAR, RIGHT NOW FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL, I DO NOT
12:34:43 SUPPORT US MEETING LIVE UNDER ANY CAPACITY.
12:34:45 I DO NOT SUPPORT THAT.
12:34:46 IF THIS CANNOT BE DONE VIA TELEPHONE OR VIDEO CONFERENCING
12:34:51 OR OTHERWISE, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WITH THE INFORMATION I
12:34:54 PRESENTLY HAVE THAT I'M PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD ON.
12:34:56 BUT I WOULD LIKE FURTHER STUDY AND DISCUSSION BE HELD ON
12:34:59 THAT TO THE EXTENT SO FEASIBLE.
12:35:01 THAT'S MY POSITION THERE.
12:35:02 OKAY, EVERYBODY.
12:35:04 THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
12:35:05 WE ARE ADJOURNED --
12:35:07 >>GINA GRIMES: THIS IS GINA GRIMES, CITY ATTORNEY.
12:35:11 I WANT TO CLARIFY TWO THINGS REAL QUICK.
12:35:13 I AGREE WITH WHAT MR. DINGFELDER SAID AS FAR AS GOING AHEAD
12:35:17 AND MEETING ENTIRELY ON A VIRTUAL BASIS.
12:35:21 WE CAN DO THAT.
12:35:22 I THINK WHAT HE SAID IS ACCURATE, THAT WE NEED TO DO SO,
12:35:25 THOUGH, UNDERSTANDING THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BECAUSE
12:35:28 YOU ARE RELYING ON THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER SAYING
12:35:31 THAT HE WAS WAIVING THAT ASPECT, THE PHYSICAL QUORUM
12:35:35 REQUIREMENT OF THE SUNSHINE LAW.
12:35:36 AS LONG AS ALL OF YOU KNOW AND ACCEPT THAT RISK, THEN I'M
12:35:39 FINE WITH MOVING FORWARD.
12:35:40 THE SECOND ITEM I WANT CLARIFICATION ON AND DIRECTION TO
12:35:44 GIVE THE CERTAINTY THAT YOU'RE SEEKING FOR THE MEMBERS OF
12:35:48 THE BAR ON QUASI-JUDICIAL MATTERS, ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU
12:35:54 WANT TO SET A MEETING DATE IN JUNE TO RESUME QUASI-JUDICIAL
12:36:00 HEARINGS?
12:36:01 AND IF SO, IS WHAT YOU'RE SEEKING TO DO TO DO SO WHEN WE CAN
12:36:08 RESUME THOSE MEETINGS IN THE SAME MANNER THAT THEY ARE
12:36:11 CONDUCTED -- THAT THEY WERE CONDUCTED PREVIOUSLY, MEANING
12:36:16 FULL PHYSICAL PRESENCE, NOT VIRTUAL?
12:36:18 >>LUIS VIERA: YES, MA'AM.
12:36:18 THAT IS MY PREFERENCE AS WELL.
12:36:20 IF IT CAN BE DONE.
12:36:22 OBVIOUSLY, IF WE COME INTO MAY AND WE'RE STILL IN THE SAME
12:36:25 SITUATION THAT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
12:36:27 REASSESS THAT BASED UPON PUBLIC HEALTH.
12:36:30 BUT I THINK THAT IS A GOOD ASPIRATION THAT WOULD AT LEAST
12:36:33 GIVE US A GOAL.
12:36:35 THAT'S WHAT I ALSO READ MY COUNCIL MEMBERS SAYING AS WELL,
12:36:38 MY COLLEAGUES IN SAYING AS WELL.
12:36:40 AND I WOULD LIKE MORE CLARIFICATION, NOT NOW, MAYBE WE CAN
12:36:45 TALK OFF-LINE IN TERMS OF WHAT THIS RISK IS.
12:36:49 I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THAT WITH REGARDS TO VIRTUAL MEETINGS,
12:36:52 ET CETERA.
12:36:53 BUT WE CAN DISCUSS THAT OFF-LINE I GUESS FOR THE PURPOSES OF
12:36:56 TIME.
12:36:56 ANYBODY ELSE FROM STAFF HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY?
12:37:00 OKAY.
12:37:01 COUNCIL MEMBERS, TEN SECONDS, ANYBODY ELSE, JUST IN ALL
12:37:05 FAIRNESS?
12:37:05 OKAY.
12:37:06 BEING NONE, WE ARE ADJOURNED --
12:37:11 >>MARTIN SHELBY: MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
12:37:15 THIS IS MARTIN SHELBY.
12:37:18 IT IS 12:36.
12:37:20 COULD YOU SEE IF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT HAS ANY GUIDANCE WITH
12:37:24 REGARD TO THE PUBLIC AS TO WHEN THE CRA MEETING WHICH IS
12:37:28 SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW THIS WILL COMMENCE?
12:37:30 THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TELL THE PEOPLE ONLINE ACCORDINGLY
12:37:33 WHAT TIME TO BE ABLE TO USE THE METHODS THAT APPLY TO THE
12:37:39 CRA TO ACCESS THAT TELECONFERENCE.
12:37:44 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, MR. SHELBY.
12:37:45 I APPRECIATE THAT.
12:37:47 >>MORRIS MASSEY: MORRIS MASSEY, THE CRA ATTORNEY.
12:37:51 I THINK WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A 15-MINUTE SEGMENT WHERE WE
12:37:54 WOULD HAVE TO GET THINGS LINED UP AGAIN FOR THE CRA MEETING.
12:37:58 I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE START THE CRA MEETING EXACTLY AT
12:38:01 1:00 BECAUSE APPARENTLY A NOTICE WENT OUT THAT SAID 1:00.
12:38:05 IN AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, WE'LL START AT 1:00 ON THE DOT.
12:38:12 >>LUIS VIERA: OKAY.
12:38:12 WE WILL RELY UPON THAT.
12:38:14 >>JOSEPH CITRO: I AGREE WITH THE 1:00 TIME.
12:38:16 THANK YOU.
12:38:19 >>LUIS VIERA: THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN CITRO.
12:38:22 THANK YOU, SIR.
12:38:22 OKAY, EVERYBODY.
12:38:23 WE WILL THEN RECONVENE AT 1:00 FOR CRA UNDER CHAIRMAN CITRO.
12:38:30 I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S PATIENCE WITH THE UNORTHODOX
12:38:33 METHODS OF COMMUNICATION FOR THESE KINDS OF ISSUES.
12:38:36 I APPRECIATE IT.
12:38:37 THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
12:38:38 THANK YOU.
12:38:38 [ADJOURNED]
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