ATTENDANCE and COMMENTS PLEASE: Special City Council Meeting on Pensions, January 12, 2012

[Patricia M. McBride]

There is going to be a "special city council" meeting on January 12th which is this coming Thursday, beginning at 9:30 AM and going until all comments are made and the council has made some sort of decision on the police and fire pensions.  Mayor Brown, thankfully, rejected a special magistrate's suggested settlement which was actually worse for the city than what was already agreed upon by the mayor and the unions.  That, however, is not the reason I am posting today.

The time for action and to speak out is NOW.  During the discussion to consider what was to be done, consideration was given to finding a way to limit YOUR input via comments at the meeting, and we must all go and speak out on this issue.  This is not the first time consideration has been given to limiting public input on an issue, and for those who have been active downtown, then, you know that public comments are rarely allowed at committee meetings (save councilman Gulliford who always allows comments at his committee meetings).  Since this new council was seated, the public has had their input limited and in some cases Emails and phone calls have been the only accepted form that could be used.   An attempt to avoid allowing public comments was made and although I will not show names, please read excerpts from some Emails that were an attempt to find away to disallow your voice from being heard.

 

One of our members wrote the following in an Email:

 

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-12-30/story/city-council-de...

Will the public be allowed to participate in this ?

 

Here is a copy of the query sent by a councilmen in response to the question from several people about public comments being allowed:

I have received several inquiries from constituents about whether there will be an opportunity for the public to address the City Council during the impasse resolution meeting scheduled for January 12, 2012. Will there be a public hearing or any such opportunity?

 

This is the reponse received about public comment being allowed (if it doesn't make your blood boil, it should............we, afterall, pay the bills and will be left holding the bag for whatever they do)  A copy of this was sent to the union spokesman and would assume the mayor also, but apparently we are the great unwashed and are not kept in the loop:

There is no state law requirement for public comment (just that there be a “public hearing” where the public is invited) and public comment has not been the policy in Jacksonville or around the state. A two or three hour hearing would be converted into a 2 or 3 day hearing if public comment were allowed. Neither the FOP or the City Administration want it and it is my belief, subject to a discussion I will have with the Council President, that the Council President will not agenda public comment. Of course, decisions of the Council President are subject to appeal.

Please direct all impasse questions to my attention. Thank you.

And last of all, the final comment by the person who asked the question about comments:

what shall we do? Go to show our interest and get to say nothing or not go and have no chance of effecting?

This hearing is about the police union contract with the city. They are not going to talk about the pension plan which is the biggest problem the city has – the unfunded liability is over $ 2,000,000,000 – yes more than TWO-BILLION DOLLARS. Possibly as high as TWO-BILLION FOUR HUNDRED MILLION.

 

IF YOU CAN GO, PLEASE GO TO THIS MEETING.  IF NOTHING ELSE, YOU CAN SIT THERE AND DECIDE IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER VOTING FOR ANY OF THESE PEOPLE AGAIN FOR ANY OFFICE, SINCE THEY APPARENTLY, DO NOT CONSIDER YOUR INPUT NECESSARY OR RELEVANT TO THE PROCESS. 

 

 

[CJ]

Ill Be there!

You betcha!  :)

Been working on this and Council for a loooong time. Please know JEA contracts are probably not too far behind. 

The way I understand it JEA Bills on 2011 Agenda are postponed indefinitely  and Unions and Board are back to negotiating something new with the Board looking for concessions  which is not being received very well.

These, Union contracts starting with Police and Firefighters Pension fund on Thursday will inform us just what the City Council is made of and where they will take this City in the future.

It is illegal for CC to discuss Union impasse's but it is NOT illegal for them to read anyone and everyone that writes to them in advance of the meeting asking tax payers be relieved of promises that can not be paid.

Here is the Bill number with the intro about the impasse. COJ.net can tell you more in a Bill search if anyone needs it.

See you there

2012-24	RESO re Chapt 447, Fla Statutes Labor & Collective Bargaining Impasse, Resolving Disputes in Terms & Conditions of Employment with FOP Lodge 5-30 (Police Officers thru Sergeants [Including Sworn Bailiffs & Judicial Officers Classifications] Bargaining Units), (Police Lieutenants thru Captains Bargaining Unit), (Rank & File Corrections Officers Unit) (FOP-Corrections) Employees Bargaining Unit 045), (Supervisory Corrections Officers Unit) (FOP-Corrections ) Employees Bargaining Unit 046; All for 2009-2010 FY; Request Emerg Apv. (Rohan) (Introduced by CP Joost) Council Impasse Meeting - 1/12/12 at 9:30 A.M.
	1. 1/10/2012 CO  Introduced: CO