Dec 06, 2022 Special Board of County Commissioners

[Call to Order of the Special Meeting by Chair ]

[00:00:15]

EVERYONE. I'M GLAD WE WERE ALL ABLE TO MAKE THE MEETING THIS MORNING. GOING TO ASK THE CLERK TO CALL

THE ROLE. >> SPEAKER: HENRY DEAN, CHAIR, HERE, CHRISTIAN WHITEHURST, VICE CHAIR, HEAR, COMMISSIONER SARAH ARNOLD, HERE, KRISTA JOSEPH, HERE.

>> CHAIR: ALL RIGHT WE HAVE A QUORUM.

AS WE DO THIS YEAR WHAT WE HAVE IS A REORGANIZATIONAL MEETING AND THAT BASICALLY MEANS IS WE ELECT A NEW CHAIRMAN AND ICE CHAIRMAN FOR THE UPCOMING 12 MONTH PERIOD, THE UPCOMING YEAR. THIS WILL BE A VERY QUICK

[1. Review of nominating procedures for the election of County Commission Chair and Vice Chair by County Attorney, David Migut ]

PUBLIC COMMENT, BY THE WAY. >> SPEAKER: THANK YOU MR. CHAIR. IT MIGHT BE THE LAST TIME I SAY THAT TO YOU FOR A WHILE. UNDER THE BOARD'S RULES AND POLICIES FOR METHOD OF ELECTION OF OFFICERS, RULE 1POINT 206 THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR SHALL BE ELECTED ONE AT A TIME BEGINNING WITH THE CHAIR. THE VOTE WILL BE VIVA VOCE WHICH IS LATIN FOR ORALLY IN EACH OFFICE AS A NOMINATION AS A MOTION. THE NOMINATION MUST BE SECONDED. THE DIFFERENT NAME SHALL BE REPEATED BY THE OUTGOING OR ACTIVE CHAIR AS THEY ARE MOVED AND SECONDED AND IF THERE IS NO FURTHER NOMINATIONS, A VOTE SHALL BE TAKEN. ONCE THE NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED. IT SHALL BE TAKEN ON EACH NOMINEE IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY WERE NOMINATED UNTIL ONE WAS ELECTED BY THE MAJORITY OF VOTES.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF THERE WINDS UP BEING MORE THAN ONE NOMINEE FOR CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR A VOTE IS TAKEN IN THE ORDER THEY WERE NOMINATED ONE AT A TIME IN THE FIRST PERSON FOR EXAMPLE GETS THREE OR MORE VOTES AT THAT POINT THAT IS THE CHAIR OR VICE CHAIR GOODNO VOTE IS TAKEN ON ANY SUBSEQUENT NOMINATIONS BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY A MAJORITY.

I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE PROCESS AND WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE ANY NOMINATIONS ARE MADE. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS I SUGGEST YOU TURN IT OVER TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

>> CHAIR: ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE

COMMISSIONERS? >> SPEAKER: PUBLIC COMMENT AT

THIS TIME. >> CHAIR: ALL RIGHT WE WILL HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN. WE WILL DO SEPARATE VOTES ON THOSE, TOO BUT LET'S HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE SELECTION PROCESS. CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM. YOUR 3 MINUTES, NAME AND ADDRESS AND THAT IS HOW WE WILL START.

>> CHAIR: GOOD MORNING MR. SLAVEN.

>> SPEAKER: GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS.

I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THE COMMISSION RENOMINATE, HENRY DEAN, CHAIR. HE'S THE MOST QUALIFIED COMMISSIONER HERE WITH 22 YEARS OF GOVERNMENTAL EXPERIENCE, WORKED FOR FIVE GOVERNORS AND HAS BEEN A COMMISSIONER FOR SIX YEARS. THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL TIME BECAUSE OF THE OCEAN LEVEL RISE AND THE CONSTANT DAMAGE TO OUR BEACHES. COMMISSIONER DEAN HAS THIS DOWN GRADE HE HAS BEEN LOBBYING FOR GETTING MORE MONEY FROM THE FED'S AND THE STATE FOR REMEDIATION OF THE COASTLINE.

FOR DECADES. HE'S BEEN A COMMISSIONER NOW SINCE 2016. LET'S PUT THE BEST FOOT FORWARD FOR A CHANGE. LET'S REJECT THIS ODD NOTION THAT THERE SOME SORT OF A LADDER AND THAT SOMEONE IS ENTITLED TO BE CHAIRMAN BECAUSE THEY WERE VICE CHAIRMAN.

LET'S REJECT THIS NOTION THAT YOU CAN'T ELECT A PERSON AS CHAIR MORE THAN ONCE IN A ROW. IT'S NOT A RULE IT'S NOT A LAW THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WHEN PEOPLE WHO WERE CHAIRMAN HAVE BEEN REELECTED BY AFFIRMATION.

IF HE'S UP TO IT AND HE CAN PUT UP WITH US, I HEAR BY NOMINATE I, HENRY DEAN TO DO THE JOB HE DOES SO WELL INTO IT AGAIN.

THESE ARE CRITICAL TIMES THAT WE NEED A PERSON WHO RESPECTS ADVERSITY, RESPECTS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, WHO DOESN'T

[00:05:06]

>> SPEAKER: THANK YOU MR. SLAVEN WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS? YES MA'AM?

>> PUBLIC COMMENT: BJ CO-LADY, WEST CITY AUGUSTINE THERE IS NO CLAPPING. DID YOU HEAR THE CLAPPING THAT STARTED: WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CLAPPING HERE THAT IS THE RULE.

THAT WAS NICE. I THINK IT'S TIME WE GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO BE THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.

ALSO, WHENEVER ANYBODY GETS UP HERE I WANT TO CLARIFY FOR THE COMMUNITY AND I'M SURE EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO KNOW THIS WHETHER THE MONEY IS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM THE SAND THAT WE KEEP PUTTING OUT THERE OR FROM THE STATE, OR FROM THIS COUNTY I DON'T THINK THE CITY GIVES ANY, I WOULD HAVE TO PAY DOUBLE TAXES.

IT'S STILL OUR TAX DOLLARS. REMEMBER IT'S TAX DOLLARS TO MATTER WHERE WE GET IT. AND WE ARE SPENDING IT.

MY SUGGESTION IS LET'S HAVE SOMEONE ELSE GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE TWO SEATS AND GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT MR. DEAN AND OTHERS WHO HAVE SAT IN THE CHAIR CAN FOLLOW THROUGH AND REALLY SHOW THAT AS MR. DEAN STATED, YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU MISKO LADY, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR? I AM SEEING NONE SO WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.

>> BEFORE WE VOTE I WANT TO SAY ONE THING.

I APPRECIATE MR. SLAVEN'S COMMENTS OBVIOUSLY HE'S VERY INSIGHTFUL AND BRIGHT BUT I WANT TO SAY THIS.

TO QUOTE LYNDON JOHNSON IN 1968, "IF NOMINATED I WILL NOT RUN ". IF ELECTED I WILL NOT SERVE.

I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ROTATE THE CHAIRMANSHIP.

WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT SLATE OF COMMISSIONERS.

ANY ONE OF WHICH CAN DO A VERY GOOD JOB.

AND SO, THAT IS AGAIN, THANK YOU ED, FOR THOSE COMMENTS BUT

[3. Election of the Chair of the Board of County Commissioners]

WHITEHURST AS CHAIRMAN. >> COMMISSIONER: SECOND.

>> CHAIR: WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

>> SPEAKER: AT THIS TIME ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIR? THEN, AT THIS POINT, MR. CHAIR YOU WOULD DECLARE THE NOMINATIONS CLOSED AND TAKE A

VOTE OF THE NOMINEE. >> CHAIR: I WAS ADVISED WE NEED TO DO A VOTEVOICE VOTE SO THE NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED AND WE WILL DO A VOICE VOTE. COMMISSIONER JOSEPH? COMMENT YES, COMMISSIONER ARNOLD?

[4. Election of the Vice Chair of the Board of County Commissioners]

YOU ARE NOW REELECTED AS CHAIRMAN.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> MR. CHAIRMAN IF IT IS OKAY I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE SARAH ARNOLD AS VICE CHAIR.

>> COMMISSIONER: SECOND. >> SPEAKER: ARE THERE ANY

OTHER NOMINATIONS? >> THE NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED.

LET US TAKE A VOICE VOTE. MR. JOSEPH? YES MR. JOSEPH? YES MISSION OR WHITEHURST? YES. THAT IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS COMMISSIONER ARNOLD, WE LOOK FORWARD TO RUNNING A TIGHT SHIP.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. SO WITH THAT, THAT COMPLETES

OUR JOB. >> SPEAKER: YOU HAVE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE ON THE AGENDA WHICH IS A SPECIAL PRESENTATION. THE NOMINATING PORTION IS

COMPLETE. >> CHAIR: COMMISSIONER DEAN, IT HAS BEEN HONORED TO SERVE AS YOUR VICE CHAIR AND WATCHING YOU BRING DECADES OF EXPERIENCE TO BEAR FOR THE AND IF IT OF ALL THE RESIDENTS OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY.

[00:10:02]

[APPLAUSE] >> LET ME SAY I WANT TO OFFER A DEBT OF THANKS TO OUR EXCELLENT STAFF.

AS CHAIRMAN, YOU ARE SORT OF BALANCING A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES AND BALLS IN THE AIR. I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR STAFF, THE WHOLE STAFF NOT JUST THE ADMINISTRATION BUT THE WHOLE STAFF ARE REALLY DEDICATED TO YOUR BEST INTERESTS AS A COMMUNITY AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF YOU OR ALL OF YOU WILL GET TO HAVE AN EXPERIENCE WITH STAFF AND SAY, WELL, THAT PERSON IS REALLY DEDICATED AND REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT MY PROBLEM.

BECAUSE THEY REALLY ARE. SO ALL OF THE GUYS IN THE BACK, IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE SERVING YOU AS CHAIRMAN WITH YOU RUNNING FORWARD AND TAKING CARE OF PROBLEMS. WITH THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. .

[APPLAUSE] >> SPEAKER: GOOD MORNING EVERYONE IT IS MY HONOR ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO OUR NEWEST CHAIRMAN, TREND FOR HERE IS THIS BLACK. I ONLY HOPE THAT I DO YOU PROUD

AND DON'T MESS THE BUTTONS UP. >> CHAIR: WELL, OBVIOUSLY SHE SAID MOSTLY AS THE VICE CHAIR IS PARLIAMENTARIAN AND TO PENFORCE THE RULES OF DECORUM. WHICH INCLUDE, NO CLAPPING MISKO LADY. SHE HAS HELPED ME ENFORCE THE RULES OF THE QUORUM WITH HER PUBLIC COMMENTS AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS YEAR AS THE CHAIRMAN AND CONTINUE TO THE GREAT WORK THAT THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE DONE BEFORE US.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. APPLAUSE]

>> DAVID, DO WE NOW ADJOURNED THE SPECIAL MEETING?

>> SPEAKER: CORRECT. PERHAPS 5 MINUTES TO REORGANIZE

AND START THE REGULAR MEETING? >> SPEAKER: WERE GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING, WE WILL

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.