CRESTVIEW — Here is the agenda for the Crestview City Council’s next meeting.

CITY OF CRESTVIEW

OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK

P.O. DRAWER 1209, CRESTVIEW, FLORIDA 32536

Phone # (850) 682-1560 Fax # (850) 682-8077

November 28, 2016

6:00 P.M.

Council Chambers

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA

1. Call to Order

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Open Meeting

4. Public Opportunity on Council Items

5. Items for Discussion/Consideration

a. Approval of Amendment 2 for WWTP Operations Contract – Public Services

b. Discussion concerning Gori Property – Mr. Holley

c. Extension of CRA Office space – Growth Management

6. Resolutions

a. Resolution 17-02 – Out of City Water – Industrial Drive and Richburg Lane

7. Public Hearings:

a. Ordinance 1612 – Rezoning of the Courthouse Parcel – First Reading – Growth Management

b. Ordinance 1611 – Amendment to Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6, Alcoholic Beverages – Second Reading – Growth Management

8. Comments from the Audience

9. Adjournment

Note: Citizen Business is business that was submitted by a citizen or group of Citizens no later than the Wednesday prior to the meeting to the Clerk's office for approval. Supporting documents must be submitted at this time to be on the regular agenda. All New Business is for staff and elected officials only, and must be submitted for approval no later than the Wednesday prior to the meeting. Those not listed on the regular agenda who wish to address the council should fill out a yellow card. The Card must be submitted to the City Clerk. Speaking time should be three minutes or less, large groups may designate a spokesperson. All remarks should be addressed to the Council as a whole and not to individual members. All meeting procedures are outlined in the Meeting Rules and Procedures brochure available outside the Chambers. If any person decides to appeal any decision made by the City Council with respect to any matter considered at such meeting or hearing, he or she will need a record of the proceedings, and that, for such purpose, he or she may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. The City Council of the City of Crestview, Florida does not discriminate upon the basis of any individual’s disability status. Anyone requiring reasonable accommodation as provided for in the American With Disabilities Act to insure access to and participation in the meeting should contact the Office of the City Clerk at (850)682-1560 prior to the meeting to make appropriate arrangements.

Any invocation that is offered before the official start of the City Council meeting shall be the voluntary offering of a private person, to and for the benefit of the City Council. The views or beliefs expressed by the invocation speaker have not been previously reviewed or approved by the City Council or the city staff, and the City is not allowed by law to endorse the religious beliefs or views of this, or any other speaker. Persons in attendance at the City Council meeting are invited to stand during the opening invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. However, such invitation shall not be construed as a demand, order, or any other type of command. No person in attendance at the meeting shall be required to participate in any opening invocation that is offered. A person may exit the City Council Chambers and return upon completion of the opening invocation if a person does not wish to participate in or witness the opening invocation.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview City Council special meeting agenda: Nov. 28

LAUREL HILL — The Laurel Hill City Council will meet 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at city hall, 8209 State Road  85 N.

Here is the meeting's agenda.

•Call to Order

•Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

1. Public comments

2. New business

a. Approval of consent agenda

•Consent Agenda

1. Minutes of Nov. 3 meeting

2. Update on internal audit: General and Water Funds (November)

b. Projects update (Dewberry)

c. Paving of New Ebenezer Road

3. Unfinished business (none)

The council's next regular meeting is 6 p.m. Jan. 5 at City Hall.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill City Council agenda: Dec. 1

CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County’s Supervisor of Elections office will soon hold Candidate University. Anyone interested in running for public office or just wanting to learn about the candidate process may register.

Two sessions are available: 6-9 p.m. Nov. 29, in the Buddy Brackin Building, 302 Wilson St. N., Suite 102, Crestview, and 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 1, in the Okaloosa County Administration Building, 1250 Eglin Parkway, Suite 103, Shalimar.

Candidate University consists of a curriculum focused on the fundamentals of becoming and being a candidate. Participants will be introduced to each step including pre-filing, collecting petitions and qualifying.

Campaign pitfalls will also be discussed as will audits, recounts and contest of elections.

All participants will receive a certificate upon completion of the program and there is no cost to attend.

The registration deadline is Nov. 28. Contact Katie Wainwright, 689-5600 or kwainwright@co.okaloosa.fl.us, to register.

More information is available at www.GoVote-Okaloosa.com under the ‘Programs’ menu.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Candidate University starts Nov. 29 in Crestview

CRESTVIEW — Some downtown buildings may be past their expiration date, according to city officials.

During the city council meeting on Monday, Councilman Doug Faircloth raised discussion on Main Street’s empty buildings.

First, he suggested directing the city’s code inspector to inspect these buildings for safety.

Next, if buildings are not up to code, he said, the city should send a letter to owners asking them to bring the building up to code. 

Finally, Faircloth said, if owners take no action, the city should move to raze the empty buildings. 

City leaders did not vote on the issue but Councilman Shannon Hayes agreed with Faircloth and stated that the council needs to closely examine Crestview’s growth.

On Monday, the council also:

• Heard from Growth Management Director Teresa Gailliard, who presented the first reading of an alcoholic beverage ordinance revision for the Main Street Commercial District’s special events. Joel McGraw, pastor of Crestview Independent Baptist Church, presented a petition signed by a number of Crestview residents against exemption of the alcohol ordinance in downtown Crestview. There were no other speakers on the issue. The council voted for the proposal to go to a second reading. Councilmen Hayes, JB Whitten and Bill Cox voted in favor; Faircloth and Joe Blocker dissented.
• Addressed the second reading of an ordinance that sets up retirement programs for Crestview’s police and fire departments. The council voted unanimously in favor of this ordinance.
• Discussed the present salary of city council members, whose pay has not increased since 1983, Cox said. Crestview City Council members annually earn $5,040.

In addition:

Mayor David Cadle recognized the Crestview Police Department’s recent accreditation with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Chief Tony Taylor credited the entire department for this achievement that followed two years of work.

Officer Chaise Rawles and Cmdr. Andrew Schneider, the CPD’s accreditation manager, earned commendations from the mayor for their efforts in helping the department achieve accreditation.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Councilman: restore or raze empty buildings

CRESTVIEW — The City Council will meet 6 p.m. Nov. 14 at city hall, 198 Wilson St., N.

Here is the meeting's agenda.

1. Call to order

2. Invocation: the Rev. Michael Precht, First United Methodist Church

Pledge of Allegiance

3. Open policy making and legislative session

4. Special presentations

a. Service awards, Mayor David Cadle

5. Approval of minutes

Approval of the minutes for the  Aug. 4, budget workshop; Aug. 8 council meeting; Aug. 15 special meeting; Sept. 8 tentative hearing; Sept. 26 special meeting, public hearing, and workshop.

6. Public Hearings:

a. Ordinance 1608 – 175/185 Plan

7. Public Opportunity on Council proposition

8. Consent Agenda

a. Approval of invoice from Ben Holley for $3,797.50

b. Approval of invoice from Allen, Norton and Blue for $652.47

c. Approval of one-year contract with PAWS, same amount as current year.

d. Approval of Sensus Advanced Metering Infrastructure agreement

e. Approval of debris removal contract

f. Approval of Amendment 2 for WWTP Operations contract

g. Approval of Utility Services Group Water Tank Maintenance contract

h. Approval of Ard, Shirley and Rudolph invoice for $1,276.

i. Approval of Military Surplus purchase – Chief Taylor

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Here's what the Crestview City Council will meet about Nov. 14

LAUREL HILL — The Laurel Hill City Council will refinance a Water Department loan and has approved a search for a 50-50 grant for its volunteer fire department.

Council member Debra Adams motioned Nov. 3 to refinance the Water Department rural development loan, which passed with a vote of 4-1. Travis Dewrell dissented. If the new refinance rate comes back higher than the current 3.6 percent interest rate, the council will vote on it again.

In other actions, Jimbo Fields, deputy fire chief of the Laurel Hill Volunteer Fire Department, addressed the council about the need to update or replace equipment such as firetruck emergency lights, a generator, radios, bunker gear and the skid unit.

A skid unit is a portable item with a pump and a tank on it that the department would use to fight brush and vehicle fires. Skid units cost about $10,000, and are more cost-effective than adding a new firetruck, which costs about $300,000.The skid would be placed in the back of an F-350 truck being donated to the department. Other equipment replacement costs total to $2,000.

The council approved Fields' request. If the funds are granted, the Division of Forestry would provide 50 percent of the funding, with the city providing the other 50.

The next council meeting is 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at city hall, 8209 U.S. Highway 85 N.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill council approves loan refinancing, 50-50 grant search

LAUREL HILL — The City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Nov. 3 at city hall, 8209 U.S. Highway 85 N.

Here is the meeting's agenda.

Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

1. Public comments

2. New Business

a. Approval of Consent Agenda:

Consent Agenda

1. Oct. 6 minutes

2. Update on internal audit: General and Water Funds (October) 

b. Projects update (Dewberry)

c. Refinance Water Department Rural Development loan with CoBank.

d. Fire Dept Equipment (Jim Fields)

3. Unfinished Business: None

4. Adjourn

The council's next regular meeting is 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at City Hall.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill City Council agenda: Nov. 3

A group devoted to protecting the separation of church and state has contacted officials with the City of Crestview to express concern with its invocation policy at council meetings.

The council recently adopted a policy that involves identifying a volunteer from a "wide pool of local clergy" to lead the council in prayer. The clergy members must live within the city of Crestview or within five miles of the city limits.

But that's a policy that invites council members to essentially "worship on taxpayers' time," according to a Freedom From Religion Foundation email that was sent Oct. 26 to former council president Shannon Hayes.

"The City Counsel (sic) ought not to lend its power and prestige to religion by inviting religious leaders to give prayers," the email said, adding that one in five Americans are not religious and may feel coerced and intimidated.

Former Council President Shannon Hayes, to whom the email was addressed, said he received it but didn't pay any attention to it.

"I threw it in the trash," he said. "Because I wasn't interested in what they were saying."

City Clerk Elizabeth Roy said that under the policy, city employees compile a list of "religious congregations" to be included in the invocation list. Those organizations are sent a letter inviting members of the clergy and other religious leaders to offer an invocation "for the benefit and blessing of the City Council," according to the policy.

Roy added that someone who was not on the list, but is interested in speaking, could contact city hall and request to be put on the calendar.

"We went through the internet, though newspapers, couldn't find anything within our boundaries that listed anything that wasn't religious," she said. "We didn't exclude anyone."

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which is based in Madison, Wisconsin, said that the policy is still problematic.

She said that even if the city is open to others making "inspiring remarks" before the meeting, the amount of taxpayer time and energy spent looking for clergy gives the impression that religious organizations are favored.

"When it's opening with a prayer, it's giving the impression that it thinks citizens should pray," she said. "That's a lot of pressure to put on somebody who goes before you to ask a favor, which is usually why someone goes before a city council meeting."

She added that someone who is a nonbeliever might feel compelled to stand up or mouth "platitudes," rather than stand out.

The city's policy requests that speakers refrain from denigrating nonbelievers or religious minorities, threatening damnation or preaching conversion, the policy states. It further encourages speakers to express ideals relating to peace and security for the nation, the safety of first responders, wisdom for lawmakers and justice for the people. 

Gaylor has a simpler solution that she hopes council members will consider. 

They should "pray on their own time and dime," she said. "We think they should just drop prayer all together." 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Foundation questions Crestview invocation policy