Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/127088
Sarasota News Leader May 3, 2013 Page 44 the city's decision to opt out financially puts POINTS OF PRIVILEGE a crimp on the committee's latitude of action. Not just anybody can add an item to the City That latter issue — the earlier decision — Commission's agenda. The commissioners comes up for reconsideration under New can, of course, and they recently have become Business late in the evening session of the more active in exercising the ability. On MonCity Commission meeting. Commissioner day evening under New Business, three comPaul Caragiulo voted in favor of the opt-out missioners are introducing items for discusguidance, but he put the matter back on the sion. agenda for reconsideration. So in the afternoon, the commissioners decide if they will create the committee, and in the evening they will decide if the committee should be given free rein or hobbled. SPECIAL EVENTS EYED After three public hearings in the evening, the City Commission will give guidance and direction to city staff over the regulation of special events. About 100 such activities are held in the city every year, and each requires a permit and coordination with a number of city departments. The agenda item originated with an April 15 appeal by the Chalk Festival for the city to waive as much as $13,000 in fees. The commissioners agreed at that time that more uniformity was needed in their special events policies. They will discuss noise, grant policies, affected parties and length of events. It is almost certain other issues will arise during that discussion Monday evening. Regarding the "Timing Is Everything Department": After the commission wraps up its special events discussion, the next item it will take up will be Denise Kowal's repeated request for the Chalk Festival fees waiver. Commissioner Shannon Snyder is playing his cards close to the vest, asking only for a "direction re: rules of procedure for city commission meetings." The backup material for the item includes a copy of the City Commission's adopted rules for running its meetings. Commissioner Terry Turner, in one of his final meetings, wants a discussion on options concerning future city budgets. Turner is a former economics professor who is comfortable with city finances. A pair of tables he will introduce shows an interesting anomaly: Between 2007 and 2013 ("the bust years"), city revenues declined 27 percent while salaries and wages declined 10 percent, but benefits increased 31 percent. Commissioner Caragiulo, as mentioned earlier, will propose reconsideration (i.e., a revote) on a motion passed earlier to instruct the ad hoc CRA committee to take the position that the city will not contribute to any tax-increment financing plan for downtown after 2016. If the motion is overturned, it will lift a restriction on the ad hoc committee's deliberations. %