[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:00] Mayer and Council meeting for Tuesday, August 25th, please stand for the pledge.
[0:32] there. Council member San Dusky, here.
[0:36] Council member Caves, all present and accounted for with the exception of Council member
[0:43] Banano and our vacant feet.
[0:46] All right, thank you.
[0:49] Okay, dokey.
[0:51] Under Mayor's remarks, we have no items tonight.
[0:54] So I'll move on to citizens forum.
[0:57] During citizens forum members of the public are given the opportunity to speak and present
[1:01] Comments and individuals are required to create their first and last name and address for the public record and are given three minutes to speak.
[1:09] Comments may during this time should be directed to the mayor, citizen comments are encouraged members of the council and staff will not be expected to immediately respond to any subject brought up.
[1:19] It may or may respond or permit individual members to respond, citizens with specific questions requiring
[1:24] dialogue or encouraged to set up an appointment with the appropriate individuals.
[1:29] So with that, if anybody here tonight would like to speak, come on up and state your
[1:33] name and address and you'll have three minutes.
[1:37] Anybody?
[1:40] All right, seeing none, then let's move along to resolutions and ordinances tonight.
[1:45] we have Resolution 2026-19, which is the revision of the administrative fee schedule
[1:51] proof.
[1:53] Yeah, good evening.
[1:54] This is more of a housekeeping item.
[1:57] Last meeting we adopted the A.D.U. ordinance.
[2:01] This is the resolution to amend the development administrative fee schedule to add that incremental
[2:07] impact and it screws up on page 4 and page 3, page 3 and 4. Any questions?
[2:17] Questions for Bruce or a motion? Make a motion that we approve Resolution 2026-19.
[2:27] Motion in second discussion? Council member Kate?
[2:30] Just one question. Just confirming the only thing that's changed in this last time is we have
[2:37] any other questions or comments? All in favour? Any opposed?
[2:43] Hey vote is unanimous on resolution 2026-19. Next up is ordinance 634 Mayor and Council
[2:50] Salaries carry.
[2:55] This is a left over item that got really far down on
[3:00] might to do less. So this has been sitting in my lap for a while now when we
[3:03] We did the charter last year.
[3:05] The old charter used to pay the amount of salaries for the mayor and council.
[3:10] We took that language out of the charter because it's pretty specific for that level
[3:15] of documents.
[3:16] So we made reference in the charter to being able to set those amounts periodically by
[3:21] resolution.
[3:22] So this amount sets them at the current rates, which is, gosh, what we see here, 96,000, 96
[3:31] that you wish 2600 annually for mayor and 3600 annually for council members. That will be set by
[3:38] resolution and stay there until which the time it's brought up by someone else in the future.
[3:46] That's no change from what it currently is and has been for quite a while.
[3:51] Any questions? And we're not clear as to how long it's been at that rate, correct?
[3:57] at least 23 years, as long as I've been here for about that.
[4:01] And I did miss speak.
[4:02] I said it was a resolution.
[4:03] It's by ordinance.
[4:04] So this is the first read.
[4:06] It would be second read and vote next time.
[4:09] There has been discussion about increasing it.
[4:11] If you notice there is language in the ordinance or code or something, ordinance now that
[4:17] speaks about when and how it could be increased, that is relatively new or language as far
[4:22] as it goes probably, I don't know, maybe 10 or 12 years ago, Council Member Lashley at the time brought that about, and of course, it states paraphrasing, but if the Council were to enact an increase of the salary, it would not be put into effect until the following elections. So basically, you can't vote on an increase of your own salaries.
[4:45] So if we were to vote on an increase, it wouldn't take effect until 2028.
[4:52] It would be 2026, it would be each seed.
[4:56] Yeah, well you're okay, you just got reelected, so yours probably would not.
[5:00] Yeah, we have 20, 28, someone who has only two years left, there's a beat. Now if you were reelected into that seat,
[5:07] then the new rate would come into effects, then. But it would basically be to have some council members
[5:11] making the first and out till their four-year term was completed.
[5:15] Basically, it is a staggered act, and you have to be reelected.
[5:19] It's staggered with the terms, yeah.
[5:20] In order for a reply to you, we were always on to a member.
[5:24] Correct.
[5:24] Well, I'm sorry, motion, that we approved ordinance 6, 3, or it's the first and the first and the first
[5:28] week we've taken.
[5:31] I do want a, I do wonder if it's time to have a conversation about whether it's, whether it's not a two in time to have a conversation about increasing it, particularly we just, you know, got through a general election in which we didn't have the election because we had only one person outside the current council step up, I don't think this is a decisive factor in that.
[5:57] I don't think any of us are really doing it for the money that comes with it, but I do
[6:02] wonder if it's one fact that it goes into some first considerations.
[6:06] I know there's a few people who had some interest theoretically and run in and then decided
[6:11] not to.
[6:13] And I was just right on the train this morning, kicking around, looking at sort of bases for comparison.
[6:21] And my mind went to the National Guard, a similar sort of thing where it's a, you know,
[6:30] specific sort of part-time gig.
[6:34] And when I was looking at the numbers, you know, the first that looked at was Captain,
[6:39] in the Army National Guard, make something along the lines of 14K year.
[6:46] If he or she is only doing the sort of weekend drill and annual training.
[6:52] So no deployment, it's no active service, anything like that.
[6:57] To me, that seemed, you know, sort of a bit more in certain ways that there was
[7:06] example, the mayor of Brunswick, you have, as the captain in the army, you've got a bit of a larger sort of set of personnel that you're managing, but it's also a much less complicated organization than a city staff is a military company.
[7:28] And, you know, that Army captain is also not responsible for decisions that affect a town
[7:35] of 8,000 or so of people.
[7:38] And then looking at comparing, you know, sort of the council member salaries through what
[7:44] you see in the National Guard, we make about half as much as the buck sergeant would.
[7:51] So, you know, Uncle Sam obviously has more resources, but it was an interesting sort of point
[7:55] comparison,
[7:58] and it occurred to me that there's a couple of things we could look at if we
[8:02] did want to look at something like that, mindful of the fact that we're not raising it
[8:07] essentially for ourselves, it wouldn't take effect until after an intervening election.
[8:14] One possibility for a sort of more modest increase would be if you looked at increasing it
[8:20] about 25 percent compared to what the way it is now.
[8:25] That would bring the mayor salary over the course of the year up to $12,000 a year, which
[8:34] amounts to about $12,000 a month, and then bringing the council salaries would go up to
[8:41] 4,500 a year, which would amount to about 375 a month for a total budget impact of what
[8:50] I calculated was $7,800, so less than 10K.
[8:54] That's sort of modest option.
[8:58] And I'm more sort of, if we were to say,
[9:01] hey, we want to bring it closer to these sort of things
[9:04] that I've discussed now.
[9:06] I've had a guard sort of example.
[9:09] And say, hey, it's been a long time.
[9:10] We haven't done this for a while.
[9:12] If you increase it by 50%, you'd be bringing the mayor
[9:15] salary up to $14,400 a year, which amounts to about $1,200 a month, Council salaries to
[9:24] $5,400 a year, $450 a month for a budget impact of about $15,000 a month.
[9:32] So, just though it's numbers out on the table, this isn't something I have particularly strong
[9:36] feelings about, but I noticed a conversation that often we'd be nervous to start, but
[9:45] I can add one quick thing, Emmett's Burke has been looking at this recently and has shared
[9:51] with us some numbers that they've used. I would look at it personally from a staff perspective.
[9:55] Personally, I don't think that council members should do this research because of the nature.
[10:00] Like what you just said, I would look at similar types of government and similar populations. And I would pull the other municipalities. And as the clerk, I certainly have those resources and things. So I could do that research and have those numbers. But I think that that's probably the best, you know, you can't do it with a different type of different form of government because the council members and mayors have different responsibilities.
[10:19] I was going to raise that.
[10:20] Can you speak to someone else?
[10:22] I was going to raise that.
[10:23] She was right on target with where I was going.
[10:26] It was wondering when this is the last time that this city actually did a study since we're
[10:31] saying that's 23 years.
[10:33] That's a long time.
[10:35] Well, it's longer.
[10:36] I mean, we don't have a starting point.
[10:39] Or, and, like, well, we knew what the end point is.
[10:41] But I would think that if we should look at other municipalities of the same size and what
[10:48] we do.
[10:51] Especially in this day and age, none of us are doing it for the financial reasons here for sure.
[10:58] It's not reason why we ran.
[11:00] That's not why I ran.
[11:02] But I think it would be the who best to look outside and see what other jurisdictions this similar size,
[11:12] military side.
[11:15] But I think that would get us a better opportunity to take a look and see what's comparable.
[11:21] And then, base our decisions based on some of that information that we see.
[11:28] I believe Dave Dunn actually did do that about six or seven years ago.
[11:34] I remember that being discussed in about the time that Harry Lashley had put his proposal forward.
[11:41] And I don't recall the results, but whatever they were, the Council decided not to act upon them.
[11:47] So we have looked at it in the last 23 years, but I don't think anything has changed.
[11:51] I mean, I look at it generally as almost an expense reimbursement.
[11:55] I mean, who got mileage going back before to this in that child care or any number of things going on.
[12:03] There's some level of effort involved with nothing else.
[12:06] It's hours that I would not be able to be working at my paying job.
[12:12] So, you know, there's something to be said for that.
[12:15] And I think it's certainly worth looking at it, get some data, and see where we stand.
[12:22] Ryan, anything?
[12:24] Sorry, I thought you're light on.
[12:26] I was not in the long because I agree with everything it's been said.
[12:30] And I know that Kerry and I have discussed it just as a casual conversation about a month ago.
[12:36] And I think it's actually something that is slightly overdue to be looked at.
[12:43] Even if we don't do anything change-wise.
[12:45] And I do remember when we looked at it before you write it hasn't been done.
[12:49] So I'll find that.
[12:50] And it'll be in the accounts of practice and I have all that information.
[12:53] But we'll start a new search and look for now.
[12:55] Because I don't know how many have updated and said.
[12:58] But I will find that all data too.
[13:00] All right.
[13:00] So just to couple comments from me, just to button this up, one is I think whatever we do tonight's first read on ordinance 634 we should pass at least that at the next one because currently nothing's written anywhere so let's at least put what's currently occurring back on the books and that will solve that and then I am happy to do the will of the council.
[13:22] So if you guys want to research this, I personally don't think we should at this point
[13:26] only because conscious that there is a mountain of work going on right now, and I think
[13:32] what's going to come back is we're probably within a few thousand dollars of where we need
[13:36] to be, nothing or shattering, and so I just don't think it's a priority, but if the consensus
[13:41] here is for a carry to do that, then we will do it.
[13:46] So maybe head nods or no, we're just some final comments on it. I mean, it's always good to know
[13:53] I just there is a lot going on right now
[13:56] So I appreciate that I think that we should at least take a look at it and see where we're at okay
[14:02] Everybody want to do that. Yeah, and I don't think there's a huge urgency to do it right away too
[14:06] Right, okay comes back later in the year next year or something
[14:09] All right, so that's what we'll do then if if the will is we'll bring this back and then we can at least get that on the books
[14:16] And then, Gary can start looking at that.
[14:19] All righty.
[14:20] Next up, Council Liaison reports.
[14:23] We'll start with Council Member Caves.
[14:32] Gowns House Partnership.
[14:34] Trail to History, Bo-Shur, is updated now.
[14:38] It's in production.
[14:39] So there should be a new brochure coming out to various locations
[14:43] in the towns, soon.
[14:50] We've got, usually,
[14:53] I usually have this in front of me and now I'm trying to find it.
[14:59] History Commission, History Commission.
[15:00] For your commission, the Distinguished Fizzance Luncheon is coming up on September 27th.
[15:10] And so that's the luncheon that we do each year to honor the sort of 10 to 12 folks who have been chosen
[15:18] as Brunswick Distinguished Fizzance for their contributions to the community over the course of their
[15:23] times. That's, you know, usually most of the audience there is the family members of those
[15:30] honorees, but ticket are available for purchase by the public. I checked earlier today
[15:37] there is a link in the special events page on the city website where members of the public
[15:42] were interested, can go and get tickets.
[15:47] Housing Advisory Committee, we met for the second time recently, had a very good discussion
[15:54] about short-term rentals, any accessory dwelling units, they thank you for the planning
[16:01] department for helping facilitate that and put that together.
[16:05] Finance Commission, we talked over a few purchase orders and also some contracts for renovation
[16:15] work on the Captain Building.
[16:16] I think that's all come before Councilor Herdia at this point, and
[16:25] Beacon did a their annual
[16:30] school supplies drive, managed to fill 250 backpacks with school supplies for kids going
[16:37] to Valley and Brunswick Elementary as well as the Brunswick Middle and West School, so thank
[16:42] you to all who either donated their time or their supplies or money to make that have
[16:50] And I think that's it.
[16:55] Oh, last thing, Potomac Street Mile,
[16:57] in memory of our late police chief, Milton Fred Stunyer.
[17:02] That's a little, you know, one mile, fun run, community event
[17:07] that's happening this coming Saturday, pre-rac registration,
[17:12] opens up at 8 o'clock in the morning, right down here
[17:15] across the street at Square Counter-Port.
[17:18] All right, thank you, sir.
[17:20] Councilmember Sandusky.
[17:22] I'm going to start off with Brunswick Fire Department.
[17:28] They were at National Night Out.
[17:29] They felt like it was very well attended.
[17:32] They were still looking for volunteers.
[17:36] So anybody interested in volunteering in the fire service.
[17:39] They are willing to train you.
[17:44] The friends of the Brunswick Library are looking
[17:46] for volunteers, for book sales at Railroad Days, and lastly on my list is the Brunswick Crossing
[17:56] HOA. Their next board meeting will be on September 3rd at 6.30 PM, and that meeting
[18:02] will be virtual. Now it's not at that, I'm good to go.
[18:07] All right. Thank you, sir. Councillor members, members.
[18:09] Well, I think our lunch, you may as my group, was quite nice and going on there.
[18:16] The Amos company is the same way.
[18:19] I'm always looking for volunteers.
[18:23] They will start back on September of the 12th
[18:27] for their annual pancake breakfast.
[18:29] So that's in the works.
[18:33] They are also scheduled to receive a new rescue boat.
[18:38] It's just a matter of going way out to the Garrett County
[18:40] picked up. So hopefully in the next two weeks we'll have another piece of equipment for the
[18:46] ambulance company. I don't like a lot of folks realize that between Harper's Ferry and
[18:54] Porter Rocks, this is probably the most dangerous part of the Potomac River, and the
[19:00] Boats Perth Services Fire and Rescue Service Service are on the river just about every
[19:06] weekend, looking for folks that are overdo or folks that are getting trouble and sometimes
[19:11] during a week or late late at night.
[19:14] So that resources are very well-needed, and the source is familiar to everything is quiet
[19:21] there.
[19:24] No pun intended, but that's moved along, grass is getting cut and people are happy, so there
[19:31] we're going to.
[19:32] Are they happy?
[19:35] All right, thank you sir, Councilmember St. John.
[19:39] The museum is at a busy summer.
[19:41] We have some new volunteers.
[19:42] We've had a lot of people through the museum and things have been very busy down there.
[19:46] So we're very pleased with where that's going along.
[19:49] The green team had a meeting with us pretty this past week.
[19:53] We've discussed new options and operations.
[19:56] And we're looking forward to some big things happening from them soon.
[20:01] The roadary had their meeting earlier this month, and they are mostly looking at planning for the October fast ground at the Frederick Care grounds.
[20:10] And, of course, looking for volunteers for October fast ground at the Frederick Care ground. And that's all I have for report.
[20:16] All right. Thank you, sir. That concludes the Council reports. So we'll move along to the consent agenda tonight. We have two items in F526 budget amendment in the DG Street to our line change order.
[20:29] Any questions on the consent agenda or motion?
[20:32] I make a motion that we approve the consent agenda as it sits.
[20:36] Motion.
[20:37] Discussion.
[20:38] Council Member Caves go ahead.
[20:40] Just one question.
[20:40] There wouldn't not affect the way that I wrote on it, but with the D-Street, Stureline, I read
[20:48] here that it's Ms. Utility, Phil, to come out there and mark the Utilities and then contact
[20:54] to sort of found them the hard way that is I understand it.
[20:59] But why I'm wondering is when nothing was marked
[21:02] did that not cause the contractor to wonder
[21:04] what nothing was marked?
[21:07] Don, come on up.
[21:11] So everything was marked water, sewer.
[21:15] There were two power lines running up.
[21:19] So it's not common or uncommon to have two power lines
[21:24] running up, they seen the one over there marked in everything, when it was at marked, it took
[21:31] four times before they, well, when they found that it was pre-marked three times before that,
[21:38] and it was never identified by them, which none of this would happen if they actually would
[21:45] have done their job because they're surveyor short of the engineers would actually put it in,
[21:50] said, OK, we're not putting in here.
[21:53] And that would have changed a lot of things.
[21:55] Yeah, so they were marketing.
[21:57] It's just not all the marketing.
[21:58] Yes.
[21:59] Thanks.
[22:00] So I guess not only question that that is, how did
[22:03] Mr. Util, they missed the utility part of it.
[22:08] We know it's supposed to be there.
[22:10] And why do we get stuck with the...
[22:12] It happens all the time.
[22:14] Believe it or not.
[22:16] We've dug and hit the cable power, they, we've called, have it marked in, they didn't
[22:24] market. It all depends on how well the guy wants to get out and do his job. And sometimes
[22:32] they do a really nice job and other times they choose not to do it so well and they'll
[22:37] mark some of it and not all of it. And miss utilities has disclaimers that they're not liable.
[22:41] Yeah. I looked into that trust me. They, they, they got our lines of impulse to, to get
[22:48] them out of that. Okay. Mr. Utility missed the utility, so that's correct.
[22:55] Thank you very much. Any other questions or comments? Good questions on that. All in favor?
[23:00] Aye. Aye. Any opposed?
[23:03] Key vote is unanimous on consent agenda. Next up on finished business. We have a maintenance
[23:08] agreement for Yority Springs, Jeremy.
[23:10] I'm a good evening, Mayor and Council.
[23:11] We'll be here, my most deputy city administrator.
[23:14] This agreement is the last step in the permitting process to begin instruction of
[23:20] Yority Springs, water storage, thank you.
[23:24] I'm in Washington County.
[23:25] So this agreement basically ensures that the city is going to maintain the storm water facilities
[23:33] at the water storage tank site and it gives a worsening county who is administering the
[23:41] stormwater oversight permission to come in and inspect the facilities. This agreement
[23:47] also attaches it to the deed so that if the parcel of land would ever change hands,
[23:53] this agreement goes with it and there's a facility will stay there. So this is the
[23:59] I'm most identical to their agreements that we have at Frederick County.
[24:03] We have these agreements with every single stormwater facility that is the one city property.
[24:08] So we have these agreements that be in a park.
[24:10] We have these agreements that 811.
[24:13] We have them at the Sports Complex at the Waste Report.
[24:15] So this is a very typical agreement and it's part of the permitting process.
[24:20] We have legal review it and it's just the standard document.
[24:24] They had new concerns and their red flags about it and if that I'd be happy to take any questions.
[24:31] I'll make a motion that we approve the maintenance agreement.
[24:35] I'll second it.
[24:36] Motion in second.
[24:37] Discussion.
[24:38] All in favor.
[24:39] Aye.
[24:40] Anyone opposed?
[24:41] Key vote is unanimous.
[24:43] Next up on new business.
[24:44] We have a sponsorship request from Jayce Peeple.
[24:47] Kerry.
[24:49] Okay.
[24:49] So as I promised, I have started putting the amount that is left in the fund.
[24:54] So right now in the general community sponsor.
[25:00] Membership fund, there's 7,750 dollars remaining. So, they are asking for a donation for an upcoming
[25:08] golf tournament. So, when I look at that, it's $125 per golfer, but then they're asking for host
[25:14] sponsorships. So, staff recommends sponsoring one hole for $150.
[25:20] I'm making a motion that we approve of.
[25:23] So I'm motion and second.
[25:25] Discussion.
[25:25] I just have a question.
[25:27] I know normally like when we have various teams and clubs and so forth.
[25:31] They have ties to Brunswick and I'm just trying to put together in my head how this is tied to Brunswick.
[25:37] So Jay's people came here before and they did a discussion.
[25:42] They they they fundraise and then they donate money to people in the community and things that need
[25:47] I need from the whole range of issues so they give back to the community so they're kind of the conduit for the fundraisers
[25:55] Gotcha, no problem. I'm just kind of wondering if that's okay. Yeah, it's a valid question
[26:00] Any other discussion?
[26:02] Yes, do they have a list of who they donate to is that available?
[26:06] I can check on their side. I have a community but I know I see him on Facebook all the time
[26:11] I don't think there is because sometimes it's private
[26:14] But they also, I mean, they work, I know they work with legal Reynolds Fund and, you know, you see, I'm doing sponsorships with that and stuff, so yeah.
[26:21] I understand when it comes to some of the individuals and stuff, those just quit past the night question.
[26:26] Great, any more? All in favor?
[26:30] All right.
[26:30] Anyone opposed?
[26:32] Vote as unanimous. Next up, sponsorship requests for heartbreakers.
[26:36] So, this one is for a local softball team, which many of the players are involved with the team are on the community.
[26:44] So, they're asking for 2026-2027 team banners.
[26:50] So, there will be $7,600 left in the fund after you subtract the J's sponsorship that you just did.
[26:58] So, that recommends the approval of $150 banner sponsorship.
[27:02] I make a motion that we donate the $150 for the Banner sponsorship.
[27:07] I'll switch.
[27:08] Motion in second discussion.
[27:11] All in favor.
[27:12] Anyone opposed.
[27:14] K vote is unanimous.
[27:16] Next up, council member vacancy update.
[27:18] It is the carry show.
[27:19] All right.
[27:19] Just this last part.
[27:22] So as everyone knows, our election process failed to elect a person.
[27:27] So we are now moving to the council member vacancy process.
[27:30] This will be similar to what we did when Mr. Bonano, Council Member Bonano, filled that
[27:36] seat.
[27:37] So, basically, our city charter allows us to do this process now in case of any vacancy
[27:42] on the council for any reason by unanimous vote, the council shall elect a qualified person.
[27:48] So, unanimous being the key word there.
[27:50] So, the unanimous decision not be reached, which it was not in the case of our last vacancy
[27:56] process.
[27:56] It did result in a special election held in accordance with our regular typical special
[28:01] election process.
[28:03] So we had a seat open that was vacated by Mr. Yockelson and it runs until August of 2030.
[28:11] The process and timeline to fill the vacancy will be as follows.
[28:14] Starting next week, I will issue the call for press release via the website, Facebook,
[28:20] Council Member Cays that has also asked me to make sure that I get in touch with the
[28:24] paper, which I can do tomorrow, so they get it in for this month. This will include the
[28:31] culture to interest, includes all of the typical interest paperwork like a letter, a resume,
[28:37] ethics, disclosure, and the nomination and petition of signatures just like a regular application
[28:42] process would for the election. This will be open until September 28th. On September 29th,
[28:48] I am proposing that Council will meet in close session to select the candidates for interviews
[28:52] and agree upon interview questions.
[28:55] I think probably our interview questions will be updated slightly because I know some of them
[29:00] were pretty specific to some timely issues that we were having at the time.
[29:05] I would propose if we have only one or two candidates.
[29:08] We may want to just go ahead and I don't know that we need to have that blue session
[29:11] if the will is just to go ahead and interview all of them.
[29:15] We will reach that discussion when we get there.
[29:18] October 6th, we would hold interviews in a public session here in the Council chamber.
[29:25] Immediately following the Council would meet in close session to discuss those candidate
[29:29] interviews, and then if a unanimous decision was made, that person would be appointed by
[29:35] the Council and sworn in by the mayor at the following meeting on October 13th.
[29:40] If not following October 6th's close session, we will move immediately into the special election
[29:46] process.
[29:50] Any questions?
[29:51] Sure.
[29:54] I'm not going to be here afterwards.
[29:56] We'll do that.
[29:57] We'll notify you.
[29:58] Okay.
[29:59] So I'm wondering.
[30:00] All right, we could do the fifth. I just selected these dates. I've not indicated with them any
[30:04] what it is. It's not a normal. Yeah. No, it's not. I tried to pick Tuesday nights because I know
[30:11] people are free on Tuesdays generally, but yeah, if you guys are okay with another date. I'm not
[30:16] generally free on Tuesdays anyway. Okay. All my other committees and commissions meet on the Tuesday
[30:24] I don't know if it doesn't mean you're so.
[30:26] Well, yes, so you can insert whatever date you'd like in that.
[30:29] But I would like it tonight if we could,
[30:31] because I can be that way to the paper.
[30:32] No, that's fine.
[30:36] I'm going to go with the fifth, I'm looking at my schedule
[30:39] and I don't see anything that I would have a conflict for the fifth,
[30:42] so I'm okay with the fifth.
[30:44] Okay.
[30:45] Okay.
[30:45] We'll just slide that a day.
[30:46] All right. Well, I will go ahead and make that amendment then.
[30:52] All right.
[30:53] Anybody have questions?
[30:55] Just one question, last time when we did the closed session and then we came out of the closed session,
[31:02] we had the public vote.
[31:03] I'm reading this.
[31:05] Here's his vote on appointment for that sort of week following.
[31:09] So just, you know, here I'm open to it, but as the intention here to have that be a change,
[31:14] figure out if we've got consensus in the closed session and then wait a week before
[31:19] wrote an open session, or would we want to do it more
[31:21] along the lines of what we did last time, where we just
[31:24] come out there and vote?
[31:28] So I don't take we vote last time or we waited.
[31:31] So you knew that you didn't have a consensus last time?
[31:34] Yeah.
[31:35] I'm assuming.
[31:35] So we didn't actually take a vote, though.
[31:38] You took a vote in it.
[31:39] We took a vote in it.
[31:40] We took a vote.
[31:41] I was being very optimistic and assuming
[31:43] that this would go swimmingly, and we would not have
[31:45] to go to special elections.
[31:47] So I just, yeah, I don't remember the last time.
[31:50] But the problem is if we have an open session
[31:53] and we move to close, we have to redo,
[31:58] we basically have to advertise twice, I think.
[32:01] Which I did last time, you're right.
[32:02] We did do that.
[32:03] So we can do that.
[32:05] We can do that.
[32:05] It's cleaner.
[32:06] I think the way Carrie has listed it here.
[32:10] But I mean, so I think in my mind,
[32:13] that did get a little convoluted.
[32:14] It was a little awkward that we had to candidates
[32:16] just sitting here for an hour.
[32:18] You guys felt a little bit rushed
[32:19] and your decision making potentially.
[32:21] So I guess I kind of thought we'd have the interview, dismiss them,
[32:24] and then start again at the next open session.
[32:28] So yeah, then we'll just advertise the way it needs to go.
[32:32] And then, October 13th, you can just remove Council vote on appointment.
[32:35] And we would just have a swear and should there be a unanimous.
[32:38] Yeah, right.
[32:39] On the fifth.
[32:40] That's right.
[32:41] Because I mean, if you think about it like a job interview,
[32:43] you rarely hear that night whether you're going to get that job or not.
[32:47] So having people come back a week later,
[32:48] usually isn't a deterrent. He's saying Councilmember Kate, if there's a unanimous decision,
[32:54] I can remove that work, but I think we would still need a vote, right? If there's a
[32:57] union. We could vote that night. Not if we don't come back into the question.
[33:02] We still need to have a vote and hope and session. We can come back and open sessions.
[33:05] I'm saying we can advertise it as much. Okay. I think it's just if you have multiple candidates.
[33:11] You invite them back to then, one of them this morning. Absolutely. You're one of the
[33:18] make it work. I mean, it's always been tentative that there'll be a decision that night.
[33:23] It isn't a requirement. Everything can be shifted from the fifth on, meaning if people
[33:28] aren't comfortable to vote that night, then they can vote it on the 13th and then the person
[33:32] can be sworn in at the end of October. This is just tentative from the fifth on.
[33:37] Well, I mean, that is true. We can do October 13th the vote and then we can do the swearing
[33:41] in the 27th. Well, let's plan to do everything the fifth. Okay.
[33:47] because we don't want to hold it up if we don't have to.
[33:50] The intention is always to fill the seat as soon as possible.
[33:54] I'm sure.
[33:54] Then if something happens, then we can punt the 13th.
[33:58] Okay. Got it.
[34:00] Two of those.
[34:01] So we'll just do the flip-flop open close meeting.
[34:04] Think again, like we did last year.
[34:07] All right.
[34:08] Anybody have any more questions on the vacancy process?
[34:12] Do we need a motion to approve this timeline or?
[34:17] I was thinking about that today.
[34:18] Did we?
[34:19] I did.
[34:19] Because it wasn't.
[34:22] It's not about the legislative process.
[34:25] You don't, you know what I mean?
[34:27] The timeline is the timeline.
[34:28] It's not what it goes.
[34:30] Yeah.
[34:30] I don't think we need to do that.
[34:31] You're just charter basically says we hold an election,
[34:34] but it doesn't really say how.
[34:36] Yeah.
[34:36] Yeah.
[34:36] I'm actually before we.
[34:41] Yeah, I don't remember what we do last time.
[34:46] I mean, so if we're only big, we're changing as the sticks to the fifth.
[34:54] I just don't remember what this statement language does, so I'm going to make 100% sure.
[36:16] All right, any more questions or comments on that?
[36:23] All right, so let's move along to council member comments.
[36:25] Councilmember St. John.
[36:28] I have nothing to add beyond my previous reports.
[36:30] All right, Councilmember Smothers.
[36:32] I think the only thing that I missed was the high school
[36:37] design by race that's coming up the week of September to fifth on that Saturday.
[36:44] So watch out for the runners along coming to drive and that area everybody
[36:49] a lot of kids and stuff else.
[36:50] I'll let them.
[36:51] We'll be taking care of that.
[36:53] So, don't you remember Sandowski?
[36:57] I know because I did not bring this up during that discussion
[37:00] because I know there's nothing we can do to change it at this point.
[37:04] But I really think Section 513 that we should revise the language
[37:11] to rather than be by unanimous vote, to be by a supermajority.
[37:18] So that would be four out of five, and I think that might resolve some of our issues in terms of saving the city.
[37:28] Some money with regards to special elections in the future.
[37:33] Okay.
[37:34] And that's all I'd like to say today.
[37:36] Council Member Caves.
[37:37] I'll just note that I concur with Council Member Sundaski on that point.
[37:41] And in fact, I think I pitched some language to that earlier.
[37:45] So things kind of got held up by the election that then didn't happen and so the charter amendments are on
[37:54] Carries to do list
[37:56] You have them and it wasn't that you added to tonight the mayor and I talked about however
[38:00] We didn't think now would it be a period of time to change it given that we have the process going
[38:04] Yeah, I concur yeah, they are totally on and you know the charter amendment process is a lengthy one
[38:09] So we make sure we had all those other deaths and around. But yep, it's there on my list
[38:13] Great. Thank you any other comments
[38:16] All right, and we'll entertain a motion to adjourn, so moved.
[38:20] All right, thank you all.
[38:21] We are adjourned.