[0:00] five meetings now fellow boarder this is a city of cinema city council special

[0:04] session called for November 16 and 17 meeting is called order for here yep

[0:22] very good invocation Pledge of Allegiance um chief would you mind doing

[0:26] the Pledge of Allegiance in let's see

[0:57] okay let's pray well we think with this time that we

[1:12] come together at Orden conduct the business that you would have to conduct

[1:17] I know we thank you for this privilege and opportunity we have in this part of

[1:22] the world to serve your people and God we bless every action that we take

[1:52] indivisible yes overall very good thank you all okay

[1:58] first on nominees out of the five consideration against some regular

[2:02] council session you have copies of those take a minute to look at them and I

[2:07] incredibly long any questions on the colony of minutes second okay all in

[2:22] favor aye have you pose the the minutes from the phones that they can remember

[2:31] 7% meeting or approve those all the minutes okay moving on to number six we

[2:44] have two items two items for consideration of night two resolution is

[2:51] there a motion for meeting consideration so negative second vote yes yes yes okay

[3:11] we're good so we got these two items are approved

[3:15] for immediate consideration all right okay very good we have two

[3:22] items and has been approved for meeting consideration 492 resolutions first one

[3:27] is the appointment of the city clerk you will see here in front of you resolution

[3:32] 2017 electing city clerk be resolved by the City Council the city of Sims

[3:36] Alabama law and special session on the 16th day of November 2017 that pursuant

[3:41] to code of Alabama section 11 - 43 - board

[3:45] a hand very MNC that means master certified clerk is hereby elected as

[3:51] city clerk affected immediately with salary fixed at forty five thousand

[3:55] dollars a year for a term of office to run concurrently with the terms of the

[3:59] current sitting mayor and city council or until her successor is elected and

[4:03] qualified whichever comes first if approved adapted and approved this

[4:08] 16th day of November about 2017 are there any questions our discussion

[4:13] regarding this resolution then we'll give you the boat they've moved to

[4:24] afraid oh okay move to approve

[4:35] let me give you

[4:47] tell you what you know take a look at that any questions

[4:58] [Music]

[5:24] okay very good any other questions or comments

[5:28] considerations okay was there a motion to approve so moved second

[5:34] we'll call though yes that's my way up yes councilman Walshy yes yes very good

[5:51] very good moving our next item is appointment of the nuisance abatement

[5:58] officer is enforcement officer for nuisance ordinance this is a resolution

[6:03] that deals with upcoming work for the city as we prepare to institute our

[6:13] court system mr. Gale young is up for discussion he would be in charge of our

[6:19] nuisance abatement issue and he would issue citations in conjunction with the

[6:24] Sheriff's Department all right are there any questions on that

[6:37] let's see they remain unchanged is none worse since his employee status and

[6:43] payment rates shall remain unchanged so there's no additional funds there

[6:51] probably so yeah because we don't anticipate a huge number of ordinances

[6:57] ordinance violations being ridden or nuisance abatement you know as we talked

[7:02] about the for me which means control this is control the big means to

[7:11] stop yes mr. president we approve second roll call though

[7:21] yes councilman Smith yes councilman wat yes councilman flat yes yes that's my

[7:29] sheep yes we're good that is proof I'm saying beer proof but as a report next

[7:35] is the approval of checks for signature does everyone had an opportunity with

[7:39] the chicks mr. Webb mr. Platt yes mr. Walsh again mr. Smith will now

[8:04] that's finest you're looking

[8:49] good okay is there a motion to approve checks so my fellow man Baker yes that's

[8:57] another Smith yeah yes councilmember watts yes Casanova Webb

[9:02] yes yes it's very good the checks are approved for signature items number

[9:10] eight and nine you have to consult a ssin with the city attorney it's a bit

[9:17] premature to discuss these two issues so we're not going to go into this tonight

[9:20] I would just say to the council if you want to do some research on your own

[9:25] regarding bids for gasoline storage tanks and gasoline storage tanks in

[9:31] general I do that on your own and we'll put it on the agenda in the future okay

[9:36] there right now we're not going to discuss that are there any other

[9:39] comments or announcements well I have one tonight is the municipal dinner at

[9:44] Satsuma for the council members and their spouse is going to that it's at

[9:50] setsuna still pre clutch at 7:00 p.m. and of course council is always invited

[9:57] as all their spouses and so how many of you think you might be going to that

[10:02] flat three okay good good all right we'll probably have to do turnout still

[10:07] Creek Lodge well I get you man I see everybody with their mates and it's just

[10:14] right now okay okay all right you know let's see and then we have the upcoming

[10:27] Christmas tree lighting ceremony on 1 December which is Friday at 6:30 in

[10:32] front of the library and then we have the Christmas parade the following said

[10:38] ok and and then our next meeting of course will be next Tuesday

[10:43] are there any other comments or I wanted to ask

[10:47] next Tuesday there's a lot of people that's gonna be going out of town

[10:50] yes and you know this meeting and I don't know if we've got a lot to discuss

[10:59] in that meeting so if this one could be maybe the end of month maybe and then go

[11:05] on to well that might be happy to hit a bunch of stuff yeah I've been asked that

[11:09] before here's a way we'll do it Tuesday and at five to three I'll be sitting

[11:14] here all right and if we have a forum as required by state law and we'll ever be

[11:20] if there is no forum if the council majority the council's traveling on the

[11:25] road or otherwise vacant then of course there will be no meeting

[11:28] I will return here five minutes before same thing if there's done a quorum of

[11:33] council president at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday then there will be no meeting

[11:37] and I will announce at that time thank you very much for attending sorry

[11:41] there's no meeting tonight we'll see you two weeks every Thanksgiving eat lots of

[11:44] turkey ham okay all right so that's pretty much it

[11:49] yes sir the attack oh very important on Tuesday from 4 p.m. until about 6:30 Fox

[11:59] 10 is doing a remote weather program from the city of Simms public training

[12:05] facility and we are just delighted and basically what it is is they have sought

[12:11] out communities that would be interested in hosting Fox 10 and it's a great

[12:16] opportunity for the council to be introduced I would ask you all the

[12:20] council will be there about ten to six on Tuesday over these next Tuesday sir

[12:25] next - yeah if you could make if you can make it at the Public Safety at the Fire

[12:32] Training Center and basically what will happen about five minutes till six or

[12:35] six o'clock Channel ten will introduce the City Council for the City of Simms

[12:39] maybe ask us a couple of questions get it and get some pictures and then

[12:44] they'll start the broadcast between 4:00 and 6:00 they're going to be set up and

[12:49] chief Brooks has agreed to set up some fire exercises some rappelling I don't

[12:56] know what he's gonna do I'm not gonna try to tell

[12:59] you how to do that but I know you'll have some good things

[13:01] channel 10 said they really appreciate that because they're gonna have some

[13:05] dead time there and if they can have pictures of firemen doing all the

[13:09] wonderful things they do they'd be gripped okay so that will be Tuesday and

[13:15] so if the council those who were in town can be there about ten to six over at

[13:19] the Fire Training Center would sure appreciate offer hope you'll show up get

[13:22] some pictures okay oh I took that I mean whatever you put it in spider but it's a

[13:32] great opportunity to showcase the community and a great opportunity to

[13:36] talk about what we have going on here in incense and I'm really happy about that

[13:42] Channel ten great people ready please remember random Stage four okay

[14:18] alright I do public comments no one gave you four no public comments okay any

[14:25] other comments or announcements from council council members will be

[14:30] adjourned yes sir go right

[14:39] yells and I'll try to be brief I was gonna load up the agenda until the

[14:45] tension official meeting and who's it only addressed what was the reason for

[14:54] the meeting what I would like to do that point out a few things are concerned I

[15:03] don't believe I'm the only council member that has these concerns and first

[15:11] paper that you've got here and I think I made one for counts how many over

[15:29] just one yes okay okay yeah I didn't want to miss it oh I have one here up

[15:35] regarding bonuses is that the one yes sir okay all right everybody should have

[15:40] a piece of paper to the bonuses at the top yeah what you're looking at is a way

[15:47] that we can show some recognition for our city employees Benjamin Franklin

[15:56] said well done is a much better than well says we take every opportunity that

[16:03] we can until our employees how much we appreciate them and so on so forth we

[16:10] buy shiny red fire trucks and we bulldozers and we are in pretty much

[16:16] constant communication to the supervisors or our departments but we

[16:21] very seldom get the opportunity to really do one 101 face-to-face with the

[16:28] rest of employees and so are we doing a little research is Christmas time

[16:34] everybody's talking about love family friendship goodwill that fourth man etc

[16:40] etc so what I would like for the council to consider is

[16:46] actually the last paragraph of that you'll see from that paperwork that

[16:51] there was an attorney general opinion passed down in 1981 that says that you

[16:58] can illegally yell a immediate thought was what is it love some love some pay

[17:07] increase to employees for one time a year I called the league attorney and

[17:15] talked with them they said is that this is still good that of course how long

[17:22] you know our counsel look at this but I would like to see the council approve we

[17:30] can't use we can't not a bonus it's not a race it's a one lump sum levy for this

[17:35] month of December and after looking at the numbers I think that if we can give

[17:41] each employee three hundred dollars to buy turkeys and toys to go a long ways

[17:48] for Sean how would really feel about it we're listening about sixteen thousand

[17:53] two hundred dollars and I'd like to submit this in the form of a proposal or

[18:00] something as soon as possible okay not this meeting yes sir the ones you don't

[18:04] have a heads up I think it's something that we should do president's

[18:10] consideration for a resolution for the next meeting

[18:12] yes sir domestic council will check you know any would count would you please

[18:20] see what you might find on that

[18:30] yes well we're gonna have recess of one minute okay oh you can't you want

[18:42] everybody have a copy this yes sir okay yes that's it okay

[19:13] [Applause]

[19:39] got a motion to adjourn indeed that's going to be voted down

[19:45] then you're gonna have to move to add this new item to the agenda and for

[19:54] meeting consideration motion no Werner and take percent of our game factors for

[20:07] the press so you'll need to move that down well in count bridge it over this

[20:13] here oh okay there's something that spoke beyond

[20:18] there tends to believe oh right down here Ali and it's very important okay

[20:26] [Music]

[20:30] well I tell you what first we're still in the comments from mr. flatso is no

[20:37] reason to stop before we finish then about the month technically the motion

[20:41] to adjourn can be brought at any time it takes precedent over anything now had

[20:45] been seconded okay so you know I'm sorry

[20:59] okay is there a motion to withdraw the

[21:05] for the adjournment okay all in favor motion to adjourn is withdrawn mr.

[21:12] chairman yeah a German is maybe

[21:21] reassemble I know we just need to finish the good good just maybe won't go until

[21:27] we finish okay okay but the meeting is not adjourned the

[21:31] motion to adjourn the meeting is withdrawn and you can continue to do

[21:35] your part we'll do a little bit like so I'm trying

[21:38] to be brave all of them that's okay look at this government they're not always

[21:43] breathe yeah next counts me gentlemen this is laws of the clean engine light

[21:49] up walls of a clean city okay and I think that we are steadily moving in the

[21:55] right direction there has been so much work and I mean just so much aggravation

[22:03] trying to get to where we all want to be and we still have issues with

[22:11] cleanliness appearance so on and so forth but I think that's something that

[22:17] we should take seriously and take a look at this the first of the year the

[22:23] information that I'm giving you here is just for you're sitting around the

[22:29] Christmas fireplace and read through this because we really need to clean

[22:36] this video okay you want us to read this and yes you're I'm just saying this for

[22:41] your reading pleasure during the holiday

[22:46] okay would you like it placed on the agenda for discussion in

[22:50] January yes sir okay clerk if you would do that I would ask the council to read

[22:56] the packet of information provided by councillor Platt and we will put it on

[23:02] the January gender circle yes sir and discuss it in detail very good okay yes

[23:08] I'm like a request we

[23:16] great fortitude comparison okay will be the correct procedure

[23:22] describe what it is and ask that I would like to consideration all right this is

[23:31] author ization for merit pay raises for the city of sins and city employees

[23:35] starting today and so DJ is here a moment ok very good

[23:56] yeah I'll try to explain it there were a not everyone because we didn't give a

[24:02] blanket raise this year there were certain individuals of our employees who

[24:08] were considered by their department heads to it excelled in their in their

[24:12] work in their particular areas for example for example just using an

[24:18] example a firefighter driver one who had consistently performed above his or her

[24:25] level of tasking above what is expected of him or her at that position and so

[24:33] the bar chief and the public Public Works and city hall staff gave me some

[24:41] recommendations for some modest increases for those individuals and

[24:45] that's basically what we're talking about here today right

[24:48] they're modest they're modest increases but we felt they were deserved as I said

[24:53] this year last year we gave a five percent raise to everybody this year we

[24:58] are scrutinizing that much more carefully and we appreciate the work and

[25:04] effort of all our city employees but I think it's safe to say based on the

[25:08] input I receive some of them have excelled and some of them have gone

[25:12] above and beyond the call of duty and what mr. Smith is referring to is a list

[25:17] of those in vigils for as I'm determined to be

[25:21] modest pay increases correct right okay so long Mary that's basically what we're

[25:27] talking about and I apologize for asking for immediate consideration of this we

[25:35] don't have it well read it which is the old tradition here with your reader

[25:41] that's very short he said all right go ahead line we're gonna read the

[25:46] resolution but I think first we need to build for meetings early those to add

[25:53] this item to the unanimous roll call vote

[26:00] hey Baker yes that's me yes afternoon whip yes cousin watts yeah cousin flat

[26:08] yes yes very good the motion is approved

[26:12] this autumn is headed to the agenda and we can discuss it yeah Telmo media

[26:24] consideration second row vote yes yeah very good

[26:38] the resolution is about to be read mr. Smith has been approved for an addition

[26:44] to the agenda and for meeting consideration so go pay raise for the

[26:48] city of SimCity employees whereas many city of sums employs have increased

[26:52] their capabilities through training experience and whereas many city of Sims

[26:56] employees have been tasked with greater responsibilities over the past year

[27:00] whereas the fiscal year 2017 2018 city budget previously approved includes

[27:06] provisions for these raises now therefore be it resolved the mayor and

[27:10] council do hereby authorize merit increase in penny in accordance with the

[27:14] record patience of their supervisors defective

[27:17] on the 16th day of 2017

[27:22] mr. president move for adoption second time to make like your percentage yeah I

[27:31] mean if there are percentage there no it's not a percentage it's based on an

[27:37] evaluation of each employee and what they were making right here job

[27:44] description and what the the change would be in the new job description some

[27:49] were moved up is that right someone moved up into a different position some

[27:53] were given just a dollar to increase yeah because for example if you have a

[27:59] if you have a fire powder one driver and he's been means you we've talked about

[28:04] this before you had one who was a firefighter one he's been doing the work

[28:10] of two correct that's what we're doing is we're acknowledging that the

[28:14] gentleman has done the training he's worked above and beyond he's been doing

[28:18] the work of a firefighter too and now were they officially acknowledging that

[28:22] and adjusting is paying and salary schedule and job description to be dead

[28:27] right yes okay so that's what we have all right ma'am Baker yes councilman

[28:40] snap yes councilman watts yes yes yes that's my washing yes very good

[28:48] that's approved I'm glad you got that in thank you at the eleventh hour but you

[28:52] me okay now there any other comments or announcements storm we adjourn second

[29:00] all in favor mr. chair

[29:06] keep going okay all right this one here I've explained

[29:13] that if you would please read it so that we can address it after the holiday it

[29:19] ties right in with the ordinances that have been established and enforcement

[29:27] cetera et cetera this here may be something that you have

[29:31] little concern with this Chrissa q oh this is just an example of what I deal

[29:38] with a lot and it ties in with what I would like to title as a

[29:48] self-examination by the council so that we can try to evaluate how good a job we

[29:58] are doing before others have to come tell us that we're doing a good job or a

[30:03] bad job as chairman of the Public Safety Committee I I think that we are as a

[30:16] ruling body trying to accomplish too much with too little and I think that

[30:24] the agenda itself with evidence of that when this was sent to the council

[30:33] members cellphone and telephones and power lines heated up if I want to know

[30:40] what this is what that is and gentlemen it's my opinion that that is a very good

[30:46] example of the lack of communications now you're talking about the paper you

[30:52] give us is our agencies prepared for a national power grid down well is this an

[30:57] example there are many contingencies that we as a city

[31:03] to evaluate and take a look at in order to protect our systems I think you make

[31:08] a valid point and I think you know we're all aware of the fact that our our

[31:12] national power for infrastructure is variable and it's it's it's fraught the

[31:18] problem so I think you bring up a very good point I do well but I think it's

[31:23] something you to address at the point that I really would like to bring to

[31:27] light it uh again I think we're trying to do too much with too little this like

[31:33] said this agenda sure tells me that when it's put together people will press for

[31:42] time did not have the time or the means to communicate this as soon as they

[31:49] could or explaining just an example just an example and the familiar of a

[31:57] complete agenda that's another example while I'm saying is we may be pinching

[32:04] the penny Jamar we really need to take in the valuation

[32:08] of what we need and what we don't need yeah you're talking terms with personnel

[32:15] yes sir and the bad side of this is we try to recognize and reward people for

[32:25] very good work we also need to see that we're not spending money on people that

[32:33] are not that's a very good point I know it's it's a it's the other side

[32:38] of employee management and you know you always want to give special attention to

[32:43] those who need pay raises and they need recognition but as you say in the Army

[32:50] sometimes it goes the other way and you need to as they used to say adjust their

[32:56] height so if you had people who are getting X number of dollars and they're

[33:00] not earning that then we as a council have a duty to

[33:03] make sure they're paid adjust exactly well have the council it's our

[33:08] responsibility and holidays are here the only thing that I'm asking to move it as

[33:13] quickly as possible long as a recent agreement on the lump sum payment for

[33:20] the employees and then on the first of the year we get busy looking at these

[33:25] issues I think that we have employees in positions where we don't need employees

[33:32] and I think that we're desperately short in others I'm not just talking fire on

[33:36] Falcon well I think I think you make a valid point and I think we

[34:51] a child yes sir yeah I wanted to share with you one thing we go about that God

[34:58] would afford to give him right back to your mother's down

[35:11] all right you want a ride to the dinner plate

Semmes City Council Special Meeting November 16, 2017.

Transcript