title
UTILITY GOVERNANCE ALTERNATIVES (B)
recommendation
The City Commission: 1) discuss the draft charter amendment ordinance and revisions suggested by the Regional Utilities Committee; 2) discuss the draft non-binding referendum language; and 3) decide whether to take any further action with respect to utility governance alternatives.
explanation
At its November 5, 2015 meeting, the City Commission adopted, on first reading, an ordinance to create a utility advisory board. In addition, the Commission continued its discussion of: 1) placing a binding referendum question before the voters (by adopting a proposed charter amendment ordinance that creates a utility governance board with relevant expertise appointed by the City Commission); or 2) placing a non-binding referendum question before the voters (by adoption of a resolution) to gauge voter interest in the City Commission proposing a charter amendment to create a utility governance board with relevant expertise appointed by the City Commission.
At the November 5, 2015 City Commission meeting, the City Commission directed the City Attorney's Office to work with Commissioner Budd to draft a non-binding referendum question and place it on the November 19th City Commission meeting agenda. The City Attorney's Office discussed the matter with Commissioner Budd and provided him with the following draft question:
"Should the City prepare and submit a charter amendment to the city electors on the spring 2017 city election ballot which amendment, if approved, would remove policy-making authority and management oversight over the City's electric, water, wastewater, natural gas and telecommunication utilities from the elected City Commission and grant that policy-making authority and management oversight to a citizen board with relevant expertise appointed by the City Commission?"
In addition, at the November 5, 2015 meeting, the City Commission requested the City Attorney's Office provide each member of ...
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