Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/24/02C_ APRIL 24, 2002 At a Meeting of the Board of Commissioners, held in the Commission Chambers at City Hall at 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 24, 2002, Mayor Paxton presided, and upon call of the roll by the Assistant City Clerk, the following answered to their names: Commissioners Abraham, Coleman, Montgomery, and Mayor Paxton (4). Commissioner Smith was absent (1). MOTION R & F CALLED MEETING NOTICES Commissioner Montgomery offered motion, seconded by Commissioner Coleman, that the executed Notices of Called Meeting for 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 24, 2002, be received and filed. Adopted on call of the roll, yeas, Commissioners Abraham, Coleman, Montgomery and Mayor Paxton (4). Mayor Paxton had a meeting with representatives of the African-American community including NAACP and ministers, other people who were not part of the NAACP. The group of men and women agreed to meet with the Mayor and discuss the NAACP issues that were submitted to the Commission concerning the African-American community. J. W. Cleary Danny Murphy Rev. Harvey Rev. Dunbar Anton Reese Rosa Scott Rev. Henderson Danny Fugate Dhomynic Lightfoot The following municipal order is in response to this meeting. After much discussion and even though the Board was not in total agreement with the specific wording that the Mayor had in the Memorandum, Mayor Paxton, Commissioner Coleman, and Commissioner Montgomery did agree to go forward in the spirit and intent and forward movement of going to the next step in solving these issues. MUNICIPAL ORDER RESPONSE TO NAACP PETITION Mayor Paxton offered motion, seconded by Commissioner Coleman, that a Municipal Order entitled, "A MUNICIPAL ORDER GIVING COMMISION ENDORSEMENT OF STATEMENTS AND COMMITMENTS IN ATTACHED NAACP PETITION AND MEMORANDUM AND INSTRUCTING STAFF TO PROCEED WITH ACTIONS REFERENCED IN MEMORANDUM", be adopted. Commissioner Abraham made the following statement: We are dealing with a couple of spirits here. I would be, in my opinion, less than responsible as an elected official not to address the first one. The first one in spirit is the way this whole thing came together. I object very seriously because we got wind of a meeting that was going on and the contents that were going to be discussed in that meeting a few hours before that meeting on a late Wednesday, the very first one. I object to that because of the form of government that we have, and when you do things like that which this administration has done before and we ratify it by voting on it, it only enhances that spirit. And I'm not interested in enhancing that spirit, I think we are meeting here in trying to come to an agreement with the City and its citizens to get rid of that spirit. So every time we agree on the spirit of things I think we need to be careful when we use that word and what we are agreeing to. The spirit of unity and fairness I am all for that, but it is almost like we need a separate vote to decide on what spirit we are going to agree to. Now everything that we talked about here and comments made the goal of equality for all citizens --like the "Fairness for all Citizens" like the sign said --that Mr. Gladman had, I am all for that. I will work with every ounce of energy I have to make sure that happens. But we cannot continue to, as the City Manager likes to say `break protocol', and set up things and then we come back and say this is okay we are going to ratify this in the spirit of what we are doing. The reason we are in the situation we are in right now is because policy and procedures have not been followed. Having said that, I cannot agree with that spirit that was initially brought. However, I do agree in the spirit of fairness to all our citizens that we will be committed. Like the committee said there have been several investigations and findings put out there and past administrations that has said we are committed and there was no meat to it. So I am on 49 APRIL 24, 2002 this commission at least for a few more months and I will work with everything I can to make sure that we are committed to "Fairness for all Citizens". AT THIS TIME THE MAYOR CALLED FOR THE VOTE Adopted on call of the roll, yeas, Commissioners Montgomery, Coleman and Mayor Paxton (3). Abstain, Commissioner Abraham (1). M.O. 949; BK 4; PG -9 Upon motion the meeting adjourned. ADOPTED: , 2002 1610%afi In e� &gjk� Assistant City Clerk Mayor