05-09-1985 - Special
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CITY OF EDGEWATER
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
MAY 9, 1985
Minutes
Mayor Earl Baugh called the Special Meeting to order at 3:00 P.M., May
9, 1985, in the Community Center, for the following purposes: Recommen-
dation on bid to purchase 4,625' of 12" PVC pressure pipe and appurten-
ances; recommendation on bid for labor and equipment to install 4,625'
of 12" PVC pressure pipe and appurtenances; and, 911 Dispatch Agreement
with City of Oak Hill. There is a supplement to this agenda to include
recommendation on bids for soil cement and tack coat for new construction
of four streets. Mayor~.Baugh asked if the recommendations for soil cement
could be moved up underneath the recommendations for labor and equipment.
ROLL CALL
Mayor Earl Baugh
Councilman Louis Rotundo
Councilman Russell Prater
Councilman Neil Asting
Councilman James Inman
Present
Present
Present
Present
Present
City Attorney Jose Alvarez
City Clerk Connie Martinez
Sargeant William Lenz
Present
Present
Present
Mayor Baugh asked if there was a problem with moving item 4 up on the
agenda. No one objeeted to this request.
Mayor Baugh asked for Council's decision concerning the bid to purchase
the 4,625' of 12" PVC pipe. Councilman Asting made a motion to authorize
the purchase of the pipe, seconded by Councilman Rotundo. City Clerk
Martinez stated that Terry Wadsworth, Utilities Superintendent, recommended
items 1 and 11 to Southeastern Municipal, and items 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9,
10, 12, 13, and 14 to Davis Meter and Supply. Number 6 is to be rejected
per Mr. Wadsworth's recommendation. Mayor Baugh said the motion on the
floor is to accept Mr. Wadsworth's recommendation. Motion CARRIED 5-0.
Councilman Asting made a motion to reject item 6 that Terry Wadsworth
recommended, seconded by Mr. Inman, Motion CARRIED 5-0.
Mayor Baugh asked for Council's decision concerning the bid for labor and
equipment to install 4,625' of 12" PVC pipe. Councilman Asting made a
motion to accept the recommendation of Terry Wadsworth on installation
of the 12" line. Mayor Baugh said that was for Barnes Excavating Indus-
tries in the amount of $16,199.04, to which Councilman Asting agreed.
Councilman Inman seconded the motion. Motion CARRIED 5-0.
Mayor Baugh then asked for Council's decision on the bids for soil cement
and tack coat for new construction of four streets. For the record,
Councilman Asting stated the four streets are 22nd Street, 30th Street
to Silver Palm, 22nd from Willow Oak to Silver Palm, Needle Palm from
16th Street to Indian River Boulevard, and Sabal Palm from Indian River
Boulevard to 30th Street. Councilman Asting then made a motion that the
bid be awarded to D & W Paving, Inc., in the amount of $76,440, per the
recommendation of the City Engineer and the Public Works Superintendent.
Councilman Inman seconded the motion. Motion CARRIED 5-0.
Mayor Baugh then began discussion concerning the 911 Dispatch Agreement
with Oak Hill. City Attorney Alvarez asked if he could be permitted to
present his views to Council first, due to the fact he must leave the
meeting by 4:00 to attend to other urgent matters that are pending. Mayor
Baugh asked him to proceed.
City Attorney Alvarez said he wanted to discuss three issues. One is a
non-issue that has become an issue, that being the rumors and/or comments
that there is a personality conflict between himself and attorney Clay
Henderson. He said that is a very naive and simplistic way of looking
at this matter. There is absolutely no personality conflict.between Mr.
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Henderson nor any other attorney that he has come against in the last 14
years, simply because he lives by a very basic rule of professional res-
ponsibility. He went on to say that he wants to end these rumors and/or
comments now and he asked anyone in the audience who feels such a situation
exists to voice their opinion at this time so that this matter can be
ended right here and now. If not, he does not want to hear about this
personality conflict anymore.
The two issues City Attorney Alvarez asked to address are, number 1, the
language in the Agreement in paragraph D. He said that this issue has
given way to another larger issue, number 2, that being whether this is
a course of action that is beneficial to the City of Edgewater, since
nothing is perfectly beneficial. He then referred the Council to the
outline prepared by City Clerk Martinez of a chronology of events that
have occurred since July, 1984, concerning this matter. Attorney Clay
Henderson asked for a copy of the outline. At 3:10 p.m. the meeting recessed.
Mayor Baugh recessed the meeting to allow someone to go and make copies
of the outline. The meeting was called back to order at 3:15 p.m. Mayor
Baugh stated copies have been furnished to the Press, Mayor Goodrich and
his attorney. He gave them a couple minutes to look this over.
City Attorney Alvarez advised that this chronology is a statement of facts,
as developed by Mrs. Martinez from her files. He proceeded to read this
memorandum to the people present, saying that each individual can draw
his own conclusion. He noted that Clyde Mann had been appointed negotiator
to mediate the dispute in the Agreement. He further noted that he had
asked Mrs. Martinez to prepare a chronology of the events that had
transpired concerning this ~ll Agreement for Mr. Mann to review so that
he would be informed of the situation when examining same.
From the facts that City Attorney Alvarez read into the minutes, he said
the language is the only legal aspect that is in question. What would be
the necessary and proper language to properly protect Edgewater's interest
if an agreement is undertaken. He said he has discussed the language with
the insurance carrier and there are some problems with it. The second
issue at hand is can there be any language to properly protect the City
of Edgewater. Is this matter in the best interest of Edgewater. He said
he has made his position clear, he knows the facts, they need to be dis-
cussed to get a clear understanding of what is involved here.
Councilman Asting stated that there have been problems with Edgewater
dispatching messages to Oak Hill by radio and by telephone. Sometimes
they cannot even be reached by telephone and when this happens the dis-
patcher must turn the matter over to the County. Three procedures are
necessary to get a message to Oak Hill authorities: radio, telephone and
telephone to the County. Our dispatchers are very busy people. In
reading the Agreement, he noted that same was signed by Council back in
October, 1984, and was sent to Oak Hill on October 3, 1984. It was never
signed by Oak Hill authorities, as was noted on the chronology of events.
Due to the fact seven months have elapsed and nothing has been signed by
Oak Hill, Council decided to take action on same and they decided the
Agreement would be terminated thirty days from April 15, 1985, unless
the_Agreement is signed by that date. He advised that he contacted an
insurance representative about this wording that is in the Agreement and
he was told that the new wording does not relieve Edgewater from liability,
it adds to it. For example, a lawsuit against Oak Hill for a 911 incident
could also involve Edgewater. He was told the wording places Edgewater
in considerable jeopardy. He said he was not in favor of renewing the
agreement of 911 with Oak Hill.
Councilman Inman said in addition to what Councilman Asting has said, he
knows that Oak Hill is on the same frequency as New Smyrna Beach. It is
possible for a dispatcher in New Smyrna Beach to cut off the radio frequency
from Edgewater to Oak Hill. He added that he does not like the wording
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May 9, 1985
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in the Agreement, either. He does not like the reading that Edgewater is
solely responsible for Oak Hill dispatching equipment, personnel, etc., if
they implement the Agreement.
At this time, Clay Henderson, attorney for Oak Hill, asked if he could be
heard on this matter. Mayor Baugh agreed for him to give'~is views on the
subject at hand. He said it seems to him that this is cut and dried and
he is sorry for that. He said it is his opinion that they have done every-
thing that they can. This is very critical to the community and they
should be trying to resolve the problems rather than making them worse.
He said there were no problems with the implementation of the Agreement
last year, however, somebody has slipped this new language into the new
Agreement and this is where the problem is. He said he made copies of
the old Agreement and he passed them out to the Council members. Council-
man Asting asked Mr. Henderson not to throw it at him, he does not apprec-
iate having something thrown at him. Mr. Henderson asked @ouncilman
Asting to refer to paragraph 2D of the old Agreement. Councilman Asting
said this is the paragraph the insurance representative objected to. Mr.
Henderson said it was in effect last year between the two cities, in 1983.
Mr. Henderson said all language about malfeasance, misfeasance and negligent
acts have been added in this new contract. No one from Edgewater told the~
that this had been added. Councilman Asting said they presumed that Oak
Hill would read it, that it was put in to protect the City of Edgewater.
He went on to ask why they did not contact Edgewater that they objected
to the language rather than dragging it out until a month ago. Mr. Henderson
said they have been saying this all along. Councilman Asting said they
never heard it. After reading the section in the Agreement that was
allegedly changed, Mr. Henderson said that was never agreed to by Oak Hill,
and he questioned whether or not the Council of Edgewater was told that
the language had been changed when they signed same. Councilman Asting
said he read the contract and signed it and presumes the old Council
members did also. Mr. Henderson said that they have a constitutional and
ethical obligation and cannot accept that language. It seems like Edge-
water is trying to run Oak Hill through the mill on this thing. Everything
that can be done has been done and they cannot in any way accept or accede
to that language. The amendment that has been presented is fair and good,
it is still subject to approval by the insurance carrier.
Mr. Clarence Goodrich, Oak Hill Mayor, in responding to the comment that
was made concerning them not responding to accidents, there was only one
accident last year that was referred to the Highway Patrol and that was
by a new officer. He referred to another dispatcher from Edgewater making
a mistake in transmitting a call to them. He said they did not want to
be held responsible for Edgewater's mistakes. Mr. Henderson said Edgewater
makes mistakes, Oak Hill makes mistakes. The language says Oak Hill will
be responsible for their own mistakes.
Mayor Goodrich then said that the best thing to do is call the whole thing
off. Councilman Asting agreed. Mayor Goodrich and Mr. Henderson then
got up and left the meeting.
Councilman Asting said he did not like the way Oak Hill was trying to tell
Edgewater what to do when we are working to protect our own interest for
the City. If they are dissatisfied, fine, lets terminate the agreement.
Mr. Mann suggested that they check with Nasser to see if they can be
hooked up. City Clerk Martinez said that he asked her to let him know
after the meeting what the status was and she would call him.
Councilman Asting made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by
Councilman Inman. The meeting was adjourned at 3:45 P.M.
Minutes submitted by:
Susan Mista
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May 9, 1985
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ATTEST:
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May 9, 1985