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Tag: Anna Maria City Charter

Proposed charter amendments presented as ordinances

Proposed charter amendments presented as ordinances

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA – City commissioners have been presented with separate ordinances containing ballot language and summary language for five proposed charter amendments.

City Attorney Becky Vose presented the first reading of the five proposed charter amendment ordinances to the city commission on May 23. The commission will vote on each separate proposed charter amendment on a second and final reading during a June 13 meeting.

The proposed amendment ordinances that receive the majority support of the commission will be transmitted to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office for inclusion on the general election ballot this fall.

The city charter can only be amended (changed) with the majority support of the city’s registered voters. Anna Maria voters will be asked to vote yes or no on the amendments proposed by the charter review committee and supported by the city commission majority.

HOME RULE

The city commission is divided on a proposed amendment that would add new language to the city charter regarding the protection of the city’s home rule rights.

The ballot question for the proposed home rule amendment reads as follows: Shall the Anna Maria city charter be amended to provide for the city to take steps to maintain and protect the city’s residential character and home rule, supporting commercial land use, maximizing the enjoyment of natural and man-made resources and minimizing the threat to health, safety, and welfare of its citizens, posed by hazards, nuisances, incompatible land uses, and any environmental degradation?

Commissioners Kathy Morgan, Gary McMullen, Charlie Salem and Mark Short have expressed preliminary support for the proposed home rule amendment.

“I really like us putting before the voters something that confirms our desire to have home rule, to try to retain the residential character of the city and give them a clear opportunity to express their will on this one way or another,” Salem said.

Commissioner Jon Crane and Mayor Dan Murphy oppose the proposed amendment.

As he’s done previously, Crane said, “I don’t think aspirational statements should be put before the voters.”

He referred to the proposed amendment as a “non-action item.”

Mayor Dan Murphy noted he doesn’t vote in city commission decisions but he still shared his opposition to the proposed amendment.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to have it here. I happen to agree with Commissioner Crane that it’s aspirational,” Murphy said.

“I have concerns about taking anything out for a vote that’s not necessary. I think actions speak louder than words. I think our track record as a city has been one of a staunch supporter of home rule. I don’t need a preamble to march to that tune and I don’t think any of you do either. It’s something that’s not necessary. So, therefore, I would caution you about putting something unnecessary before the public for a vote. You already are what this stipulates,” Murphy said.

“I’d be more than happy, as a compromise, to post a mission statement on our website, or even on the wall of city hall, that states that we are staunch supporters of home rule. People already know that. The public knows it. The voters know,” Murphy said.

The mayor and commissioners expressed no preliminary opposition to four additional proposed charter amendments.

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS

Shall the Anna Maria City Charter be amended to provide a definition for administrative officers of the City?

This amendment would better define which city staff members are considered to be officers of the city.

BUILDING HEIGHT LIMITS

Shall the Anna Maria city charter be amended to add a height limitation for all structures within the city limits to be no more than two residential/habitable floors and 37 feet above the crown of the abutting road, and include a provision for obtaining a variance?

Voter adoption of this proposed amendment would add the city’s existing height limits to the city charter. Any future modification or abolishment of the city’s long-standing height limits would require the majority support of Anna Maria voters. The similar height limits already contained in Anna Maria’s comprehensive plan and building codes can currently be changed by a simple majority vote of the city commission.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

Shall the Anna Maria City Charter be amended to add language regarding removal of non-qualifying city commissioners and prohibiting city commissioners from holding concurrent municipal or other public office or employment by the city of Anna Maria?

Voter adoption of this proposed amendment would establish residency requirements for elected city officials once they take office. The charter currently sets forth residency requirements for candidates seeking elected office, but it doesn’t currently address residency requirements for those elected to office.

SPECIAL MEETINGS

Shall the Anna Maria city charter be amended to change the way a special meeting of the city commission may be called, from a call of a single member of the city commission to a call of the majority of the city commission, the chair of the city commission or the city mayor?

Voter adoption of this proposed amendment would prevent a single commissioner from calling for a special city commission meeting.

Commission receives proposed charter amendments

Commission receives proposed charter amendments

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Six potential charter amendments and an ad­ditional recommendation proposed by the charter review committee have been presented for city commission consideration.

Charter Review Committee Chair Chris Arendt presented the proposed amendments to the city commission on April 11.

The commission can accept, reject or modify any or all of the committee’s proposed charter amendments and future commission discussion and decision-making is still needed.

Any charter amendments supported by the commission will be placed before the city’s registered voters on the fall ballot. The commission can also propose additional amendments of its own to place on the ballot.

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS

The first proposed amendment is a response to state legislators who may seek the future consolidation or elimination of the three Anna Maria Island cities.

The committee proposes inserting into the charter a statement that adds a new reference to home rule while echoing a statement already included in the city’s comprehensive plan: “The city of Anna Maria will ensure that the single-family detached residential character and home rule of the city is maintained and protected while sup­porting commercial uses within the commercial and ROR land use catego­ries, while maximizing the enjoyment of natural and man-made resources by the citizens and minimizing the threat to health, safety and welfare posed by hazards, nuisances, incompatible land uses and environmental degradation.”

Anna Maria’s comp plan and build­ing codes restrict building heights to three stories, but the comp plan and the building code could be amended by a future commission.

A building height-related charter amendment would ensure that any future changes to the height limit restrictions would require the majority support of Anna Maria’s voters – as long as Anna Maria remains an independent municipality.

The committee proposes charter language similar to this: “Aside from approved exemptions, no building or part thereof shall exceed a height of 37 feet as measured from the crown of the road at the front center of the property to the highest point of any portion of the building.”

The charter currently requires a city ordinance supported by the commission majority to sell or lease a city property. The committee proposes an amendment that would require the unanimous support of all sitting commissioners.

Additional proposed amendments pertain to residency requirements for elected officials after taking office, which commission members can schedule a special commission meeting and which city employees are considered officers of the city.

The committee also recommends eliminating all gender-specific pronouns and replacing them with nouns specific to the title of the person be­ing referenced. City Attorney Becky Vose said eliminating gender-specific pronouns wouldn’t require city voter approval.

COMMISSION FEEDBACK

Commissioner Jon Crane said a charter statement referencing home rule would be an aspirational statement that’s hard to actually implement.

“It says the city will ensure, but how are we going to ensure it? I don’t know how,” Crane said.

Commission receives proposed charter amendments
Commissioner Jon Crane expressed initial opposition to some of the proposed charter amendments. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Arendt said the committee felt it would be nice to have such a state­ment in the charter but he concurs that it would be difficult to implement.

Crane expressed initial opposition to requiring the unanimous support of the commission to sell or lease a city property and Commissioner Kathy Morgan agreed. Crane also said he hopes to reduce the number of ques­tions presented to city voters so they have fewer ballot items to focus on.

Commission receives proposed charter amendments
Commissioner Charlie Salem suggested future discussion on requiring appointed commissioners to face election to retain their appointed seat. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Raising a concern not addressed by the committee, Commissioner Charlie Salem suggested the commission engage in future discussion about a potential charter amendment that would require an appointed commis­sioner to face election in the next city election if they wish to remain in office for the remainder of the term they were appointed to – if the remainder of that term extends beyond the next city election.

After noting that similar provisions apply at the federal level, Salem said, “It might give our residents an opportunity to express their will on that office.”

Charter review produces potential amendments

Charter review produces potential amendments

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA – The Anna Maria Charter Review Committee has nearly completed its review of the city charter and will soon recommend potential charter amendments to the city commission.

The city charter establishes how the city government is structured and defines the roles of the mayor, city commissioners and charter officials. The charter can only be amended with the majority support of the city’s registered voters.

Chaired by Chris Arendt, the committee that also includes Stevie Coppin, Scott Isherwood, Pat Olesen and Chuck Wolfe held its third meeting on March 8, joined this time by Mayor Dan Murphy.

POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS

During Friday’s meeting, the committee members compiled a list of potential charter amendments to be reviewed and voted on during the committee’s final anticipated meeting on Thursday, March 21.

The committee tentatively supports a charter amendment that would limit building heights to no more than three stories. The Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach charters limit building heights to three stories, but Anna Maria’s charter currently contains no such provision.

Anna Maria’s comprehensive plan limits building heights to three stories, but the comp plan can be changed by a fourth-fifths supra-majority vote of the city commission. A charter-imposed height limit could only be elimi­nated or modified with the support of city voters; or the proposed consolidation of the three Island cities into Manatee County or the city of Bradenton, which would eliminate all three city charters. Murphy supports a building height amendment and he surmised the current omission is a previously-unrealized oversight.

Charter review produces potential amendments
Mayor Dan Murphy joined the charter review committee at their March 8 meeting. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The committee will decide whether to recommend an amend­ment that would require a supra-majority, four-fifths approval of the city commission and/or a voter referendum to sell, vacate or lease long-term a city-owned property. The charter currently requires the adoption of a city ordinance supported by at least three com­missioners.

The committee tentatively supports an amendment that would clarify and better define the two-year residency requirement placed on mayoral and city commission candidates. The committee noted the current residency requirements don’t apply to those actually in office.

The committee also tentatively supports a charter amendment that would better clarify and define who’s considered a city officer, including the city clerk, city treasurer, city attorney and public works superintendent.

The charter currently allows one city commissioner to call for a special meeting. The committee members will decide whether to propose an amendment that would instead allow special meetings to be called by the commission majority, the commission chair or the mayor, but not a single member.

As a grammatical clean-up, the committee will decide whether to propose an amendment that would replace gender-specific pronouns such as “his” and “her” with non-gender-specific terms.

Once voted on by the committee members, the proposed charter amendments will be included in a final report presented to the city commission. The commission will then decide which, if any, proposed amendments are placed on the general election ballot this fall. The commission could also place its own proposed charter amend­ments on the ballot.

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION

The committee also sought input from the mayor regarding the length of mayoral and city commis­sion terms and what might be done to attract more city commission candidates and fewer appointed commissioners. Murphy suggested the current two-year terms for mayors and commissioners remain in place.

At the meeting’s end, Murphy thanked the committee for their soon-to-be-concluded efforts and said, “Thank you so much for your diligence, hard work and most of all your creativity. I was impressed with the questions you asked and the avenues you pursued. You cared about what you were doing here.”