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2021-05-06 MINUTES1 SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES MAY 6, 2021 6:30 PM 9900 NE 2ND AVENUE 1)CALL TO ORDER Mayor Harris called the meeting to order at 6:32 PM. 2)MOMENT OF SILENCE / PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3)ROLL CALL PRESENT: (5) Councilmember Alice Burch Councilmember Katia Saint Fleur Councilmember Crystal Wagar Vice Mayor Daniel Marinberg Mayor Sandra Harris ALSO PRESENT: Village Attorney Richard Sarafan Village Manager Tom Benton Village Clerk Ysabely Rodriguez 4)PUBLIC COMMENTS eComments have been attached hereto as Exhibit A. Robert Menge thanked Mr. Benton for his numerous accomplishments as Village Manager and spoke about post retirement activities. Irene Hegedus spoke about the significance of recruiting an interim and permanent Village Manager. W esley Castellanos thanked Mr. Benton for his service. He further spoke in favor of the appointment of Mr. Travis Kendall, Planning & Zoning Director, as interim Village Manager. Michael Finkelstein spoke about how much he loves the Village and thanked Mr. Benton for his dedicated service. 2 5)DISCUSSION & POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS 5.A DISCUSSION & POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE PROCESS OF APPOINTING A NEW VILLAGE MANAGER. At the request of the Village Council, Mr. Benton provided opening remarks regarding the appointment process of an interim and permanent Village Manager in addition to the various avenues that may pursued with respect to such recruitment. Mr. Benton informed the Village Council that Mr. Travis Kendall has expressed interest in the interim Village Manager position so long as he would be able to return to his current position once the permanent Village Manager is hired. Mr. Benton further proposed hiring a manager-in-transition for the Interim Village Manager position through International City Manager Association’s (ICMA) Range Rider program. Mr. Benton further spoke about the permanent position and the possible recruitment procedures, such as engaging the professional recruitment services of a consultant that specializes in the recruitment of City Managers. For the benefit of discussion, Mr. Benton referenced the Colin Baenziger & Associates proposal he sent the Village Council via email. Mr. Benton stated Colin Baenziger & Associates would charge approximately $28,000 for the professional recruitment firm to assist the Council. With respect to advertising and outreach strategies, Mr. Benton stated the Village Clerk may post the vacancy announcement on the websites of professional organizations. Responding to Mayor Harris’ question as to whether Mr. Kendall is interested in serving as the permanent Village Manager, Mr. Kendall responded in the negative and stated his intent is to help the Village during the transition process. Mr. Benton elaborated on the Range Rider program to help the Village find an interim Village Manager. Responding to questions posed by the Village Council, Mr. Benton spoke about past recruitment practice for the Village Manger’s position, how much previous City Manager experience weighs, and desirable professional backgrounds for the positions given the various upcoming capital improvement projects. Councilmember Burch spoke about the importance of leading the discussion with the appointment of an Interim Village Manager position first. Councilmember Wagar spoke about her experience as Interim Village Manager at the Village of El Portal and the recruitment process. Councilmember Saint Fleur suggested that staff advertise the interim position for a short period of time and if someone is not selected then Mr. Kendall could serve in such capacity until a permanent Village Manager is selected. Vice Mayor Marinberg stated he’s not averse to potentially considering the person who is appointed as Interim Village Manager as a candidate for the permanent Village Manager position. Responding to the Village Council, Mr. Benton stated the role of the Interim Village Manager is to oversee and maintain operations afloat. Discussion ensued on the recruitment process for the Interim Village Manager, specifically as it relates to the announcement of the vacancy to the public, vacancy advertising, current Florida residency requirement, and other specifications for the Interim Village Manager position. 3 Some of the desirable job qualifications discussed were: -current Florida residency required; -Miami-Dade County preferred; -At least 10 years of government experience -Experience administering capital improvement projects, including coastal infrastructures Mayor Harris moved to engage the professional recruitment firm, Colin Baenziger & Associates, to assist with the recruitment of the interim and permanent Village Manager position. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Burch for further discussion. Discussion ensued regarding the associated costs with engaging a professional recruitment firm. Responding to the Council, Mr. Benton elaborated on the possibility of working with the Miami-Dade City Manager’s Association to form a selection committee, comprised of current City Managers, to review and shortlist the best among all applicants based on the parameters provided by the Village Council. Ms. Rodriguez indicated such selection committee may be subject to Sunshine Law. The motion was rescinded by Mayor Harris. Vice Mayor Marinberg moved to direct the Village Clerk to draft and advertise the vacancy announcement for the Interim Village Manager position, highlighting the qualifications discussed, through the various media outlets and professional organization websites, for the application period to close on May, 17, 2021, and for the Council to further discuss the timeline of the Interim Village Manager position at a Special Meeting to be held at May 20, 2021 at 6:30 PM. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Wagar, which carried a 4-1 voice vote. Mayor Harris voted in opposition. Councilmember Burch recommended the Council review the ICMA Recruitment Guidelines Handbook. Councilwoman Burch further recommended the Council have a preliminary discussion prior to the May 20, 2021 Council Meeting to discuss and reach consensus on the desired outcomes of such special meeting during the May 18, 2021 Village Council Meeting. Councilmember Burch raised the challenges of conducting Council Meetings in the 9900 Building due to issues related to the air conditioner noise, configuration of the Council seating arrangement, and other limitations of the building. Vice Mayor Marinberg proposed for staff to work with the Miami Theater Center (MTC) to coordinate future meetings in such location due to its size and proximity, subject to the approval of the Executive Director, availability, and audio-visual meeting functionality. Ms. Giselle Kovak, Executive Director of MTC, stated she is amenable to donating the MTC for Council Meetings so long as there is availability on the meeting dates. Vice Mayor Marinberg moved to direct the Village Clerk to work with the Miami Theatre Center to host future Council Meetings, subject to ADA accessibility, venue availability, and audio-visual meeting functionality. Responding to Mr. Benton’s inquiry, a member of the audio-visual team approached the lectern to offer alternatives to the acoustic challenges in the 9900 Building. Councilmember Wagar seconded the motion which carried a 4-1 voice vote. Mayor Harris voted in opposition. 4 5)ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Village Council, the meeting adjourned at 8:00 PM. Village Council Special Meeting Meeting Time: 05-06-21 18:30 eComments Report Meetings Meeting Time Agenda Items Comments Support Oppose Neutral Village Council Special Meeting 05-06-21 18:30 7 1 0 0 1 Sentiments for All Meetings The following graphs display sentiments for comments that have location data. Only locations of users who have commented will be shown. Overall Sentiment Village Council Special Meeting 05-06-21 18:30 Agenda Name Comments Support Oppose Neutral 4) PUBLIC COMMENTS 1 0 0 1 Sentiments for All Agenda Items The following graphs display sentiments for comments that have location data. Only locations of users who have commented will be shown. Overall Sentiment Agenda Item: eComments for 4) PUBLIC COMMENTS Overall Sentiment Wesley Castellanos Location: Submitted At: 3:19pm 05-06-21 Wesley Castellanos - 875 NE 92nd St. I would like to request the Council to kindly take their time to fulfill the position or Village Manager. In my experience, this role needs to be carefully reviewed for selection. Mr. Benton's last day is in 3 weeks. Thus, I would like to recommend that an Interim Village Manager be in place while the Council carefully reviews resumes for the position. Travis Kendall should fulfill this position as he is extremely aware of the details and can expeditiously discuss with Mr. Benton prior to his departure. Good luck! W