Commissioner Saco takes leave of absence, Ward appointed Mayor Pro Tem

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At the beginning of today’s Gainesville City Commission Special Meeting, four agenda items that were continued from the November 17 Regular Meeting after Commissioner Reina Saco left the meeting were removed from the agenda and indefinitely postponed. Saco was also absent today, and her nameplate was not on the dais; Mayor Lauren Poe said near the end of the meeting that it appeared she would be taking a leave of absence until January 5.

During the approval of the agenda, Poe said that the applicants for the two land use and zoning items had sent letters to commissioners, asking for more time to work with the next commission and incoming mayor on the timing of placing those items on an agenda. 

The agenda items that were postponed included the Weyerhaeuser property on SR 121 and a proposed 12-story building at the corner of SW 2nd Avenue and SW 10th Street, both controversial. The first reading of the Weyerhaueser ordinance on October 6 passed 4-3, with Saco voting in the majority. The commission will now have six members until at least January 6.

Parking minimums removed, Fair Chance Hiring passed

The commission passed on second reading a Land Development Code Amendment that removes all parking minimums for future development and adds mid-street parking for loading and unloading in urban zoning districts. 

The Fair Chance Hiring ordinance passed unanimously (with Saco absent) on first reading. Mayor Lauren Poe said he was “thrilled” to be voting on the ordinance “before a few of our terms are up.”

Ward appointed as Mayor Pro Tem

During member comment, Mayor Lauren Poe said, “It has, I think, been made clear to us that it is the intention of Commissioner Saco to take a leave for the remainder of the calendar year, until January 5.” Saco is the Mayor Pro Tem and thus she and Poe make up two-thirds of the Audit Committee (the third is Harold Monk, CPA, the External Member); Poe wanted another commissioner to replace Saco at the December 13 Audit Committee meeting, which Poe described as “very important.” 

A Mayor Pro Tem would also perform the duties of the Mayor while he is overseas, so Poe asked the commission to appoint Commissioner and Mayor-Elect Harvey Ward as Mayor Pro Tem until the new commission is sworn in on January 5. Poe said Ward’s previous experience on the Audit Committee would help in stepping in for the December 13 meeting, and “we are assured that Commissioner Ward will be the only person not being nominated for Mayor Pro Tem on the 5th… Technically I am Mayor until the new Mayor raises their hand and takes their oath, but what this would allow is for Mayor-Elect Ward to call that meeting to order and to chair that meeting as Pro Tem, and then when he takes his oath of office, he would just continue as Mayor, and then the commission could appoint a Pro Tem at that time.”

Commissioner David Arreola said it brought him “great joy” to recommend that his “former election adversary be selected as the next Mayor Pro Tem, and I’d like that to be unanimous.” The vote was unanimous, with Saco absent.

Duncan-Walker asks for formal accountability for commissioners

Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker said, “Last Thursday was one of the most difficult meetings that I’ve ever sat through, and I think that probably applies to everyone up here.” She said a lot of things had led up to that and that she didn’t know all of the circumstances surrounding Saco’s absence, but “I hope that Commissioner Saco is in good health and that she is well.”

She continued, “I’d like to make a request from you, my colleagues, because I would hope that as we move forward… we can secure a way to hold us accountable for the way that we interact with each other. Right now, things are just implied and silently expected… And so I’d like to put a motion on the floor for staff to bring back something that is being done in governments across this country, which is a way for us to govern ourselves when we find ourselves in emotional positions that take us out of the character that we should exemplify as commissioners. Some places call it censure, some places call it removal for a few days. I’d like staff to look into that because I think it’s important for us to always remain vigilant and keep accountable to the folks who put us here.” Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut seconded the motion.

Poe said the city commission had previously worked on a Code of Ethics, but it “just did not have enough momentum and support to come back to us for consideration or approval… That helps define the expectations and boundaries.” He also encouraged the incoming commission to “reconsider the Ombudsman role” to help resolve conflicts. 

Ward said, “Coincidentally, I’ve been talking with the [Interim City] Manager and with the City Clerk about working on putting a memo together to the new commission, specifically about how we talk to each other and about how we work with each other, and I’m hopeful that we can use an unfortunate series of events, culminating two Thursdays ago, into a better place and a better opportunity to work with each other for our neighbors. So be on the lookout for a memo in the next couple of weeks.”

Chestnut said she likes to use the word “decorum,” and “I would like for the attorney to address very clearly the role of staff and charter officers. It seems that the newspaper reported the other day that the only role we have with staff is to give them direction. Well, I’m concerned about people meeting with staff without going through the appropriate charter, and I think that needs to be clarified.” She said that when city commissioners meet with staff, they might “insinuate” direction even if they don’t give direction, and that bypasses and disrespects the charter officer who manages the staff member. “Is the staff supposed to come to all commissioners with their concern? One commissioner? Bypass their manager? Let’s get that clear and in writing.”

Arreola said he wanted to remind the public that under state law, commissioners are governed by the Board of Ethics.

During public comment on Duncan-Walker’s motion, Jo Beaty said discussions between commissioners and charter officers should be in public, including orientation of new city commissioners, which is currently being done in one-on-one meetings. She said that interviews with search firms and candidates for the five vacant charter officer positions should also be public. 

Armando Grundy-Gomez said that “anti-blackness” and anti-semitism are common on the dais. He said that Saco had allegedly shoved another commissioner on November 17 and that Saco had previously used “pejoratives and slurs” against former Commissioner Gail Johnson, but Poe had said he didn’t hear them. “Well, you heard it two Thursdays ago. We all heard it.” He said that he had been told that Saco’s behavior was due to pregnancy, “that’s her alleged behavior for the last 22 months, of why she acts that way? Get out of here… You all went back there [pointing behind the dais] to coddle one person, and not to do the people’s business. You stopped the people’s business when she clearly disrespected your Manager… I was hoping Commissioner Duncan-Walker and Commissioner Chestnut would have been even more candid and forthright. This is not okay. This anti-blackness is not okay. And you all don’t see it that way. We do. We watch while you coddle–she’s a 30-year-old-plus woman, doesn’t need to be coddled, in the fetal position, crying. Get out of here! She’s been disrespectful to this community for 22 months, and I don’t feel sorry for her. She needs to go.”

Chestnut said she would also like each charter officer “to take it upon themselves, I want their staffs trained in cultural sensitivity in terms of, what do black commissioners do? What do Hispanic commissioners do? Hispanic commissioners have whole meetings in Spanish. This black commissioner sent a video to a church… You need to learn the culture and understand the culture… I was floored by that last week, and it’s been simmering for months.”

Desmon-Walker’s motion passed unanimously, with Saco absent.