BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Monitor Editor
KEYSTONE HEIGHTS— The city council gave keys to the city to two former officials and one city supporter during its Monday, Nov. 28 meeting.
Mayor Karen Lake recognized former mayor Mary Lou Hildreth, ex-council member Paul Yates and former business owner Doug Wise for their past contributions to Keystone Heights.
Lake credited Hildreth with launching the city’s community redevelopment agency by applying to the state for the designation.
The mayor added that Hildreth secured $3 million in grants for the city, including $1 million for the airport, and was nominated as Mayor of the Year by the Florida League of Cities.
Lake said Yates revised the municipality’s accounting procedures and financial statements.
“Paul Yates was methodical in approaching the work with an eye on detail, and whereas Paul Yates helped restore solvency to the city’s finances, we stand on his shoulders,” Lake said.
Lake added that Wise also helped revise Keystone Heights’ financial statements in addition to contributing to the city in other ways. In other news from the Nov. 28 Keystone Heights City Council meeting:
Out sick
Council Member Tony Brown and Vice Mayor Steve Hart, in addition to City Manager Lynn Rutkowski missed the meeting due to illness.
Election for mayor scheduled
The council approved a proclamation establishing April 11, 2023, as the day to elect the municipality’s mayor. The term of office is three years and qualifying for the seat will be from Jan. 30 to Feb. 3.
Charter amendments approved
The council forwarded to voters four amendments to the city’s charter.
Keystone Heights’ charter review committee proposed the changes to the city’s governing document. The amendments will be put before voters during the April 11, 2023, election.
One amendment would establish a censor policy for city council members, setting procedures to file complaints against council members and outlining an investigation, reporting, hearing and voting process for members accused of violating laws or city policies.
During an earlier charter review committee meeting, Chair Larry Peoples said he modeled the proposed amendment after a similar ordnance in Stockton, California, where he used to live.
“It is not meant for getting rid of somebody,” said Peoples. “It is meant to correct somebody and so I think it’s appropriate for this town to have a censor policy for the city council. I think the best way to do that is to put it in the charter. That way the city council or future city councils cannot remove it by themselves. They would have to have the people vote to remove it.”
A second amendment brought to the charter review committee by Councilman Tony Brown would change the mayor’s office from an at-large, elected council seat to an office appointed by the council.
“This would not kick the mayor out as some people may want to characterize it,” Peoples said during the charter review committee’s April 14 meeting. “Whoever it may be next year (that) wins Seat 4 is still the mayor for three years and then after the end of the three years then this kicks in.”
The third amendment would prevent council members from directing the work of staff members other than the city manager. The proposal is based on a current Clay County government policy.
“So, this rule would make a firewall between the city council and the workers underneath the city manager’s authority,” said Charter Review Committee Chair Larry Peoples during an earlier charter review committee meeting.
The fourth amendment would increase the threshold for city purchases that require a bid. Now, the city must seek bids for all purchases over $10,000.
During an earlier committee meeting, City Attorney Rich Komando said that some vendors are not responding to low bid requests because the small purchase amounts are not worth the time required to respond to the bid request.
Vape, cannabis, smoke shops regulated
The council approved the first reading of an ordinance that would allow cannabis dispensaries, vape shops and tobacco stores in the city’s industrial land use zones as a use by exception.
Other uses permitted in the same zoning classification include mini-warehouses, light manufacturing, outdoor storage yards and government buildings.
City Attorney Rich Komando said Rutkowski requested the zoning change.
“Looking at some of the surrounding areas, the city manager understood that there are a number of applications that are going in where businesses are setting up these smoke shops,” he said. “Looking through our code, in anticipation of that…this creates a place for them to go in our city.”
A second and final reading for the ordinance will occur in January.
