Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Review topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves facilitator contract negotiations for charter review, directs independent attorney search
Summary
Tampa City Council authorized staff to negotiate terms with a facilitator for a Charter Review Advisory Commission and appointed a staff member to lead a search for independent outside counsel, while members debated safeguards against bias and Sunshine Law compliance.
Tampa City Council on a voice vote authorized staff to negotiate an agreement with a facilitator for the city's Charter Review Advisory Commission and directed a search for independent outside counsel to support the commission.
The action follows extended discussion about public communications for commission members, how to follow Florida's Sunshine Law and public-records requirements, and safeguards against perceived bias by facilitators or attorneys. Council members and staff repeatedly emphasized the need for clear public-facing accounts and for an attorney who would not be financially dependent on city contracts.
Council members said the commission should be able to receive public input through web forms and other channels but stressed that internal communications by appointed commissioners should be routed through city-managed accounts to ensure public-records accessibility. A council member suggested providing city email accounts for commission appointees and using a monitored web page or submission portal to collect public input.
Marty Shelby, asked to lead the attorney search, told council he had contacted potential candidates and would present a draft resolution on Nov. 20 and a resolution for council adoption on Dec. 4 that would establish the advisory commission and name the facilitator and attorney. Shelby said the council would need to decide whether the outside attorney should attend meetings in person or remotely and whether the city's existing approved law firms might be used to shorten procurement steps.
Andrea Zelman, identified in the meeting as the city attorney, described a prior procurement step (an RFQ) used to create a roster of preapproved outside law firms and said using that list could speed engagement while conflicts would be checked only when a firm was actually engaged. Zelman described the RFQ as an effort to widen the pool of firms, including outreach to minority-owned firms.
Several council members and presenters urged protections against bias in facilitation and legal support. One council member recounted prior charter-review work where the city attorney and a consultant intervened in committee discussions; others said the new commission's attorney should be independent of routine city legal work so that conflicts would be managed consistently.
Councilwoman Herczyk moved to permit staff to negotiate the facilitator contract; Councilman Maniscalco seconded. The motion carried by voice vote. Later in the meeting, council appointed Marty Shelby to lead the search for outside counsel for the commission and directed staff to return with a draft resolution for council consideration on Nov. 20 and adoption on Dec. 4.
Council members said they will address remaining details at a scheduled Nov. 4 workshop, including how the commission will receive and vet public input, whether appointees must sign affidavits about conflicts, and the commission's scope of review.
The council did not adopt a final list of candidates for the facilitator or attorney at the meeting; Shelby was directed to continue negotiations and to brief the council in writing ahead of the next workshop.
