BY DAVID LIGHTMAN
In Archer, Florida, during their gathering on April 28, the city commissioners tackled the issue of deteriorating speed bumps, accepted a proposal for janitorial services at both City Hall and the Archer Community Center, agreed upon a contract to refinish and polish the flooring at the Community Center, talked about setting up a Citizen Advisory Board, and sanctioned the acquisition of equipment designed to electronically monitor utility meters from afar.
Public comments
The meeting started with public remarks. Laurie Costello brought up concerns regarding surplus assets at Public Works, questioning why these items haven’t been listed for sale as the city requires funds. She elaborated, “Additionally, I’m curious about the approval of overtime on timesheets. Employees often log in around 6:53 AM and sign off near 6:04 PM, resulting each day in roughly fifteen minutes of unpaid labor due to rounding errors. Official working hours begin at seven o’clock, but this practice persists despite our financial constraints.” Pointing out further issues, she mentioned that broken glass had remained unaddressed along 143rd Avenue for more than three weeks, even though her community’s repair request was submitted over a month prior; indeed, several similar requests remain unanswered. Lastly, she questioned the necessity of having four staff members constantly available for calls when such staffing levels seem excessive under current conditions.
Mr. Arnold stated, “We require both a profit and loss statement as well as a balance sheet. We must determine our current financial position. Has Amanda resumed work? If so, where do things stand with the bank reconciliation process? Additionally, there isn’t a City Manager report… Regarding the purchase of a new meter reader which costs several thousand dollars, was this necessary due to losing the previous unit? Did it break down? Or did we simply need an additional one?”
Bill Lewandowski stated, “I want to endorse Mr. Arnold’s remarks regarding our financial situation. This matter was meant to be addressed during the previous monthly gathering, but I did not notice it listed on that meeting’s schedule. Additionally, I am looking forward to receiving comprehensive details about the grant at our upcoming community assembly… My expectation is that there will be conversations around monitoring the utilization of these funds to avoid potential problems… Furthermore, I seek clarification on the progress of revising the land use regulations. If my memory serves correctly, those changes were scheduled to begin this month. However, I haven’t spotted anything related to this topic on either the prior or current meeting agendas.”
Mr. Arnold queried, “Mayor, when can we expect some responses? I posed several questions.” Mayor Fletcher Hope responded, “We aim to provide answers within 30 days… Unfortunately, I don’t have any information for you tonight… Mr. Dallas Lee will attend our town hall gathering on Wednesday to discuss the financial situation and outline an action plan… It’s crucial that all reconciliations are completed; however, up until the past 15 days, only another month was finished in terms of bank statement reconciliations, which greatly concerns me.”
Speed bumps
The initial agenda item involved speed bumps. Commissioner Joan White mentioned that numerous speed bumps around town are becoming loose and dislodged, which worries her due to potential damage they might cause to residents’ tires. She believes these speed bumps should be taken out. Hope stated, “Those on SW 170.”
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Streets that are upcoming should be brought back down. I’ve noticed semitrucks traveling at 50 mph without speed bumps,” White mentioned, adding that she believes they should maintain the speed bumps in the Holly Hills neighborhood as well as the single speed bump at the park.
Commissioner Iris Bailey proposed removing the majority of the speed bumps with only those considered essential being fixed or replaced; Commissioner Marilyn Green supported this proposal.
Laurie Costello stated, “My recommendation would be to avoid spending any funds at this moment unless absolutely necessary. Currently, we lack the resources to employ a manager or an accountant and cannot undertake many tasks. There isn’t even a clear profit or loss yet. Therefore, my advice is not to make any expenditures… If you keep installing these obstacles, you’ll just end up continually repairing damaged cars. These items are specifically designed for use in parking areas. The signage indicates ‘speed humps,’ but those aren’t actually speed humps; they’re speed bumps.” Additionally, Costello noted that placing such impediments might pose risks for emergency services, potentially leading to liabilities if delays result in fatalities during emergencies.
An additional suggestion from a member of the public was against taking out the speed bumps located on 132.
nd
Avenue.
The proposal was approved unanimously with a vote of 5-0, and Hope mentioned that the matter will return for review including detailed cost assessments prior to allocating any funds towards a replacement.
Contract for cleaning services
The following agenda item involved assigning a contract to manage cleaning duties for both City Hall and the Archer Community Center. According to Interim City Manager Deanna Alltop, staff suggested hiring Crystal Clean, who proposed charging a fixed fee of $250 per month for City Hall and $450 per month for the Community Center, with cleanings scheduled every two weeks. White moved to approve Crystal Clean’s bid as stated, and Bailey supported this proposal. The decision was approved without objections.
Agreement for Stripping and Waxing Floors at the Community Center
The third agenda item involved assigning a contract for stripping and waxing the floors at the Archer Community Center. Alltop mentioned their preference for Mr. Stevens, who provided an estimate of $1,500. Alternative bids were submitted at $1,770 and $7,000. Bailey proposed hiring Mr. Stevens, which Green supported with a second.
Hope stated, “I believe we can’t justify the cost right now. We should probably continue seeking more bids. There’s no reason to call it quits just yet; this month isn’t a point of no return for us. Let’s maintain our request for proposals as the expense is still too high.”
Bailey mentioned that they have been receiving bids for the past two months. Hope added, “In my view, we haven’t settled our bank statements yet. It’s unclear what our financial situation is. Also, since I cleaned the floor using Windex, I believe I should evaluate it. Though I’m not an expert on floors, I think it could currently achieve a simple glossy finish.”
White mentioned that she believed they ought to approve the offer, as nobody seemed to be offering a lower price. However, they could inform Mr. Stevens that he shouldn’t commence with the task until funds were secured for payment.
While taking comments from the public regarding the motion, Roberta Lopez stated, “We shouldn’t waste even a second of time. Upon closely examining that flooring, it’s clear how terrible it is; truly awful.”
The motion was approved 4-1, with Hope being the sole dissenter.
Accord with FDOT regarding traffic signal upkeep
The following agenda point involved renewing an accord with FDOT concerning the upkeep of traffic signals. City Attorney Kiersten Ballou mentioned that the conditions are predetermined by FDOT and cannot be altered. White proposed to proceed with the renewal, which Bailey supported as a co-sponsor. The proposal was approved without objections.
Citizens Advisory Board
The discussion then moved to establishing a Citizens Advisory Board. In the public comments section, Roberta Lopez expressed her support for this initiative due to the various issues facing Archer. She proposed collecting applications from enthusiastic residents during the upcoming town hall gathering, after which the Commissioners could choose five individuals as board members.
Costello expressed her agreement with the notion that establishing the Board was a positive step. She stated, “It’s essential to include a variety of community members since each individual contributes unique perspectives, which is exactly what we require.”
Hope stated that the Committee should get a list of focal points from the Interim City Manager, as they felt it would be better named a Committee rather than a Board due to the less formal nature of committees compared to boards, which necessitate public notice for their meetings. Hope also proposed that Alltop come back in June equipped with additional details.
Acquisition of an apparatus for remote reading of utility meters
The final matter discussed was the acquisition of a Sensus AutoGun, which allows for remote reading of utility meters. Alltop mentioned, “We’ve been struggling with the old equipment indefinitely. We had to travel to Ocala multiple times just to get a replacement because the current unit has a cracked screen and can barely retain power. Given that water billings represent one of our primary sources of income, I instructed them to proceed with the order… Despite all efforts to extend its lifespan, this device is essentially finished. This should address Mr. Arnold’s concern.”
Bailey proposed approving the purchase, White supported the proposal, and it was approved by all present.
Final public comments
At the conclusion of the public remarks, Costello stated, “The amount of delayed upkeep we have is unbelievable. There are actually trees sprouting within our retention basins. Fences are deteriorating due to invasive plants like weeds, saplings, and twigs. These barriers require thorough clearing. For instance, in Holly Day, there’s an area approximately 30 feet by 40 feet where shrubs are flourishing right inside one of these water detention zones; workers merely drive their lawnmowers around them instead. Clearly, our stormwater management facilities are severely neglected, with essential tasks going unaddressed.”
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The Archer City Commission tackles deteriorated speed bumps and considers establishing a Citizens Advisory Board.
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