The Alachua County 2020 Charter Review Commission (CRC) will meet on Wednesday, February 26, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. in the Jack Durrance Auditorium (room 209), located on the second floor of the Alachua County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, downtown Gainesville). The public is encouraged to attend and comment on ideas for Charter Amendments.
Those wanting to speak on the submitted proposals outlined below are encouraged to attend this meeting. The CRC will be discussing whether items should be advanced or eliminated. The CRC will discuss as many items as time permits. Items not discussed will be continued to a following meeting.
The meeting agenda includes:
Review the submissions below for advancement or elimination.
A. COUNTY CHARTER OFFICERS
12 – proposes fiscal responsibility and accountability, see also 23
17 – Environmental Protection Officer
23 – County Auditor
33 – Inspector General
4
6 – County Manager residency
B. CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION
28 – require representation from both urban and rural parts of the County on future CRCs
39 - Charter review commission diversity in appointments
C. FALSE CLAIMS/WHISTLEBLOWER LAW
18 – model after Federal whistleblower law
D. COUNTY PUBLIC RECORDS
40 – Access to public records online
E. CHANGE COUNTY NAME
27 – Change County name (January 8: Sponsor Bernal/No second)
F. MARIJUANA POLICY
30 – Marijuana policy (January 8: sponsor Ingle/second Richardson to advance, failed 4-8)
G. HONESTY IN OFFICE 36
H. ESTABLISH COUNTY BANK
49 - Citizen and County financial partnership; establish financial accounts directly with the County, withdrawals to be used to pay County taxes and fees, business license renewals, etc.
I.PRIVACY
51 – Facial Recognition surveillance cameras - ban the use of all facial recognition software, cameras, and scanners in all local municipal governments and the private industry. The ban will also extend to the illegal license scanners in parking lots and public places.
In 1986, the electorate established a home rule charter for Alachua County. This gave the County the full local home rule benefits afforded by the Constitution of the State of Florida. Every ten years, the CRC reviews the Charter and proposes amendments or revisions for placement on the general election ballot, which in the case of this CRC would be the November 2020 ballot.
The members of the 2020 CRC are Penny Wheat (Chair), Joe Little (Vice-Chair), Douglas Bernal, K. Richard Blount, Scott Camil, James Ingle, Pradeep Kumar, Erroll “Stanley” Richardson, Tamara Robbins, James Thompson, Kristen Young, and Nicholas Klein.
The public is encouraged to attend the meeting. The meeting will be available to view on Cox Cable Channel 12,
Facebook Live, and the County’s
Video on Demand website.