Bonifay to renegotiate 79 Corridor agreements

Bonifay City Council voted to table two agreements with the 79 Corridor Authority for wholesale wastewater and wholesale potable water when they met in regular session on Monday, Feb. 28.

City Attorney Michelle Jordan was tasked with renegotiating the agreements in terms of the length of time either party can terminate the agreement.  Initially the terms were for a 30-year period which Jordan advised was a much too long amount of time. The City countered with two years which the Authority believed to be too short an amount of time. Jordan was advised by council to negotiate with the Authority’s counsel Evan Rosenthal to change the length of time under the “Termination for Convenience” section of the agreement.

Mayor James “Eddie” Sims made a request to the council to have verbiage added to the “Hearing the Public” portion of the agenda. Sims asked to have the words, “This is not a political forum, nor is it a time for personal accusations and derogatory remarks to or about city personnel” and the council agreed unanimously to approve the request.

Shortly after those words were approved, Judy Powell addressed the council reading from a letter of which she provided a copy of to each council member. Powell advised council she was submitting a complaint about City Clerk Beverly Gilley for her actions during the last council meeting. “I am placing another complaint to the council and the mayor, the supervisor of Ms. Gilley,” said Powell. “My family was insulted when Miss Gilley said we were attacking her and called us rabid animals.” Sims banged the gavel and stopped Powell citing the previously approved added wording to the hearing the public portion of the agenda. After heated discussion between the Mayor and Powell, Powell requested the council make a “Vote of No Confidence” to fire Gilley. Sims advised that would not be happening because there was nothing in her personnel file to warrant firing her. Councilman Travis Cook spoke up and said, “I am speaking for myself, but I feel like a vote of no confidence pertains to not doing her duties,” said Cook. “She does those well, I see no grounds to hold a vote of no confidence.”

Council approved a proposal from Dewberry Engineers to complete Construction, Engineering and Inspection (CEI) for their services on the Hubbard Street paving and drainage rehabilitation project. The $52,500 cost will be paid out of project funds from the Florida Department of Transportation Small Community Outreach Program grant.

In other items, council presented a plaque that hangs in the council chambers to the family of long time City Superintendent Jack Marell who passed away in August of last year. Councilman Roger Brooks spoke kindly of Marell in his statement to the council. “There just aren’t enough good words to say about Jack Marell,” said Brooks. “He was a good man, and he is sorely missed by all who knew him.”

The Bonifay City Council will meet again in regular session at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 14.