Bluffs Commission Approves Changes in City OrdinancesBy Leo Coughlin BELLEAIR BLUFFS - The City Commission Monday night at its workshop meeting reviewed recommendations from the Charter Review Committee for modifications in some of the city's ordinances and by consensus approved all five. One question that came up was whether these were changes to the Charter that required a referendum vote. That is not the case. Ordinances will be prepared with the changes approved and then go through the normal process of two readings. By law, the Charter Review Committee does its work every five years and ordinarily suggests changes to the city Charter. The current committee is made up of Paul Kuykendall, chairman; Al DeMarco, Tom Morrissette, Nicole Ramirez and Wally Witham. Monday night the commission heard recommendations for changes in five categories from the committee. Once approval is given for any of the ideas the city attorney prepares an ordinance that then will go on the ballot as a referendum question. Among recommendations in the Charter chapter on General Provisions is language to reflect the updated court and judiciary procedures which, in short, means the special magistrate provision the commission adopted to handle code violations. On elections, the committee suggested changes the language on the death or removal of an elected official to make it more simplified. Also recommended is a change in language to avoid any conflict with the Canvassing Board and also to clearly define that the City Clerk is responsible for implementing the tie breaking procedure. A change in expense allowances would use the word "compensation" instead of the current "expense allowance." On the Charter's chapter on Land Development, a change is recommended to revise language for a different business definition and to omit outdated verbiage. The chapter relating to Occupational Licenses would allow a more detailed business type descriptions. Recognized for their work with the city were Mary Ellen Lasner, assistant to the city clerk, for three years, and Phyliss Pepin, with the Public Works Department, for two years.
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