4970 CITY HALL BLVD  
NORTH PORT, FL 34286  
City of North Port  
Meeting Minutes  
City Commission Special Meeting  
CITY COMMISSIONERS  
Alice White, Mayor  
Phil Stokes, Vice Mayor  
Pete Emrich, Commissioner  
Barbara Langdon, Commissioner  
Debbie McDowell, Commissioner  
APPOINTED OFFICIALS  
Jerome Fletcher, City Manager  
Amber L. Slayton, City Attorney  
Heather Faust, City Clerk  
Wednesday, June 26, 2024  
10:00 AM  
City Commission Chambers  
CALL TO ORDER  
Mayor White called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. and provided required  
notifications regarding conducting a hybrid meeting.  
Commissioner Emrich stated he will be attending the hybrid meeting via  
Communications Media Technology (CMT) due to experiencing a medical condition.  
Commissioner Langdon arrived at 10:02 a.m.  
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Stokes, seconded by Commissioner Langdon,  
to approve the use of CMT for  
following vote:  
a hybrid meeting. The motion carried on the  
4 - Commissioner Emrich, Mayor White, Vice Mayor Stokes and Commissioner  
Langdon  
Yes:  
No:  
1 - Commissioner McDowell  
ROLL CALL  
5 - Commissioner Pete Emrich, Commissioner Debbie McDowell, Mayor Alice White,  
Vice Mayor Philip Stokes and Commissioner Barbara Langdon  
Present:  
Also Present:  
City Manager Fletcher, City Attorney Slayton, City Clerk Faust, Police Chief Garrison,  
Fire Chief Titus, Deputy City Attorney Golen, Assistant Public Works Director Wisner,  
Assistant City Manager Bellia, and Assistant FInance Director Kukharenko  
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Assistant Public Works Director Tricia Wisner.  
1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA  
Mayor White requested a motion to approve the agenda.  
A
motion was made by Commissioner McDowell, seconded by Commissioner  
Langdon, to approve the agenda as presented. The motion carried on the  
following vote:  
5 - Commissioner Emrich, Commissioner McDowell, Mayor White, Vice Mayor Stokes  
and Commissioner Langdon  
Yes:  
2. PUBLIC COMMENT:  
There was no public comment.  
3. GENERAL BUSINESS:  
24-0914  
Discussion  
and  
Possible  
Action  
Regarding  
Charter  
Amendment  
A.  
Language Related to the City’s Bonding Authority.  
Mayor White announced the item.  
Mr. Fletcher introduced the item.  
Ms. Wisner provided a presentation including recap, Debt Management Policy motions  
and objectives, proposed Charter language, language regarding emergency response,  
safety or public health, draft proposed ballot language, alternative Charter amendment  
language, and draft proposed ballot language with cap.  
Commission questions and discussion took place regarding ad valorem debt  
requirements, language regarding repayment of debt, educating public, general fund  
revenue sources, language regarding use of non-ad valorem funds, language regarding  
emergency disaster, option 3, including imminent infrastructure or system failure,  
non-ad valorem assessment increases, revenue replenishment, debt restructuring,  
single-project cap, language regarding project types, inclusion of  
a cap, emergency  
ordinance versus ordinance adoption, Surtax project debt, government trust,  
determining caps by project/situational type, cap language placement, cap amount,  
project examples, leasing versus bond, interest on debt, and principal amount.  
A
motion was made by Commissioner Langdon, seconded by Commissioner  
McDowell, to direct staff to insert referendum language establishing a $15 million  
principal cap per non-emergency project.  
vote:  
The motion carried on the following  
5 - Commissioner Emrich, Commissioner McDowell, Mayor White, Vice Mayor Stokes  
and Commissioner Langdon  
Yes:  
Yes:  
A
motion was made by Commissioner McDowell, seconded by Vice Mayor  
Stokes, to direct staff to add Mr. Miller's language regarding payable from funds  
other than property taxes. The motion carried on the following vote:  
5 - Commissioner Emrich, Commissioner McDowell, Mayor White, Vice Mayor Stokes  
and Commissioner Langdon  
Recess was taken from 11:40 a.m. until 11:50 a.m.  
Commission questions and discussion continued regarding bond counsel presence at  
first reading, and general obligation bonds.  
A
motion was made by Commissioner McDowell, seconded by Vice Mayor  
Stokes, to rescind prior direction given regarding bond counsel presence at first  
reading of the Charter Referendum. The motion carried on the following vote:  
5 - Commissioner Emrich, Commissioner McDowell, Mayor White, Vice Mayor Stokes  
and Commissioner Langdon  
Yes:  
Commission questions and discussion continued regarding Debt Management Policy  
language including debt services limitations, general obligation debt approval language,  
process for Commission approval of incurring debt, not including process language  
within the Code, super majority votes, emergency meetings, language stating debt  
issuance by super majority vote, by ordinance, and not at an emergency meeting,  
emergency meetings, assessment of emergency damages, and emergency ordinance  
language within the Charter.  
A
motion was made by Commissioner McDowell, seconded by Vice Mayor  
Stokes, to direct the City Attorney to include language to the Charter ordinance  
that the issuance of debt cannot be conducted using an emergency ordinance.  
Commission questions and discussion continued regarding debt issuance type.  
A
motion to amend was made by Commissioner McDowell, seconded by Vice  
Mayor Stokes, to include "non-emergency debt." The motion to amend carried on  
the following vote:  
5 - Commissioner Emrich, Commissioner McDowell, Mayor White, Vice Mayor Stokes  
and Commissioner Langdon  
Yes:  
Yes:  
The main motion as amended carried on the following vote:  
5 - Commissioner Emrich, Commissioner McDowell, Mayor White, Vice Mayor Stokes  
and Commissioner Langdon  
Commission questions and discussion continued regarding the Debt Management  
Policy including approval by ordinance, ordinance versus resolution, creating processes  
that are not consistent with State Statute, resolution with two readings, and  
adoption/effective date prior to November.  
A
motion was made by Commissioner McDowell, seconded by Commissioner  
Langdon, to include Charter language to state the Debt Management Policy will  
be adopted by Commission via Resolution with two readings.  
Commission questions and discussion continued regarding process for approval of  
amendments.  
The motion carried on the following vote with Commissioner Langdon dissenting  
due to creating a different process for one resolution.  
4 - Commissioner Emrich, Commissioner McDowell, Mayor White and Vice Mayor  
Stokes  
Yes:  
No:  
1 - Commissioner Langdon  
Commission questions and discussion took place regarding draft Debt Management  
Policy review, adoption time frame, contingency on referendum passing, questions to  
staff and outside counsel, possible workshop, financial aspect, and legal review.  
A
motion was made by Commissioner McDowell, seconded by Vice Mayor  
Stokes, to direct the City Manager and City Clerk to schedule debt policy  
workshop in September with the final adoption to be held prior to the November  
referendum. The motion carried on the following vote:  
5 - Commissioner Emrich, Commissioner McDowell, Mayor White, Vice Mayor Stokes  
and Commissioner Langdon  
Yes:  
Public Comment:  
Ms. Faust read the following eComment into the record:  
Krystina Smith: Expressed the need for further clarification of referendum language.  
4. PUBLIC COMMENT:  
5. ADJOURNMENT:  
There was no public comment.  
Mayor White adjourned the meeting at 1:08 p.m.  
City of North Port, Florida  
By: ___________________________________________  
Alice White, Mayor  
Attest: _________________________________________  
Heather Faust, City Clerk