Enjoy A Pancake Supper Tonight In Molino

November 18, 2009

There will be a pancake supper, beginning at 5:00 tonight at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino.

The cost for the pancake supper is a donation to benefit the church’s children’s programs. Aldersgate is located on Highway 29 just south of Highway 97.

Frost Advisory Overnight

November 18, 2009

A frost advisory is in effect for North Escambia and surrounding inland areas.

Areas of frost will form in the late night hours across area and  persist until around 7 a.m. Thursday morning. A frost advisory means that frost is possible. Sensitive outdoor
plants may be killed if left uncovered.

Here is your official North Escambia forecast:

  • Tonight: Areas of frost after 2am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 36. Calm wind.
  • Thursday: Areas of frost before 7am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 68. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
  • Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 37. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
  • Friday: Sunny, with a high near 72. Northeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.
  • Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
  • Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. East wind around 10 mph.
  • Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west.
  • Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. West wind between 5 and 10 mph.

Government Consolidation Plan Begins To Take Shape; Read The Report

November 18, 2009

The Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission has compiled a status report and listed its tentative findings.

consol.jpgThe Consolidation Commission was created by the Florida Legislature to study the feasibility of consolidating the governments of Escambia County, Century, and Pensacola into one, or unifying the administrative services of the three bodies. The commissions plans will be presented to the Florida Legislature in January and then to voters as early as November 2010.

The Consolidation Commission must present a status report to the Town of Century, Escambia County and the City of Pensacola by the end of November. In order to present that report and begin to draft a consolidation plan, the commission has voted on a number of issues and decided how certain aspects of a consolidated government would be handled.

Today, we begin a two-part series looking at the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission’s findings to date. Tomorrow, in part two of our series, we will take a more in depth look at the commission’s findings and what they might mean to the residents of North Escambia and Century.

Below is a summary of the commission’s findings and recommendations. The undecided issues, primarily those involving the sheriff and the actual form of government, will be up for a commission vote on December 8.

To read the actual 14 page report, click here (pdf).

Constitutional Officers

  • Constitutional Officers (excluding the Sheriff) unaffected (not within consolidated government): The Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Clerk of the Court, and Supervisor of Elections, should remain as independent constitutional officers. In other words, these official should not be included within the consolidated government.

Public Safety

  • Unified Law Enforcement: (not yet decided)
  • An elected Sheriff as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer: (not yet decided)
  • Non-partisan election for Sheriff: (not yet decided)
  • Unified Fire Departments: The Escambia County and City of Pensacola Fire Departments should be consolidated into a combined system of professional and volunteer firefighters.
  • Unified Communications: The Communication Centers (911, etc) for Law Enforcement and Fire should be combined.

Administrative Services

  • Unified Administrative Services: Under the consolidated government, all “structural impediments” to a full merger of the administrative services of the County and municipalities (i.e., Human Resources, Finance, Public Information, Information Technology, and Purchasing) can and should be merged.

Planning and Permitting

  • Unified Planning and Zoning: The County and City of Pensacola Planning and Zoning Departments should be consolidated.
  • Unified Permitting and Building Inspection: The County and City Permitting and Building Inspection departments should be consolidated.
  • Unified Code Enforcement: Code enforcement should be consolidated.
  • Code Enforcement Officers to be certified law enforcement officers: (not yet decided)

Utilities

  • One Utility Authority: All utilities services in Escambia County and the City of Pensacola should be consolidated under a single utility authority. The utilities operating under this Utility Authority would include the services of: Natural Gas, Water, Waste Water and Solid Waste Management.
  • Utility Authority Governing Board: The Utility Authority should be governed by a board of 7 members. Board composition should exist with five of the members being elected in the same manner as the present ECUA Board; one member should be appointed by consolidated government’s Council; and, the remaining member should be appointed by the elected Mayor.
  • Powers and Duties of the Utility Authority Governing Board: Similar to the consolidated government’s Council, the Utility Authority Governing Board should not be involved in directing the day-to-day activities ofthe Utility Authority. The day-to-day activities should be the responsibility of the Executive Director. The primary responsibility of the Board responsibilities will be to select and oversee the performance of the Executive Director, approved the budget and set major organizational policy. The members of the Board should meet once each month in a public forum to conduct the official business of the Utilities Authority.
  • Utility Authority Executive Director: There should be created a position of Executive Director of the Utilities Authority. The Executive Director should be selected and confirmed by the governing Board of the Utilities Authority. Serving at the pleasure of the Board, the Executive Director should be removed only by a majority vote of the Board.
  • Powers and Duties of the Executive Director: If necessary, the Consolidation Charter may describe the position(s) as follows: Powers and Duties of the Executive Director of the Utility Authority: There shall be an Executive Director of the Utilities Authority who shall serve as the professional manager of the Public Utilities under the authority ofthe Board ofDirectors. The Executive Director shall be appointed and hired by the Utilities Authority Board and shall be responsible to the Board for the day-to-day – management and operation of the utilities. The Executive Director shall have sole authority to appoint, suspend, or remove all department directors, employees, and administrative officers of the Utilities Authority.

Roads

  • Unified Roads Department: The County and City Road Departments should be combined.

Parks and Recreation

  • Unified Parks and Recreation Department: There should be a consolidated Parks and Recreation department

Existing Special Districts and Authorities

  • Special Districts and Authorities: Existing special districts and authorities should be left “as is” under the consolidation plan.

Economic Development

  • Economic Development: The plan should make provision for an Economic Development Commission with the details of that commission to be left to ordinance by the council.

Office of General Counsel

  • Office of General Counsel: There should be an Office of General Counsel to help resolve legal disputes between the different elements ofthe consolidated government (including its independent agencies).

Taxing and Service Districts

  • Separate Taxing and Service Districts: Under a consolidated government, there should be eparate taxing districts with taxation proportionate to services provided.

Existing Debt and Pension Obligations

  • Restrictions on existing debt obligations: The existing liabilities of the City (pension plans, Maritime Park, etc) should remain with the boundaries of the present city. More specifically, the repayment of debt service should be restricted to the same funding source or property which is subject to taxation for repayment to the source or property from which such ebt service would be paid had consolidation not taken place and before the effective date of the Charter.
  • Pension Obligations: Current employees should be able to continue in their existing plans but future employees should be under the retirement system adopted by the Council.

Office of Independent Budget Analyst

  • Office of Budget Analyst: An Office of Independent Budget Analyst as an independent department whose role is to advise and inform the Council on fiscal matters should be included in the Plan.

Forms Of Government

  • Mayor-Council: (not yet decided)
  • Council-Manager: (not yet decided)
  • Personnel Sytem: Establish a merit system.

Bratt Elementary Renovations Final Total: Just Under One Million

November 18, 2009

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The final bill is in for building renovations at Bratt Elementary School – $975,660.35. The Escambia County School approved paying the bill at their Tuesday night meeting.

The renovations took place in the front/west wing of the school and  included new windows, doors, and floors for the building that was constructed in 1980. It also included the installation of a central heating and cooling system. The main portion of the renovation contract was $770,500.

The board approved additional renovations at the school when the original contract was awarded, including:

  • replace restroom fixtures in the west wing, $3,425
  • replace lighting and ceilings in west wing, $36,500
  • renovations in guidance and administration areas, $26,000
  • replace air handling units in cafetorium, $82,600
  • replace water meter and piping for increased water pressure, $27,382

The total contract awarded last March was $946,407 to Morette Company of Pensacola. There were a total of nine bidders on the project, with five bids coming in at over $1 million.

During the project, there were several deletions and additions to the contract, including:

  • replace restroom fixtures in the west wing, $3,425
  • replace lighting and ceilings in west wing, $36,500
  • renovations in guidance and administration areas, $26,000
  • replace air handling units in cafetorium, $82,600
  • replace water meter and piping for increased water pressure, $27,382
  • replace existing electrical outlet covers with stainless steel covers, $727.67 (principal’s request)
  • move electrical disconnect in stage area and existing conduit in room 25, $702.03 (contractor’s request)
  • paint bathroom ceilings to match wall color and paint existing doors and frames, $754.36 (principal’s request)
  • modify transaction counter at front office by raising it approximately six inches, $678.76 (principal’s request)
  • add electrical ground bus bar for additional surge protection for communications system, $698.14 (engineer’s request)
  • modify existing boiler, $713.41 (owner’s request)
  • lower urinal in bathroom (Room 16), $949.78 (principal’s request)

The project was funded from capital construction monies from the half cent sales tax.

NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.

Man Charged With DUI Death

November 18, 2009

A Pensacola man has been charged a traffic crash that killed one of his passengers back in September. The accident also injured a Cantonment man.

Steven Micheal Meredith, 38, was arrested Monday and charged with DUI manslaughter, four counts of DUI property damage, one court of DUI with injury and one count of driving with a suspended license. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail on $130,000 bond.

The Florida Highway Patrol says Meredith was driving a  2006 Chevrolet truck at a high rate of speed at Border Street and Lillian Highway late at night on September 4. Meredith missed a curve, hitting guardrail, a chain link fence and a barrier that protected natural gas equipment.

Meredith’s center passenger, Heather Garrison-Morris,  31, of Cantonment, was transported to Baptist Hospital in critical condition following the September 4 accident. On November 14, Morris was pronounced deceased as a result of injuries received in the crash.

A second passenger in the vehicle, Timothy D. Rhea, 29, of Cantonment, was treated and released at Baptist Hospital for minor injuries.

Commissioner Holds Town Hall Meeting

November 18, 2009

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Escambia County District 5  Commissioner Kevin White, County Administrator Bob McLaughlin and other county officials met with constituents Tuesday night at the Walnut Hill Community Center.

Residents expressed their concerns about roads, development, the lack of a local health department clinic and more.

Pictured top: Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Kevin White (left) and County Administrator Bob McLaughlin meet with residents Tuesday night in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Learn About $40,000 In Grants From International Paper At Workshop

November 18, 2009

The International Paper (IP) Pensacola Mill will award $40,000 in Foundation Grants in 2010 and is hosting a free workshop to review the application process with interested non-profit organizations, qualifying state and federal entities, and municipalities.

The workshop is scheduled for next Thursday, November 19 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the mill’s Employee Development Center in Cantonment; the presentation will focus on eligibility, criteria and restrictions.

Reservations to attend the workshop are required as space is limited. Attendance is not mandatory for eligibility. The deadline for all 2010 grant applications is January 13.

Grants are awarded by the IP Foundation out of Memphis, Tenn., which primarily focuses on environmental education, literacy, employee involvement, and new critical community needs. Applicants must be a registered 501c3 non-profit organization or qualifying municipality to apply.

For more information about the Foundation, visit www.ipgiving.com.

To reserve your seat at the workshop, contact Jessica Morris at (850) 968-4203 or via email at jessica.morris@ipaper.com.

Molino Park Sings Across America, Honors Veterans

November 18, 2009

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Molino Park Elementary School students honored veterans  Tuesday with “Sing Across America”,  a patriotic program and donation drive for Emerald Coast Honor Flight.

Each grade level performed two songs, and guest speaker Gary Cooper provided insight into the American flag. Sheila Allen and Ginny Cruz, local singers and songwriters, performed their song “Stand Up America”.

Click here for more photos.

Pictured above: Students perform during “Sing Across America” Tuesday afternoon at Molino Park Elementary. Pictured below: Ginny Cruz and Sheila Allen perform their song “Stand Across America”. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

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Boone Named School Board Chair

November 18, 2009

boone.jpgDistrict 2 member Gerald Boone was named chairman of the Escambia County School Board at the board’s organizational meeting for the board’s 2009-2010 year. Jeff Bergosh, District 1 board member, was named vice chairman.

The board set meeting and workshop times. Meeting will remain at 5:30 on the third Tuesday of each month.

Two People Injured In Molino Highway 29 Accident

November 17, 2009

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(With Photo Gallery.) A Molino woman and a McDavid man were injured in a two vehicle accident at the intersection of Highway 29 and Molino Road tonight.

Deborah Archer, 57, of Molino, was westbound on Molino Road in 1996 Chevrolet pickup when she ran a stop sign and traveled into the path of a 2003 Chevrolet driven by John McCall, 46, of McDavid, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. McCall’s car struck the driver’s side door of Archer’s pickup. Archer was not wearing her seat belt and was  ejected from the driver’s side window of her vehicle, according to the FHP.

Archer was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola in serious condition. McCall was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital where he was treated for a broken collarbone and released. There were no passengers in either vehicle.

The FHP says charges are pending against Archer.

Click here for more photos from the accident scene.

The accident shut down  Highway 29 northbound for over an hour while the wreckage was cleared. The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the call.

Pictured top: The driver of this truck was transported to the hospital by LifeFlight after being ejected in a two vehicle wreck Tuesday night in Molino. Pictured below: The driver of this car was taken to the hospital by ambulance. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

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