TREASURE ISLAND — A search is underway to fill the position of Treasure Island city clerk, which became vacant on May 2.
City Clerk Ruth Nickerson gave the city the required 30-day notice of her intent to leave the post in late April.
Deputy City Clerk Celine Kidwell, who was hired in 2018, will serve as acting city clerk until a replacement is chosen. She also has asked to be considered for the post on a permanent basis.
At a May 24 meeting of the city commission, Kidwell told commissioners she expects to get her Florida Association of City Clerks certification in October. She said she’s been working on the certification process, which generally takes two years to complete.
Meantime, Commissioner Saleene Partridge said she has heard complaints from some residents who thought the process leading up to the appointment of then-assistant city manager Amy Davis as city manager in May 2021 should have been more open.
“We had Amy in place as our assistant city manager,” Mayor Tyler Paine responded. “That was sort of like an attrition plan, and we kind of got used to it.”
Said Commissioner John Doctor: “When you are in management, you need to have succession planning, and I think that’s what we are doing. I think that’s what we’ve done. I think that is a good example of Amy being moved into the position — she was qualified — and I think this is a very similar situation.”
After some further discussion, commissioners decided to open the application process for the city clerk position for 14 days.
Commissioner Deborah Toth said some who apply may be simultaneously considered as assistant city clerk applicants.
City Attorney Jennifer Cowan said applicant interviews — and an ultimate decision on the appointment — will be incorporated into the city’s public meeting agendas. Applicants interested in the position can get more information on the city’s webpage.
Term changes?
Various suggestions by the Charter Review Committee also were noted at the May 24 meeting.
But City Attorney Jennifer Cowan requested that fuller discussion of committee recommendations involving the length of elected officials’ terms be extended to a June workshop to allow participation by Commissioner Deborah Wetzel, who was absent.
The review committee has recommended commissioner terms be extended to three years from the current two years. Starting dates of terms would be staggered, and in no year would a majority of the city commission seats be up for election.
The mayor would be elected one year, commissioners from even-numbered districts another year, and those from odd-numbered districts another. To facilitate such an arrangement, a commissioner would need to serve a one-time term of four years, and the committee recommended the mayor should do so.
The committee also recommended the charter be revised by voters to limit commissioner and mayoral terms in office. As recommended, each commissioner would be limited to nine years as commissioner and nine additional years if elected mayor.
In forwarding its explanations, the committee said reining in term lengths would deter political careerism or corruption, and limit any unfair electoral advantage by incumbents based on name recognition.
Another recommended change would be to change the charter to allow commissioners to be elected at large.
In June, commissioners will discuss whether to put the recommended changes to a referendum vote of residents.