Tallahassee City Commission Meeting Briefs: September 11, 2024

Below are the news briefs from the Tallahassee City Commission meeting held on September 11, 2024.

Item 8.01 The City Commission voted to move forward with a $900,000 matching grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the Terminal Modernization – Elevator & Air Handler Improvements Project included in the Airport’s approved Capital Improvement Program (CIP). This matching grant is required to be executed in the form of a Public Transportation Grant Agreement (PTGA).

Item 10.01 The City Commission voted to confirm the Mayor’s recommendation of appointment for Elizabeth Uchimura for Seat 7, on the Council on Culture & Arts.

Item 12.01 The City Commission voted to rename a segment of Pasco Street (from Orange Avenue to Tucker Street) to T-Pain Lane. Faheem Rashad Najm, known professionally as T-Pain, was born in Tallahassee on September 30, 1984. The two-time GRAMMY and two-time BET Award Winning artist grew up in Tallahassee’s Ridge Road community, where he attended Oak Ridge Elementary School and Nims Middle School until the age of 13, after which he was homeschooled to dedicate more time to his musical development.

Item 12.02 The City Commission voted to approve the five-year renewal of the Maintenance and Support Agreement with Motorola Solutions for the period 10/01/2024 through 9/30/2029 at the cost of $2,281,539.

Item 12.03 The City Commission voted to approve a Construction Contract Award with a fiscal impact of approximately $6.1 million for the Main Terminal Chiller Plant Replacement Project at Tallahassee International Airport to Cook Brothers, Inc.

Item 12.04 The Commission voted to approve the reimbursement of $2,500 in attorney’s fees related to a complaint that was filed with City’s Independent Ethics Board against City Commissioner Jack Porter. The complaint was investigated and was subsequently dismissed.

Item 14.01 The City Commission conducted the first of two public hearings on the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) operating budget, which totals $908 million, and the FY25 capital budget, which totals $302 million.

The vote was 3-2, with Mayor John Dailey, and City Commissioner Curtis Richardson and City Commissioner Dianne William-Cox supporting the proposed budget and the 4.42 millage rate, while City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow and City Commissioner Jack Porter voted no.

The 4.42 millage rate is 0.030 mills lower than 2024’s rate due to projected additional revenue of $503,701 from the school zone speeding program that will be implemented in 2025.

The vote comes amid a contentious campaign for control of the city commission. Matlow, who is supporting Dot Inman-Johnson’s bid to unseat Commissioner Richardson, argued that the city should adopt the roll back millage rate which would require $3.9 million in cuts to the general fund.

However, the majority argued that the city’s millage rate is one of the lowest in the state and the cost of city’s services are reasonable.

The second public hearing is scheduled for September 25, 2024.