Penson Board Meeting IP: 174.131.121.60 Posted on November 23, 2013 at 10:15:25 PM by Fred Urbuteit
There was a couple of matters appeared to me as unusual , at the meeting Wednesday.
1. The new policy of signing up at the start of the meeting, to speak about anything on the agenda is a little strange. I wonder how you can sign up to speak on any item on the agenda when you do not know what is going to be presented ( it is not detailed on the Board Package ). Also after much research on this matter , I cannot find anywhere that it was adopted by the Board of Trustee's to enact this change in Policy. I wonder why this was not done? I thought that a majority of the Board had to vote on Policy & Procedure changes.
Also this new change takes away 2 minutes from the speaker that is afforded in the present ( unchanged by Board vote ) policy. The present policy allows 5 minutes for each speaker. Could this be CENSORSHIP by policy ? I don't think that is the intent of the new Law.
2. Another strange thing happened at the meeting in regards to Election of Board Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Secretary. At the start of this procedure, the Chairman announced that Trustee PJ Gray was on the phone in conference and Trustee Gray was afforded the 1st opportunity to nominate Trustee Griner for Chairman for another year. My question is : was the same opportunity presented to Trustee Rogero and Trustee McRae, they were absent also ? Also, after research I found that in 2009 , then Board Counsel Cohen, advised the Board against this type of voting while Electing Board Officers, as it could run adverse to the Sunshine Laws. The then Plan Administrator advised that it had to be posted 24 hrs in advance. The Board at that time postponed the Election till the following month. I believe Trustee Gray was a member of that Board and should have been aware of previous Counsel advice. Several attendees commented to me that it appeared as a pre planned set up to keep a Fire Fighter from being Chair, even though a Fire Fighter hasn't been Chair since Tracy Walker in approximately 5 or 6 years.. I KNOW that this was not so, because Trustee Gray and Trustee Griner would not violate Florida Sunshine Law, just to assure Trustee Griner the Chairmanship.
By the way there was not enough votes to elect a Chair so the election was postponed till the December meeting.
Also NOT on the agenda is what the Board is going to do about a 2nd actuary prior to a 13th check being issued ( if we get one ). I hope they don't wait till May 30, 2014 to hire another firm. If they do, we might not get one,
( if determined we earned one ) till September 2014.
Everything is still very congenial between the Office Staff and Retirees. The Office Staff is doing a great job.
Tampa Fire Rescue ( Ret. ) District Chief Fred Urbuteit. Replies: There have been no replies.
You must register before you can post on this board. You can register here.