Special City Council

MASTER City of Dunnellon Special City Council Meeting Date: March 20, 2025 Time: 5: 30 p. m. Place: City Hall, 20750 River Dr., Dunnellon, FL, 34431 Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance Mayor Green called the meeting to order at approximately 5: 36 p. m. and led the Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. Opening Prayer/ Moment of Silence Mayor Green invited any citizen wishing to volunteer to open with prayer. Anita Williams stepped forward and provided the invocation. Roll Call Walter Green, Mayor, Seat 1 Wally Dunn, Councilman, Seat 2 Tim Inskeep, Vice- Mayor, Seat 3 Valerie Hanchar, Councilwoman, Seat 4 Rex Lehmann, Councilman, Seat 5 Staff Present Mandy Odom, City Clerk Schonna McLean, Finance Officer Michelle Leonard, Assistant City Clerk Captain Ron Bray, Police Department Legal Counsel Andrew Hand, City Attorney; Shephard, Smith, Kohlmyer& Hand, P. A. Proof of Publication The agenda was posted on the City' s Website and City Hall bulletin board on Thursday, March 13, 2025. Mayor Green invited public comments. He stated this does not preclude them from making a statement later if they choose to do so. There were no public comments. Regular Agenda 1. Agreement 1. a) Agreement# AGR2025- 09 for Law Enforcement Services Attorney Hand stated this agreement is the latest draft of the contract with MCSO. He explained the changes were minor and mostly related to ordinance enforcement, and clarifying Council' s authority including the ability to exit the contract. He suggested Council discuss river patrol, and the proposed start date of May 13, 2025. He noted the Sheriff' s Department had been excellent to work with.

City Council Meeting March 20, 2025 Page 2 of 4 Marissa Duquette, General Counsel for MCSO, agreed with his summary and offered to answer questions. Councilwoman Hanchar suggested wording changes related to the Chief of Police' s duties, and asked to confirm the Chief would remain a sworn officer able to make arrests. Council discussed the Chief' s roles and responsibilities as it relates to his CRO duties. Mayor Green added the Chief' s responsibilities and the CRO' s responsibilities will work hand in hand. Attorney Hand replied we need to make it clear in the contract the position is a sworn position. He said this will allow the Chief to continue to function normally. Councilman Lehmann asked about charter changes, wages, fees, and staffing. Vice- Mayor lnskeep clarified there' s no intent to remove the Chief' s position, and suggested changes to the charter are only to allow flexibility in the future. Sergeant Moore addressed staffing, schedules, and pay, assuring Dunnellon would receive the six dedicated deputies provided for in the agreement, with no reductions except perhaps in emergencies. Council discussed procedures for addressing issues with deputies, with Sergeant Moore clarifying staff or Council can simply call if needed. Mayor Green noted deputies would be familiar with local ordinances, and Sergeant Moore confirmed related training would be provided. Councilman Dunn expressed concerns about overlapping costs for City officers and deputies. Sergeant Moore confirmed May 13, 2025, as the planned transition date unless help is needed sooner. Vice- Mayor lnskeep suggested including May 13th in the contract but Attorney Duquette cautioned against it to avoid delays if the County Commission misses the date. Sergeant Moore assured Council MCSO wouldn' t leave the City without law enforcement coverage. Councilman Dunn asked what date will the monthly payment be due to MCSO. After further discussion, Council settled on the first business day of each month, and staff confirmed insurance coverage was adequate. Councilwoman Hanchar raised a question about the City' s marine patrol, and whether it was addressed in the agreement. Sergeant Moore confirmed MCSO would continue to patrol the entire river, and Vice- Mayor lnskeep pointed out the contract does indicate the City is to maintain river patrol duties inside the city limits. Councilman Lehmann asked about the City' s need for extra officers during events. Sergeant Moore replied MCSO provides deputies for other municipal events without charge, and if additional assistance is needed it would be provided. Vice- Mayor lnskeep mentioned he would like to review the overall logistics and timeline for finalizing the agreement, and he said he was initially under the impression they would vote on it tonight. Mayor

City Council Meeting March 20, 2025 Page 3 of 4 Green asked Attorney Hand about the time needed for County review, but Attorney Hand couldn' t give an exact timeline, and he promised to emphasize the importance of timely review to the County. Vice Mayor Inskeep said it appeared everyone generally agreed on the draft agreement. Attorney Hand noted they still need to confirm the river patrol section, and Vice- Mayor Inskeep said he believed it was already adequately addressed. Attorney Hand stressed the importance of shared understanding between both parties. The Council also discussed the service payment structure, with Mrs. McLean confirming it would be paid from the general fund. Councilwoman Hanchar asked detailed questions about the Chief' s department goals, HR wording, authority over hiring and promotions, firearm training, and CJIS ( Criminal Justice Information Services) compliance. Vice- Mayor Inskeep explained these questions were mainly about the reserve officer program, and it would be the Chief' s duty to ensure officers were trained and compliant. Captain Bray further clarified, explaining firearm competency was necessary for certification, and CJIS compliance referred to secure record- keeping, and adherence to state and federal standards. Councilman Lehmann asked if the City' s strategic plan would have to follow MCSO' s structure. Captain Bray assured him it would not, and Dunnellon would keep its Police Department, policies, and strategic plan, but MCSO would provide patrol and law enforcement services. Captain Bray emphasized that City rules wouldn' t change, and Council would still set their own goals with access to MCSO leadership if needed. Councilwoman Hanchar added if any issues arose, they would first go to Captain Bray and then, if necessary, escalate to Lt. Vowinkel. Mayor Green praised Captain Bray and Lt. Vowinkel for their work and said they were in a strong position to explain the transition to the public. Vice- Mayor Inskeep mentioned he and staff were preparing a list of one- time costs tied to the transition, including contracts which would no longer be needed. He said he planned to present this list at the next meeting, and explained they were working with vendors to understand termination procedures. Mayor Green asked about the Redspeed program. Vice- Mayor Inskeep confirmed it was already included in the MCSO contract. Vice- Mayor Inskeep also addressed the processes for transferring records, evidence, and other department items, aiming to complete everything by May 13th. Sergeant Moore explained it would be simpler if Dunnellon' s records were entered directly into MCSO' s system, rather than maintaining separate record management systems, and their IT department was currently researching this. Mrs. Odom asked if they would still need to keep the EIS system, and Sergeant Moore replied he didn' t think it would be necessary. Mayor Green asked Attorney Hand to review this, and he agreed to do so. Public Comment:

City Council Meeting March 20, 2025 Page 4 of 4 Anita Williams, 11791 Bostick St., asked if the City would be keeping the Dunnellon Police Department while contracting with MCSO for additional services. Vice- Mayor Inskeep clarified they are not adding services but contracting out the City' s law enforcement duties to MCSO. Mrs. Williams then remarked US 41 has become like an international speedway. Mayor Green agreed, comparing it to a smaller version of SR 200, and noted the quiet days the community once knew are gone which makes it important to focus on moving forward. Councilwoman Hanchar asked if MCSO would hold a meet and greet to introduce the City' s new law enforcement officers. Lt. Vowinkel stated they would. Vice- Mayor Inskeep asked if Mayor Green would speak with the state representatives in Tallahassee next week about preserving Home Rule. He asserted if the bill passes, it will take all the teeth from our Comprehensive Plan. Mayor Green replied this will be his top priority because we need to do everything we can to preserve Home Rule. 2. Resolution 2. a) Resolution# RES2025- 08, Vesting the Sheriff and his Deputies with Municipal Police Powers Mrs. Odom explained they don' t have a Resolution prepared yet but she has contacted other clerks to gather information on theirs and is still waiting for responses. Attorney Hand noted the Resolution would be straightforward, and he said he could have it ready by the next workshop. He added it would be written to take effect at the same time the contract with MCSO becomes effective. 3. Public Comment There were no public comments. Adjourn At 6: 56 p. m. Councilwoman Hanchar moved the City Council meeting be adjourned. Vice- Mayor Inskeep seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 5- 0. Penned signature of: Walter L. Green, Mayor v(4-4, 1 Penned signature of: Amanda Odom, CMC, City Clerk