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Mayor is missed — There was a crowd in attendance for the Dec. 5 DeBary City Council meeting, when the Backyard Chicken Pilot Program ordinance was passed. Mayor Bob Garcia missed the meeting, with a previously excused absence. He also missed a Dec. 19 City Council workshop, and then the Jan. 2 regularly scheduled meeting.
Fellow council member says Garcia missing too many meeting
By Pat Andrews
posted Jan 10, 2013 - 6:23:49am
Mayor Bob Garcia wasn’t there to convene the DeBary City Council meeting, or bring the meeting to a close with a bang of the gavel Jan. 2.
Vice Mayor Chris Carson chaired the meeting. He and other council members were unsure about how to handle the absence.
During the Dec. 5 meeting, which Garcia also missed with a previously excused absence, the City Council passed an ordinance establishing a process for excusing absences following a missed meeting.
The DeBary City Charter states that a member may forfeit his or her office if the member misses three regularly scheduled council meetings during his or her term without being excused by the council. There was no process in place, however, for excusing or not excusing absences.
During that Nov. 7 meeting, Council Member Dan Hunt made a motion that all future absences be determined as excused or unexcused by a vote of the City Council. Hunt said Garcia missed three meetings in recent months, then “chastised” the council for votes they took, when Garcia could have participated.
Garcia said he missed a meeting when his grandmother died; he missed two more for medical reasons. He’d called to say he would be absent.
In December, the City Council took up Hunt's suggestion and passed a resolution requiring a formal written request for an excused absence.
When Garcia missed the Jan. 2 meeting, Hunt made a motion that the mayor’s absence be unexcused. Hunt said Garcia had missed “something like five regularly scheduled City Council meetings in the past 13 months.”
The meetings take place one night a month, and members should make an effort to attend most all of them, Hunt said. He acknowledged that sometimes there’s a good reason to miss a meeting, but, “This is too much,” he said.
Council Member Nick Koval said he understood Garcia had said he would be on vacation Dec. 19 until Jan. 2.
“I don’t know if that constitutes an excuse,” Koval said.
Garcia sent an e-mail to City Manager Dan Parrott stating that Garcia would be on vacation from Dec. 19 until Jan. 2. Carson said he was unsure whether sending an email would make an absence excused.
City Attorney Kurt Ardaman responded that it would be up to the council to grant or deny an excuse. The council didn’t have to vote on it that night, he said.
Koval said he’d rather see some research first.
Hunt’s motion failed on a 3-1 vote; the matter will be revisited during the Wednesday, Feb. 6, meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at DeBary City Hall, at 16 Colomba Road.
The Beacon has been unable to contact Garcia for comment.
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Why did we have a lower tax rate? Is it because of revenue from the Power Plant? Tell us why?
It is not just any Splash Pad it is the expensive uneeded $460,000 Splash Pad that will take another $10,000 or so dollars annually to operate.
It was a package deal with the $100,000 dollar pocket park in Glen Abbey, where C/M Carson and C/M Koval live.
That makes a total of 12 parks in Debary shall we go for more?
It is only taxpayer money...who cares about taxpayers as the city raises taxes for more uneeded parks.
What is next on the Debary City Council spending spree...football stadium..police station...firestation...land purchase? It is all 'free money' the kids on the council never earned but love to spend.
If one Splash Pad is good...lets have another on 17-92...go fo it @ $460,000 a shot.
@ Present and Viewer
No actually you heard the Three Vultures one Parrott and a cheerleader act fairly civilized for a change. The Parrott showed his fangs a little as the Vultures sat there in their own dirty laundry.
When will they stab the Mayor in the back again..I hear it is scheduled for next meeting. Perhaps the Parrott knows, ask him.
Rich Gailey was at the meeting, he went right up to the Parrott after the meeting was over....whats up ??
I said what I had to say, why did't you two clowns get up there and say something one way or the other. Perhaps you lack the guts? No you do lack the guts...oh well...back under the rock 4U
Noticed a VCSO cop was at a Debary City Council workshop, first time I have seen that. I wonder who ordered the heat?
The bull dog and his sick behavior blow that one.
Our city has been taken hostage by people that were elected by the majority of the city but that majority in the last election was around 400 voters from what I heard. Pretty sad how many people are complaining about the council but so few even voted. Make a difference and let's all get to the polls if we want to change the make up of our city council.
@ TC and CT....twins
Obsession?? Glad you pointed out that word, our city council has an obsession with ignoring our debt and crime...while wasting money on parks and the fat contracts to build them. $500K on parks..that makes 12 in the city.
Intimidation... glad you brought that up as well. Watch as a Debary business owner has to complain about the intimidation of C/M Koval and his unelected wife as they harrassed his customers back in April of this year. Look at Lorraine Koval try to explain to the council her husbands meddling it is on tape on the April 2012 City Council meeting.
Intimidation....how about the council's efforts to silence citizens at council workshops, ask C/M Hunt all about that.
Intimidation....ask V/M Carson why he commands citizens to silence in the exact moment they are discussing his CPPI and how they got a 20 minute sales pitch for $25,000 worth of firecrackers at a workshop.
Debary has gotten more expensive , larger and more intimidating under the regime of Parrot,Hunt,Carson, Koval and the cheerleader.
Now watch them intimidate businesses into monument signs that the taxpayers are paying for thru the Debary GRANT system
will even write and respond as if he is Culligan. Morton surrenders all creditability as he runs around Debary like a violent intimadator. Bull dog--- remember
Parrotts annual review is coming up in February or March. Pretty sure it will be 3 years. Does anyone have a copy of his contract. Would love to see it. From what I have heard,(I do not know if this is true) he started with a salary around $75,000 and is now close to $90,000. Not bad for 3 years. Time for him to go.
@ Wendell - I don't think Mort and Erickson are as tight as you think. I am not a big fan of Erickson, but I will say he does do his homework and I see his point on a lot of issues. Mort writes into POP and it gets posted like alot of other that write in.
Lastly, The Kovals will run for Mayor (I say Kovals, since they are always together. That is so easy to see since he now represents the city on every board. Carson & Hunt get the Stadium the real action will be on the naming rights. Let the best ego win....
I guess now I'll be labeled a "Marxist", oh no a commie amongst us!
Between their bias against the Mayor, the $500,000 water folly, the $100,000 park in the country club, the fireworks, the stadium on and on and on!
Enough is enough these people have to go and it's about time that people in this town realize whats taking place. This is YOUR money their spending!!!
I'm amazed at the "lack" of knowledge or interest that so mnay people have about some of the issues and actions of this council!
Welcome to 2013 and the "New" Deltona!
Perhaps you would like to tell that to Mr Culligan toe to toe. But like most cowards you are all talk, now get back under your rock..please.
Mr Culligan and many other people are sick alright,sick of the rotten the 'Gang if Four' vicious politicians on the Debary City Council.
The Three Stooges, Koval, Carson and Hunt plus their little cheerleader Lita.
Well Washington is full of power hungary politicians spending taxpayers money why not DeBARY Throw them all out
EXACTLY......let em all miss meetings for a whole year and see how much the taxpayers will save from these selfish hustlers
Did anyone notice how vicious C/M Dan Hunt is getting...look at him on the tapes when him and the rest of the council censured the Mayor at the Dec7th meeting.
Ask C/M Dan Hunt about his 'sweet spot' for the Little league and how it cost Debary Taxpayers $7900 dollars.
Is MR HUNT a lobbyist for the little league?
See how this money was manuvered during the city council meeting......see how these councilmembers manipulate money from the city of Debary for their own intrests.
Hunt, Carson, Koval should all register as lobbyists and announce their relationships with BUM non profit businesses that get MONEY from Debary.
We might have a few less parks and less debt then the current 12 million!
The handwriting is on the wall and has been since the Nov. 7th meeting.
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