GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The City Council spent little time approving an ordinance during Tuesday night’s regular session that will place an initiative on the November ballot that would allow residents to decide whether the council would be allowed to make exceptions for the City Manager and/or City Attorney to live inside the city’s utilities boundaries. 

With a 4-1 vote, with council member Glee Glisson dissenting, the council put the measure in the residents' hands whether it would exclude highly qualified candidates from high profile jobs because they live just outside the city’s boundaries. 

The ordinance was clearly drafted to include Interim City Manager Mike Null, who has been widely regarded as a leading candidate to replace newly retired Steve Kennedy. When Kennedy was hired more than seven years ago, Null finished second in the job search, according to Mayor Matt Johnson. The purpose of amending the ordinance was to make sure the city hires the best candidates possible, Johnson said. 

“And as an example, we have one in this Chamber today," said Council Member Darren Stutts. “We have an interim city manager who has more resident information and knowledge of this city than anybody present. 

"He lives south of the city. He is not currently a potential candidate for the open city manager position. In order to allow him to compete for that position, as the mayor said, it would require three votes to exempt him if he proved to be the most qualified candidate. To lose a qualified candidate because of the residency requirements is not fortunate. So, that's the reason for revisiting this now. OK?” 

Johnson said Null bought land in the country south of the utilities boundary after Kennedy was hired. With the state of the current real estate market, it wouldn’t make sense for him to sell his property and buy within the utility boundary. 

Johnson asked why the city should spend money and go through this process to hire a head-hunting firm to find candidates "when we have our city manager right here."

“In his defense, he made a decision to move his family to the country,” Johnson said. “They wanted some country land, not too far from here. And right now, with housing prices and trying to find a home within the city limits to service here, it'd be really a burden on him. It would just give us the ability, if we agreed, that if we wanted to hire Mike Null as the City Manager, we would have to take a vote. Are we willing to make an exception to this? That's all it is. 

"I call it the Mike Null clause to the charter. After this, we'll probably never reactivate it again. It's a rare case.” 

In other business: 

• Police Chief Shawn Hines announced the promotion of Andrew Shore, Kristy Whitney and Matthew Waller to sergeant. 

• The city approved the final pay application including retainage and change order of $73,276.75 for the Bayard Stormwater Improvements to DB Civil Construction. 

The City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month in the City Council Chambers at City Hall at 6 p.m.