By Ali Moreland
The Vernon City Council met on Monday, February 9, ahead of the February 16 regularly scheduled meeting, for a workshop meeting focusing on discussion and updates related to city business.
Members of Vernon City Council reviewed the city’s interview and hiring procedures, with councilperson Tina Sloan noting that the city needs to do background checks, with councilperson Frank Zurica mentioning that the application specifically for the public works director position needs to be updated to include more detailed questions. The current application is in line with the city’s personnel policy, which does not prohibit the city from hiring a person with a felony conviction but rather gives the city council hiring discretion. Council president Becky Baxley added, “I think we need to take a look at [the personnel policy],” in an effort to make the application more detailed, stating, “We have a responsibility to our employees, the community, the citizens, and everybody, to keep them safe.”
The council then continued the meeting, and Town Clerk Candice Hodges gave an update on the community center’s CDBG-CV grant. The renovation project is moving forward with the solicitation of sealed bids for construction services and involves upgrading the 9,919-square-foot facility to enable the provision of medical and outreach services. The project is federally funded through Community Development Block Grant–Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) CARES Act funds administered by the Florida Department of Commerce under Agreement No. 22CV-S36. Hodges noted that bids are due by March 10, which is 30 days after posting the notice to receive sealed bids, with a 150-day completion timeline once a notice to proceed is issued.
The meeting concluded with the announcement of election dates for two council seats and the open mayoral seat. Candidates may pick up qualifying packets at City Hall from March 9–12 and must submit them by Thursday, March 12. The election will be held on April 7, with the swearing-in scheduled for the April 20 regular meeting.
Staff Report 
AMBER PATINO