TALLAHASSEE — Commissioner Jeremy Matlow said there's a lot of distrust following public comment at Tuesday's City Commission meeting, a remark that fueled conversations and prompted further confusion among the board.
Commissioner Jeremy Matlow (Photo: Talgov.com)
The meeting featured the second discussion of a potential merger between Florida State University (FSU) and Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH).
The 13-page Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a publicly available document, was the topic of discussion. The commissioners were divided, ultimately voting to allow negotiations to continue and prompting future meetings on the topic. The merger has become highly controversial, with both sides represented at the Oct. 21 meeting.
The voting process was not cohesive.
Memorandum of Understanding for FSU and TMH merger (Photo: boarddocs.com)
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Vice President Stanley Sims said afterward, "This Commission is very divided."
"Three to two; you can see they don't work together," Sims said.
Following public comments and questions, the commissioners spent the next hour interpreting and deciphering the agreement before them, particularly questions regarding Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University's (FAMU) board representation.
FSU President Richard McCullough had claimed FAMU had representation according to the 13-page MOU, but no such representation appears in writing. According to the MOU, FSU would receive eight seats and Tallahassee Memorial Hospital would receive nine.
Florida State University President Richard McCullough (Photo: FSU Office of the President)
President McCullough clarified that a separate memorandum has been issued granting FAMU one of FSU's designated seats and reassured the commissioners that the deal is binding. McCullough confirmed there is no willingness to renegotiate the memorandum with TMH, providing the additional memorandum as appropriate measures.
Additional confusion arose over the terms of the merger. Many public comments from the Oct. 1 meeting expressed concern over a transfer of assets and urged the city to take action to ensure proper compensation.
"This is a partnership," Mayor Pro Tem Dianne Williams-Cox said before voting with the majority to allow FSU and TMH to continue negotiating.
Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jacqueline Porter cast the dissenting votes in the 3-2 decision to continue negotiations.
Commissioner Jacqueline Porter (Photo: Talgov.com)
Tension built as Mayor John Dailey frequently interrupted to allow City Attorney Amy Toman to clarify when appropriate, attempting to stay on task and ensure cohesion.
The currently available 13-page MOU does not provide FSU with funds. The deal calls for FSU to buy TMH property and assets that are city-owned and lease them back to TMH. With the commissioners permitting FSU and TMH to continue their work, the merger will return to the meeting agenda, perhaps with greater emphasis on clarity preceding discussions.
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