City of Palatka Special Called Meeting- 8-5-26

The City of Palatka held a special called meeting on August 5, 2026, primarily focused on personnel changes within key city positions and related procurement actions. The city manager recommended and the commission concurred with the removal of Chantel Pierre as finance director effective August 21, 2026, and the appointment of Jennifer Thompson as acting finance director retroactive to July 31, 2026. Additionally, the meeting addressed the separation of Jane West as city attorney, effective August 21, 2026, which was described as a mutual agreement rather than a termination. The commission was asked to accept this separation and approve transitional legal services with the law firm Smith Gamrell & Russell LLP, led by Losia Hajes, for an amount not to exceed $90,000 to cover interim legal support until a permanent city attorney is appointed. The meeting included public comments supporting the retention of the former city attorney and discussions clarifying the city manager's authority over hiring and firing city officials. The commission unanimously approved all motions related to these personnel and contracting matters, emphasizing the need for stability and adaptive leadership during this period of change.