Jim Purvis and Heidi Brishke Take the Oath Of Office At Clermont City Council Meeting

James (Jim) Purvis (Clermont City Council Seat 2) and incumbent Heidi L. Brishke (City Council Seat 4) were sworn into office for two-year terms at the November 19 council meeting.

Jim Purvis received 1,816 votes cast. Opponent Joe Gustafson received 1,147 votes.

Heidi Brishke received 1,662 votes cast. Opponent Ebo Entsuah received 1,231 votes

This is the first time Purvis will be on the council. Brishke has held Seat 4 since 2017.

The Voters gave overwhelming approval of the two amendments.

Amendment 1 (Council Term Limits) received 2,699 “yes” votes and 322 “no” votes.

Previously, the Clermont City Charter did not limit the number of terms a person could serve on the council; Amendment 1 will limit a person to four consecutive two-year terms. Clermont City Council seat terms are for two years and are staggered with Seats 1, 3 and 5 up for election in even years and Seats 2 and 4 in odd years.

Amendment 2 (Council Residency Requirements) received 2,787 “yes” votes  and 223 “no” votes

The charter did not require a candidate for a seat on the council to be a resident of the city for any set period prior to qualifying as a candidate; Amendment 2 will require that a candidate shall be a qualified elector of the city for a minimum of 18 months prior to the date of qualification as a candidate.

City Council member Diane Travis was selected as Mayor Pro Tem.

Congratulations to the two newly elected City council members Jim Purvis, Heidi Brishke and thank you to city councilmembers Diane Travis, Tim Bates, and Mayor Gail Ash, each working to keep Clermont a great place to live.

I’ve attended many meetings over the years, and some meetings can go on, and on, and on.  In Clermont, the mayor enforces the rules of conduct for a reason….he/she was given that responsibility.

The 3-minute rule (an attendee is limited to up to 3-minutes to voice his/her concern/opinion) has been a bone of contention for many attending city council meetings. I personally like the 3-minute rule because it makes speaker(s) prepare their concerns in concise talking points. Moreover, if it’s a hot topic, everyone has the option to tag team.

In addition, sometimes presenters (representing a project or request for approval) have a tendency to drone on and should also be given a limited amount of time to describe their projects.

Everyone has an opinion on how the city should be run and the decisions that should be made, but not everyone can or will devote time and effort into helping to keep Clermont a great city to live in.  The next time you have an issue that you are passionate about, speak up. Take the time to prepare your concerns concisely, voice them to the city manager and staff, send an email to your councilmembers, and attend a council meeting to have your comments heard publicly. Get involved and be part of your city.

Everyone has a right to be heard, but some just like to be heard longer. I don’t fault those who go over their 3-minute mark but, in Clermont, the Mayor has the thankless job of saying, “Your time is up”.   

Heidi Brishke and Jim Purvis take the oath of office