Cyndie Goudeau is just one of several Pinellas candidates for excellence awards from the league this year.
By AARON SHAROCKMAN
Published April 24, 2004
CLEARWATER - When Cyndie Goudeau first became City Clerk in 1985, she had to use a typewriter to prepare City Commission agendas.
Today she's talking about generating instant commission minutes and is making city records available online.
"It has been an evolution," Goudeau said. "It takes a little getting used to. We humans are so used to having a piece of paper in front of us."
Goudeau's adaptability and innovation have caught the attention of the Florida League of Cities, which has named her a finalist for its City Clerk of the Year Award.
The award, which will be awarded in June for the first time, recognizes integrity, initiative and innovation, among other things, said Lynn Tipton, the league's director of membership development.
Goudeau is one of three city employees from mid and North Pinellas named as a finalist for a league award. Largo Management Services Director Kim Adams and Oldsmar City Manager Bruce Haddock are finalists in their respective categories.
In her nomination, Goudeau was credited with implementing an electronic document management system that has made more than 12,000 public documents available on the city's Web site. The online record system cuts down on storage needs, reduces the lag time between records requests and lessens the burden on the clerk's office, Goudeau.
In the future, Goudeau said, commission meeting minutes will be generated instantly and the city will no longer need to print commission agenda packets. They will all be available online, she said.
Still, Goudeau was surprised to learn she was among the top city clerks in the state, as selected by the league.
"I was a little flabbergasted," Goudeau said.
So was Kim Adams, Largo's longtime finance director, who was selected as a finalist for City Finance Officer of the Year.
"Most of my work is behind the scenes, and that's how I like it," Adams said. "We're working, so everybody else can do their jobs."
But more than a dozen Largo residents included letters of support along with Adams' nomination for the honor, he said. Adams is a finalist along with Seminole finance director Harry Kyne and Venice's Michael T. McPhail.
"Literally, there are hundreds of people I could nominate myself," Adams said.
In Oldsmar, Haddock has supervised a complete overhaul since he became city manager in 1986.
Along with a city that has doubled in population, there's now a new City Hall, fire station and municipal services building. Plans are in the works to construct a new recreation center, and a new library.
"There's been improvements in every department," said Haddock, in his 18th year at the city. "It's made working here very rewarding."
The Florida Cities of Excellence Awards were the brainchild of league president and Seminole Mayor Dottie Reeder, said Tipton, the league's director of membership.
"It is an opportunity to salute longtime and new city employees who have made a difference," Tipton said.
Other Pinellas County excellence award finalists are: City of Excellence, St. Petersburg; City Spirit Award, Belleair, Dunedin and St. Petersburg; City Clerk of the Year, Beverly Brown, Seminole; and City Attorney of the Year, John C. Wolfe, St. Petersburg.
The winners will be named at an awards banquet June 26 in Orlando.
