Some Florida counties don't leave their people in the dark

In some Florida counties, elected officials meet with constituents, take calls, and reach out through emails. If Sarasota County Commissioners ever did much of this, that ship long since has sailed. 

Our public hearings are often divisive, with poor information and little public awareness. These days the very time of a "public" hearing might be shifted at the last minute, without notice to the public.

How might our county be different if our elected representatives shared information about upcoming agendas the way this Board Member from Orange County has been doing?

May 2, 2023 BCC Meeting Preview Celebrating at the Florida Puerto Rican Day Parade & Festival on April 22nd Board of County Commissioners Update Happy Friday, West Orange County! Our next Board of County Commissioners meeting is on Tuesday, May 2nd. Residents are able to attend these meetings and speak about any specific item for which a Public Hearing is scheduled. This portion of the meeting begins around 2:00pm. We'll be happy to see you participate. It's been a busy month in District 1. If you haven't yet, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates from our side of Orange County. Also, Be sure to check out our Year in Review where we celebrate all of our office's accomplishments, progress, and fun times from 2022. Watch the BCC Meeting Live! Proclamations Proclamation recognizing May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month — click here to find a list of upcoming events to celebrate! Consent Agenda Item E-7: Approval of funding to repair the West Orange Trail Bridge. (click here for full report) Item J-5: Approval to decrease the speed limit on Turkey Lake Road from Central Florida Parkway to Vineland Avenue from 45 mph to 40 mph. (click here for full report) Item J-8: Approval to decrease the speed limit on Town Loop Boulevard from John Young Parkway to East Town Center Boulevard from 35 mph to 30 mph. (click here for full report) Item J-9: Approval to decrease the speed limit on John Young Parkway from Equity Row to Central Florida Greenway from 55 mph to 45 mph. (click here for full report) Item J-11: Approval of a multi-way stop condition at the intersection of Summerport Village Parkway and Lake Smith Circle. (click here for full report) Discussion Agenda Item A-1: Visit Orlando Annual Update from Cassandra Matej, the company's President and CEO. Work Session Agenda Item 1: Stormwater Management - Moving Towards a Resilient Future Since entering office, I've requested updates to our stormwater management standards and formulas, often after hearing from D1 residents experiencing standing water in areas that were dry in the past. In the aftermath of 2022's hurricanes, these concerns were amplified by the entire Board. As a result, two stormwater management work sessions have been scheduled for the May 2, 2023 and May 23, 2023 Board meetings. The first work session will review the impacts of the 2022 flooding events and will review the County's existing stormwater-related programs. This will include our design standards, basin studies, maintenance and inspection, and capital improvement program. Public Hearings Item G-14: Lake Dennis Planned Development/Lake Dennis PSP (Case # LUPA-21-11-335) Applicant is requesting to to subdivide 45.17 acres, generally located north of Lake Star Road and west of Avalon Road, in order to construct 95 single-family residential dwelling units. Click here for full report. Item H-17: Waterleigh Planned Development/ Land Use Plan (Case # CDR-22-11-355) The applicant is seeking to update the conceptual Village Center layout and add two new permitted uses in the Village Center District. including a liquor store and a self-storage facility. Click here for full report. Item I-18: Hamlin West Planned Development (Case # LUPA-21-11-335) The applicant is seeking to rezone 19.11 acres from A-1 (Citrus Rural District) to PD (Planned Development District) and add the property to the existing Hamlin West PD; and designate the area as Corporate Campus Mixed Use District on the Horizon West Land Use Map. Click here for full report. Item K-20: Village at Avalon PD/LUP (Case # LUP-22-06-199) Applicant is seeking to rezone property located west of Avalon Road, south of Grove Blossom Way, and east of the Lake County line from Village (V) to Growth Center-Planned Development-Commercial/Medium Density Residential in order to build housing units and commercial space. Click here for full report. ABC's of the BCC The Board of County Commissioners meets every other Tuesday. Come on down! Board of County Commissioners meetings occur every other Tuesday with a morning agenda and an afternoon agenda. The morning agenda allows public comment on any topic at 9:00am, where a constituent may come to the Orange County Administration Building in person and give your thoughts on any item except for a public hearing, which is later. Work Sessions or items on the Discussion Agenda are up for debate by the Board and are not voted on. Public hearings begin after 2:00pm, which include zoning variances, public appeals, ordinances, and more. This is where constituents can submit public comments in person on a specific issue. To attend the BCC, please find information here. As always, do not hesitate to reach out to our office with any questions or concerns at district1@ocfl.net

Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson, District 1 | 201 S. Rosalind Avenue, 5th Floor, Orlando, FL 32801

Letter opposing the Waechter CRB initiative

A citizen's letter to the Charter Review Board regarding an initiative to transform it from an elected board to an appointed body:


To Chairman Dorfman and Charter Review Board Members:

I am writing to express my concern about and opposition to the proposal to amend the Sarasota County Charter to provide that CRB Members be appointed by the County Commission rather than elected by the voters the CRB is intended to represent.  I do not believe that how other Florida local governments manage and structure their Charter review or revisions boards or commissions is anything more than reflective of the many different ways Florida citizens have approached their charter process and is irrelevant to the issues to consider when evaluating this proposal for Sarasota County.  

On the other hand, I believe that it is very important to review the language of the Sarasota County Charter to identify the wishes of the residents and voters of Sarasota County regarding this important avenue for voter participation in our local government process.  Absent some compelling reasons why our Charter Review Board should not be elected, this is simply a proposal to reduce and restrict the level of input by voters in our County government.  I have reviewed the entire packet of documents provided to the CRB for their discussions at the Sept. 28, 2016 meeting and have seen no evidence of any compelling reasons.  Again, I do not consider "no one else elects them" to be a valid reason, much less a compelling reason, for the proposed change.

Let's look at some of the relevant language that reflects what I and other voters in Sarasota County have approved as their intent for and purpose of the CRB:

1971 - 1979:   The Review Board shall review the operation of the County government, on behalf of the citizens, and recommend changes, if they wish, for improvement of this Charter. 

1980 - 1987:   The Review Board shall review the operation of this County Government, on behalf of the citizens, and may recommend changes for improvement of this Charter .... 

1988 - 2003:    The Charter Review Board shall review the operation of County Government on behalf of the citizens of Sarasota County, and recommend changes, for improvement of the County Charter. 

2004 to date:   On behalf of the citizens of Sarasota County, the Charter Review Board shall review and recommend changes, to the County Charter for improvement of County government.

Two important phrases were included in the initial Charter and have been retained through numerous changes to this sentence as well as to many other portions of the Charter.  The CBR is to represent the citizens of Sarasota County and to review (or improve) the operation of County Government.  I and many other citizens have always viewed and valued the CRB as an independently elected body that represents me -- not the County Commission.  It is impossible for the CRB to act directly on behalf of the citizens of Sarasota County if the Members are appointed by the County Commission instead of being elected directly by the voters.  It is also extremely unlikely that CRB members, if appointed, would fulfill the mission of reviewing the operation of County government if such review is of those with the power to give or take away their positions on the CRB.  These factors are, more likely than not, the reasons pushing this proposed amendment forward.  

I hope that you will consider this proposal in light of the voters of Sarasota County and reject moving forward with the proposed amendment.

Thank you, Susan Schoettle-Gumm

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Citizens can send letters to the CRB board at the following email addresses:

anthony.sawyer@scgcrb.net
donna.barcomb@scgcrb.net
pat.wayman@scgcrb.net
jody.hudgins@scgcrb.net
john.fellin@scgcrb.net
steven.fields@scgcrb.net
richard.dorfman@scgcrb.net
joe.justice@scgcrb.net
jim.gabbert@scgcrb.net
bruce.dillon@scgcrb.net

Fiscal Neutrality: Write to the County

From Cathy Antunes (via email):

The creation of the Fiscal Neutrality methodology is where the rubber meets the road.  It is critical the process and information shared be transparent, that the most important stakeholders - taxpayers - have a prime seat at the table.  Please write to the Commission (you may want to include the others Larry has written to as well).  Let the Commission know the public must have the same access given to private interests in this process.  If you would like me to share you letter with others (which would be much appreciated) please cc me.

Thanks for caring for our community and have a great weekend!

Cathy

Letter to Sarasota County Officials from Cathy Antunes:

Dear Commissioners, Mr. DeMarsh, Mr. Roddy, Mr. Parsons and Mr. Polk,

I am writing to applaud the stated goal of transparency in the creation of a fiscal neutrality policy, and to request details on how interested citizens can participate in the creation of fiscal neutrality methodology. Taxpayers are key stakeholders in fiscal neutrality policy creation, and as such expect and deserve a prime seat at the policy creation table.

The process for introducing 2050 policy changes was initiated by County planning staff meeting with Neal Communities, Schroeder Manatee Ranch and others private interests before the public process was initiated. The inequity in access undermined public confidence in the creation of 2050 policy changes. We do not want to see the same kind of inequity with fiscal neutrality. I’m sure we agree the process must be open, transparent, inclusive from the beginning.

Citizens interested in fiscal neutrality methodology and policy creation expect the same access and information afforded to private interests. It is the citizens of Sarasota County who will, after all, be responsible for resulting infrastructure costs if the fiscal neutrality methodology is lacking.

How will the County ensure effective public participation and oversight at the outset? What is the plan to ensure interested citizens are included and given the same consideration and opportunity for input which will be extended to landowners outside the USB? A transparent process includes:

Access to fiscal neutrality meetings
Timely (real time/swift) access to policy creation information, including:
- terminology, definitions being employed in policy creation
- all methodology under consideration

Welcome to our new Commissioners! I look forward to a cordial working relationship with you both.

Cathy Antunes
Member, 2050 Action Network


2050 Action Network includes:

Sierra Club
Council of Neighborhood Associations
Audobon Society
City Coalition of Neighborhood Associations
Venice Area Citizens for Responsible Development
Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida
Control Growth Now
Suncoast Waterkeepers
Sarasota Citizens for Responsible Government

Letter to Sarasota officials from Larry Grossman:

I appreciate the County sending me a copy of the Agreement for Fiscal Neutrality with AECOM Technical Service Inc.. Although this is a fully executed contract my comments suggest that the contract should be amended to include the citizens of Sarasota County as part of the study process.The contract is now structured so that citizens have no input, no information and no opportunity to affect the technical document and consultant product until it is too late. As we found in the public hearing process with the amendments to Sarasota 2050, none of the comments that citizens offered were incorporated into the final Comp Plan amendments. 

We really don't want a repetition of the futility of participating in a process that affects us but upon which we have no effect.