JOINT CITY/COUNTY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
January 16, 2008
ATTENDEES
Commissioner Michael McLean, Seminole County, Chairman
Commissioner Susan Doerner, City of Casselberry, Vice-Chairman
Mayor Mary Lou Andrews, City of Oviedo
Commissioner Gary Brender, City of Lake Mary
Mayor John Bush, City of Winter Springs
Marty Chan, PBAS Representative
David Gierach, Sanford C of C
Deputy Mayor Donald Gilmore, City of Winter Springs
Mayor Bob Goff, City of Casselberry
Mayor Thom Greene, City of Lake Mary
Mayor Russ Hauck, City of Altamonte Springs
Kim Hengehold, Oviedo C of C
Mayor Linda Kuhn, City of Sanford
Hank Lander, Casselberry C of C
Tom Marin, Seminole C of C
Jonathon Moore, Seminole C of C
Councilman Dominic Persampiere, City of Oviedo
Commissioner Art Woodruff, City of Sanford
ABSENT
Commissioner Jon Batman, City of Altamonte Springs
Commissioner Brenda Carey, Seminole County
Steve Glazier, Winter Springs Business
Mayor John Maingot, City of Longwood
Commissioner Brian Sackett, City of Longwood
The meeting was called to order by Chairman McLean at 3:15 pm.
1. Chairman’s Report
Commissioner McLean read a public service announcement stating the relocation of SGTV’s Bright House cable station from channel 9 to digital channel 199 effective Saturday, January 19, 2008. Digital boxes are available for those who may need them for a charge of $1.00 per month and can be picked up at all local Bright House offices.
2. Approval of Minutes
There are two corrections to the minutes. Deputy Mayor Donald Gilmore was inadvertently listed as Commissioner David Gilmore and Councilman Dominic Persampiere was present at the November 28, 2007, meeting.
Motion to approve November 28, 2007, minutes, as amended, by Commissioner Gary Brender. Second by Mr. Hank Lander. Motion passed unanimously.
3. Chairman’s Report
Chairman McLean updated the Committee on the recent meeting the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) held regarding the combining of three Boards: CALNO, Mayors and Managers and the Joint City/County Advisory Board. The BCC agreed to continue participation in CALNO and the Joint City/County Advisory Board but would no longer have formal representation in Mayors and Managers meetings. This will help alleviate some of the workload on County staff and duplication of the dissemination of information. However, anyone interested in still attending those meetings is welcome to do so.
County Attorney, Bob McMillan, will be looking into formalizing the structure and administrative guidelines of this Committee. A draft form of this information should be available for the Committee’s review at the February meeting.
Mayor Greene said the need for both the Mayor and Managers and Joint City/County Advisory Committee should also be considered.
Chairman McLean said the BCC could not decide whether a group should continue; only their participation in these groups.
4. Hometown Democracy Initiatives - Ryan Houck, Political Director, Floridians for Smarter Growth
Ryan Houck, Political Director of the Floridians for Smarter Growth, also recognized Chairman McLean as the Chairman of this organization as well. Floridians for Smarter Growth has been dedicated for the last several months to opposing the Hometown Democracy Initiative and educating voters on the real consequences of this amendment if it passes.
Whether it qualifies for the ballot will be known in early February. Right now their petitions are going through the process of being validated by individual Supervisors of Election throughout the State. Mr. Houck said if Hometown Democracy does not quality to get on the ballot this cycle, the group has stated they will try again in 2010.
Mr. Houck continued to explain that the Florida Hometown Democracy initiative, which would subject all land use changes to a voter referendum, should be stopped because it would hurt the state’s environment as well as its economy. It would hurt the environment by locking in a pattern of one house per five acres for large swaths of land, resulting in suburban sprawl. The economy would suffer because the initiative would make it extremely difficult to convert land to commercial or industrial uses.
Florida’s Hometown Democracy Amendment replaces county or city commission votes to adopt or change a comprehensive plan with votes by the citizens in a referendum election to be held at the same time as the general election. No special elections will be necessary. If a community so desires, a referendum could even be held by mail. Florida’s Hometown Democracy Amendment gives greater stability and certainty to comprehensive plans by locking in existing land use categories and giving the keys to the voters. It is hard to imagine how anyone would be able to decipher every one of these very technical terms, conditions, procedures, and more.
The fear is that the extreme special interests behind Hometown Democracy are not educating Floridians to the real issue. They state that all Hometown Democracy deals with are the Large and Small Scale Amendments. This is not true. The Hometown Democracy Amendment does not distinguish one amendment from the others. Instead, it clearly requires votes on all Comprehensive Land Use Amendments; all 11,000 of those amendments - every single year. This will make it virtually impossible to pass a land use change for any reason.
Mayor Andrews asked where the geographic stronghold of this initiative was located. Mr. Houck said it is probably south Florida, Palm Beach in particular.
Mayor Andrews asked how this would relate legally to the city charters under a council/manager form of government. Mr. Houck said he could not speak to that since he is not an attorney.
Chairman McLean asked Mr. Houck about the supporters of this initiative. Mr. Houck said it is a very diverse group of people that back Hometown Democracy. It gets its backing from co-founder Lesley Blackner, an environmental lawyer, Dr. Steve Rosen, a South Florida skin care mogul, former dentist and animal rights activist and Joe Redner, a Democratic activist and owner of the Mons Venus strip club in Tampa.
Mayor Goff asked if there was an alternative to this petition process. Mr. Houck said that Floridians for Smarter Growth has been termed the “smarter” alternative. He said the intention is if Hometown Democracy makes it to the ballot, voters should have a better alternative so we will make a good faith effort to place our amendment on the ballot. Our group has submitted petitions that are in the process now of being verified by the Supervisor of Election. Mr. Houck said he would discuss any additional information regarding the status of the petitions on an individual basis rather than in a public forum.
Mr. Houck encouraged everyone at the meeting to take a look at the Floridians for Smarter Growth website at www.flsmartergrowth.org to review their agenda and for further information.
Mayor Greene said the Hometown Democracy Initiative is being presented as a way to save the wetlands. Mr. Houck said he is aware of that misrepresentation and it has been reported in other parts of the state as well.
Commissioner Doerner asked Mr. Houck to address the wetland issue. Mr. Houck said proponents say the proposal would give people the power to put a stop to the sort of overdevelopment that so many criticize but in reality it would hurt the environment by locking in a pattern of one house per five acres for large swaths of land, resulting in suburban sprawl.
Mr. Lander said you can go to the Supervisor of Elections office and have your name removed from a petition by filling out the proper forms if you signed the petition for Hometown Democracy and changed your position.
Mayor Goff asked Mr. Houck to clearly state the position of Floridians for Smarter Growth. Mr. Houck said it would require 10% of all registered voters in a particular county or city to petition the Supervisor the Elections to qualify for every land use amendment to be placed on the ballot. We feel the voters only want public access on significant changes to the land use plan and major developments. This would eliminate voting on “everything” and only those amendments that important; two to three instead of 200-300.
Mayor Andrews said the current process for a comprehensive plan change allows for plenty of public input. It is advertised in newspapers and the citizens are very much involved at public meetings. There is a great deal of representation and democracy through the process as it currently exists without taking it to a ballot vote.
Mr. Jonathon Moore said as a developer the scrutiny he goes through is very rigorous. He feels it would be easier if this gets approved because there are so many levels of approval he has to go through now. If this is given to a public vote, it would be easier to pass.
5. Update on Marketing Campaign regarding the Educational Initiative for the January 29th Proposed Constitutional Amendment 1 on Property Tax – Sabrina O’Bryan, Assistant County Manager and Susan Vernon-Devlin, Community Information Director - Informational Item
Susan Vernon-Devlin gave a power point presentation on the Educational Initiative for the Proposed Property Tax Amendment.
The Property Tax Reform vote will be held on Tuesday, January 29, 2008, and will need 60% voter approval to pass. A mailer was developed and sent out to 76,640 voter households in unincorporated Seminole County. In addition to the mail out, brochures are included in County water bills and posters are in County libraries and recreational facilities. There is also a display on our County website with contact numbers for further information and Public Service announcements that are currently airing on SGTV.
Chairman McLean pointed out that at the bottom of the brochure it displays the logos of the County, all the Cities and the School Board to show the commitment of all the municipalities.
Mayor Andrews requested a copy of the Public Service announcement for the Oviedo website.
Susan Vernon-Devlin stated that the Teachers and Firefighters Unions both have strong campaigns against Amendment 1.
Chairman McLean reminded the Committee that early voting started Monday, January 14, 2008, at the libraries and the Supervisor of Elections Office.
6. Scheduling of next meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 20th at 3:00 pm at the County Services Building, 1101 East First Street, Room 1028 (BCC Chambers), Sanford, FL.
Being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:40 pm.