Light-up McIntosh December 15
Light-up McIntosh will begin at the Civic Center at 6:30 p.m. The event will host Santa Clause and an area choir from six local churches will sing.
02.28.07 -- REPORT: LPA sets Public Hearing date for repeal of Historic Ordinance 151
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
By CHER PHILLIPS
Listen to the Feb. 27, 2007 Land Planning meeting. (Internet Explorer users may need to click the start arrow twice.)
The LPA set a date of March 27 for a Public Hearing to remove Historic Ordinance 151 from the town's code and place an amended version of the town's old historic codes in place.
Two weeks ago, the McIntosh Town Council voted to repeal Ordinance 151 and then immediately approved a motion for the Land Planning Agency and the Historic Board to hold a meeting to hash out an improved version of ordinance. The spirit of that motion would allow those who support the ordinance and those who disagree with it a method for revising the ordinance to a law that everyone could be happy with, or at least live with.
But the joint meeting, held during a noticed LPA meeting last night, was missing one vital element in the discussion: The Historic Preservation Board.
No one from the Historic Preservation Board showed up to represent their concerns with the ordinance. LPA chairwoman Charlsie Stott said the town clerk sent an e-mail to the board members. After the meeting, Council President Frank Ciotti - who just stepped in as the meeting was ending - confirmed an e-mail did go out to the members.
Also missing from the discussion were community members who might want to voice an opinion in how the ordinance is either reshaped or removed from the town's codes. This could be due to the nature of the public notice displayed in the shadowbox at town hall.
The notice advertised the LPA would meet, but it did not specify that this meeting was a workshop or that this was to be the joint meeting between the two citizen boards.
Further, no agenda was posted to let the community know that this issue would be addressed. This is the second time this year that LPA notices have not accurately informed residents about the nature of the business being discussed. Rezoning McIntosh land came before the LPA in January during a meeting that was not publicly noticed with an agenda.
Last fall, Adria Harper, from Florida's First Amendment Foundation, presented a Sunshine Seminar in McIntosh and said that while a simple notice of a meeting is sufficient, it is in everyone's best interest to post an agenda so people who would be effected by a policy or law change can have input.
Four of the LPA members were present at last night's meeting. Secretary John Sapp was missing. Half the board present last night were not in attendance at the last council meeting, in which the orders from the council were made in motion form on how to precede with the amending 151.
The LPA members discussed some parts of the historic ordinance they did not like. However, the objections from both Councilman Lee Deaderick outlined in detail two weeks ago in the council meeting, nor objections voiced this month about the ordinance's repeal from residents who support the current historic ordinance were heard.
The LPA will meet again on March 13 at 7 p.m. No agenda has been posted.
Labels: Historic Ordinance 151, LPA, public hearing, Tree Ordinance 155
posted by Cher @ 1:17 PM,
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Editor
Editor and Publisher:
I'm Cher From McIntosh, FL I'm a graduate student at the University of Florida working on a master's degree in Mass Communication. While I was finishing my undergrad degree in journalism last year, I reported on McIntosh, Fla. for an in-depth reporting class. I figured that the reporting and the public record files should go somewhere people can access them. Reporters don't report to keep the information they find to themselves. Some of that reporting is included here in a forum that allows response. McIntosh suffers because with no news coverage, the local government and the rumor mill have too much potential to run rampant over residents. I moved to McIntosh in the fall of 1999. My profile
About This Blog
The primary purpose of this blog is to accurately reflect what happens in town public meetings and dispel rumors. I record the meetings and make them available for download. One of the goals of this blog is to offer residents a place to voice opinions. The comments, views and opinions expressed there are not necessarily those of the editor.
