FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS MAY 9 2021

Tom Campenni

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NEW TO THE NEWSLETTER

In this newsletter, we are introducing two new writers sharing their points of view with our readers.

Darlene Van Riper joins us for a monthly column. It will alternate with Herbie Howard’s Hobe Sound stories. Mike Meier will now write a monthly piece, not about his position as a Stuart commissioner, but as a full-time farmer and horticulturalist. We sometimes forget that agriculture is one of Martin County’s largest industries.

This week, we have United Way CEO Carol Howaart Diez and Boys & Girls Club CEO Keith Fletcher authoring their monthly columns on their organizations and philanthropy. We also have a Martin County student, Daniel Tapia, who was spoken about at a School Board meeting. Though born an American citizen he has spent most of his life in Mexico and only came home recently. His story impressed me when I heard it as I believe it will you.

We also have our usual commentary from McCrystal, Pine, and Syrkus. I hope you enjoy this edition of Friends & Neighbors.

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IT IS TIME

For over a year, I have supported masks, social distancing, hand washing, and all other CDC guidelines.

It was the right thing to do for the good of all of us. Many of us hunkered down and waited for the vaccines. There could be no return to normalcy without inoculation for a disease that killed 580,000 Americans. That is more casualties that occurred in any war except the Civil War.

Beginning in January, the first vaccines were rolled out to the public. Many of us seniors scrambled to make our appointments. First those over 65 and gradually now all those 16 and over. There are no more lines in Martin County. You can pop in and get your jab as they say in England.

About 30% of all Americans have been vaccinated and many who have had Covid are at least temporarily immune, but herd immunity requires about 80%. In my opinion, that will never happen. About a third of us will not become inoculated for a variety of reasons. A small number cannot have the shot because of a true medical condition. And of course, no vaccine has been approved for children under the age of 16.

The good news is that they are running trials with some children as young as 6 months. I understand by late summer the vaccine will be available for kids. The excuses for keeping masks and social distancing have gone or will be going away within a few months. It is time for us to return to normal.

I am vaccinated, my wife is vaccinated, my mother is vaccinated, and all my kids and their spouses are vaccinated. My granddaughter is not but likely will be by the fall. Hugs and kisses for all.

I understand businesses that want to keep masks and I support their right to do so. After all, it is their establishment and, at some point, I can choose not to patronize that store if I disagree with their requirement. You cannot claim to stand for liberty and then tell a business that it cannot require masks.

But here is what I am not doing any longer. I am not participating in any more Zoom meetings with local participants. In my opinion, it has just become an excuse not to put on your pants and to stay home. Or worse, it has given license to many to not leave their offices because they do not believe it is worth the time to go see someone in person. I am also tired of audio and other malfunctions because correcting them takes up half the meeting.

I never considered masks and the rest of the CDC guidelines a constitutional matter. Apparently, my view was correct because not one court in Florida ruled that it was. At the same time since vaccines are available, I am no longer prepared to go on with an unnatural way of living to protect people that have chosen not to be vaccinated.

It is time to put masks away except in situations where there are truly people not able to be vaccinated yet such as children in schools. It is time to return to a pre-Covid lifestyle.

To read more go here

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WHY ARE DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS SO HARD?

I often ask myself that question when trying to decide the merits of an individual project. Several recent ones come to mind where deciding was not as easy as it should be.

The Costco project was not one of those hard decisions. Having been there at its birth, it has come a long way and has incorporated good design elements into the entire package. Perhaps something more could have been done towards mitigation, but all in all it is positive for the city and county.

For those that say it is too dense, it is only 8 units per acre. If you remove Costco and the other commercial elements and just built apartments, there could be over 700 apartments built and that would be just building 15 units per acre. That would not be good planning.

Whether a commissioner likes the architecture or height is not material in the decision regarding approval of a project. Sometimes a commissioner votes yes even if the development is not to his liking. There is such a thing as property rights.

There are projects that appear to meet everything until you look at the details. An example of this was the supposed hotel project next to Harborage in North Stuart. I wrote about it in the last newsletter, and I ended up voting no at the CRB. Even after the meeting as I studied the project more, I know I made the right decision. It was never intended to be a hotel but apartments that would have had more density than what is called for in the code. It would have had 40 units to the acre. Maybe it will come before the commission. If it does and is still in its present form, it will not pass.

Developments like what was approved at Christ Fellowship are the worst example of an integrated plan. There is no synergy between the homes. It is plopped down without a store or any other services that are necessary for homeowners. The residents must use cars to do everything except jog…and they may drive to a park to do that.

There will be development in Martin County. We can encourage it to be in our cities and CRAs where the infrastructure exists, or it can be the sprawl of homes in our western areas where nothing is now but the natural beauty that we say we want. That is what Martin County needs to decide because there is no stopping growth. You can only direct where it should be.

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MY STORY

By Daniel Tapia

My name is Daniel Tapia, and I am 19 years old. I would like to tell you about my experience to continue my education.

I was actually born in the United States and am a citizen but spent most of my life living in Mexico. My parents decided to return to Mexico when I was two years old, and I stayed there with them and attended school until I was 16 years old.

In Mexico, it would have been difficult for me to continue studying. The educational system in Mexico is not free like in the United States, and my family did not have enough money for me to continue my studies. The decision to leave my parents in Mexico to continue my studies in the United States was a huge one for me.

How was my life going to be without them? Yet, in my heart, I knew that to achieve a better future, I had to leave. I have now been living in the United States for three years, but the first time I came to the United States, everything was difficult for me. Most of all, learning English was challenging since I only knew my native Spanish.

My family situation was also difficult. Even though I have been able to live with my relatives here in the United States, when I arrived, I did not know them.  However, little by little, I began to adjust.

I am incredibly grateful for all of the wonderful opportunities that have occurred in my life; especially, for the chance to continue studying to achieve a good education. After high school, I have always dreamed of going to college to become a teacher. And now, after a lot of hard work, my career choice to become a future educator is becoming a reality.

I know how fortunate I am to have been presented with all these opportunities that have helped to keep me motivated to achieve my educational goals.

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NON-PROFIT PERSPECTIVE

By Carol Howaart-Diez

United Way of Martin County President-CEO

Volunteers are the backbone of countless organizations that keep our nation, state and community moving smoothly.

Last month, we celebrated volunteers during National Volunteer Appreciation Month.  Here in Martin County, the United Way has a full-service volunteer center.  We specialize in providing seniors (55 and older) and others with individualized volunteer opportunities right here in our community.

This service was more needed than ever this past year when many volunteers were sidelined just when our community needed them the most.  Our organization was instrumental in recruiting volunteers to help nonprofits maintain the existing social safety net of services and respond to new, urgent needs caused by the pandemic.

Some of these efforts included recruiting volunteers to sew masks during the height of the pandemic when supplies were limited, deliver much-needed meals to clients while masked and distanced, and make home repairs in a safe manner.  Most recently, United Way helped recruit and coordinate placement for over 50 medical and nonmedical volunteers who devoted nearly 400 hours of service at vaccine clinics throughout the county. This is a small snapshot of the vast volunteer effort during the pandemic, but there is more.

We also recruited and trained volunteers to provide free tax preparation for low-to-moderate-income households, deployed volunteers to assist at the hospitals, recruited volunteer pen pals for second graders, placed helpers at our cultural/civic organizations and provided additional resources to our food providing agencies.

The value of the volunteers is immeasurable to our community; however, if we did put a dollar value to this service provides to Martin County this past year, it would be $2,047,126.

So, you may wonder why volunteers, many of whom are older adults themselves and more vulnerable to COVID, would continue volunteering.  The answer is simple: they often get more out of volunteering than they give.  Here are some benefits to volunteering.

Gain confidence. Volunteering can help you gain confidence by giving you the chance to try something new and build a real sense of achievement.

Make a difference in your community,

Meet new people,

Be part of the community,

Learn new skills and things about your community,

Keeps seniors active, healthy, and out of long-term health care facilities.

And so much more.

If you have ever thought of volunteering or need ideas on where to volunteer, call our office or fill out a volunteer application at www.UnitedWayMartin.org/Volunteer so we can connect you to volunteer opportunities that will make a difference.

Hopefully, in June, my article can focus on the American Rescue Plan funds and how United Way is working closely with the Martin County Board of County Commissioners in supporting our community.

Until then, if you have questions or need further information, please visit our website www.unitedwaymartin.org or contact me at our office 772-283-4800.

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PINE’S PONDERING

By Tom Pine

Covid – 19 has had a devastating effect on many people in the restaurant industry, I recently talked with Marcus Collazo who has worked in the industry for over nineteen years and found himself as one of the unemployed.

Then fourteen weeks ago after some research he and his wife opened The Dog Pound on 2520 NE. Dixie Highway in Jensen Beach right in front of the Citgo gas station and convenient store. They are open six days a week from 11 Am to 10 Pm Tuesday through Sunday. You can also call ahead at 772- 200- 0913

Their menu consists of an array of various hot dogs and some specialties. First and foremost is The Lobster Roll, followed by Mojo Pulled Pork and El Cubano just to name a few.

When you are in the area don’t be surprised to see some local children sporting a hot dog costume as a way to advertise The Dog Pound.

Next up is Sail Fish Point and Bathtub Beach restoration project. As of Sunday May 2, 2021 it appears it’s complete AGAIN and it shouldn’t be much longer before it will be open to the public.

Once Bathtub Beach opens, I wouldn’t wait long before coming out to see how beautiful the refurbished beach looks because one good storm could send the millions and millions of our tax dollars on this restoration project right back into the ocean where all the rest of the millions and millions of our tax dollars have gone over the past couple of decades.

While you’re there I would suggest walking north of Bathtub Beach about a quarter mile or so to see the towering rock formations. These were merely little bumps in the sand in the early 1970s into the 1980s. It gives a good clear picture how much erosion has occurred at this end of the island and how fruitless it is to keep dumping our tax dollars in the ocean.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been to Palm City, Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach, Ocean Breeze Park and Rio to look at how the different areas of the county compare when it comes to the painting of crosswalks and the lining of our roadways.

The two main roads in Palm City, SW. Martin Highway and Martin Downs Blvd. both look as they were just updated and with all crosswalks outlined in white paint. Hobe Sound is in the process of a major upgrade and where crosswalks are complete, they are all outlined in white paint. At Downtown Jensen Beach’s, Jensen Beach Blvd. you can see where lines have been painted at crosswalks and the lining of the roads, but they are in poor condition. Ocean Breeze Park the crosswalks are outlined in white paint and lining of the roads is in good shape. Rio none of the brick paver crosswalks are outlined in white paint, it’s the only area that I visited in such poor condition. I guess not enough wealthy people live in Rio to justify the added expense ??

The reason crosswalks are outlined in white paint is to make them stand out, that’s the objective is to make them very visible. Brick pavers alone do not stand out. Brick pavers are just our way of keeping up with the Joneses, other than that they have no real purpose.

I also find it very insulting as a taxpayer that our county government is now going with the state minimum standard when it comes to where they will be painting crosswalks, I guess the county needs every dollar they can find for their ten-million-dollar golf course.

Eliminating the painting of commercial driveways is unacceptable and one more example where the county government puts safety in the backseat.

When the million-dollar circle in front of Langford Landing was complete and they did the crosswalks, they had enough common sense to paint a crosswalk on the east entrance to the bowling. Unfortunately, the county was didn’t have enough common sense to paint the other crosswalk.

Maybe the residents of the Jensen / Rio area need a commissioner that will speak up for them when it comes to safety.

Truth to power.

Tom Pine’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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SYRKUS THOUGHTS

By Michael Syrkus

Christ Fellowship has struck a deal with Pulte homes to develop the remainder of its 300 plus acres near South Fork High School.

The property currently houses a 10,000 sq. foot worship center but will soon break ground on a campground and 280 plus homes. The move makes sense from a development standpoint. The land falls within the urban services district, is adjacent to a highly rated school system, and provides available land to build in a market desperate for new homes.

For all intents and purposes, it seems to be a grand idea. For many, this is a slam dunk. For those of us longing for the days of old, it is just another reminder that sleepy Martin County is awake and running.

Not that long ago, cattle were the inhabitants of that land. I know this because one of my best friends raised his cattle there. At its peak nearly 300 head of cattle grazed that territory, and that was less than a decade ago. Time marches on.

As we see some of the many projects taking place throughout Palm City and western Martin County, it is easy to see the obvious, we are growing….and quick. There is the Aldi/Tractor Supply/Wawa set for the corner of 714 and High Meadow Road plus the multi-unit housing across from Hidden Oaks. Add the Pulte Agreement as well as proposals for several apartment projects in Indiantown, and it is easy to see what I mean.

We must take great care to balance our need for growth with our quality-of-life expectations for existing residents. Just as we already hear the concerns from residents west of Citrus Blvd. regarding the proposed Pineland Prairie (now “Newfield”), regarding water flow issues; are we to expect a challenge from the new residents of Christ Fellowship regarding the cattle grazing across the street? Only time will tell.

It is a challenge to balance the old with the new. As we grow, I suggest simply this: Respect your neighbors, even when cultures may clash. For those moving in, remember you bought into an area as it was, don’t demand the prior residents change their habits.

Michael Syrkus’ opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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VAN RIPER’S VIEWS

By Darlene Van Riper

I recently listened to a presentation of the Discovery Land Company which is hoping to develop a project in Hobe Sound west of US-1.  Now don’t jump to conclusions!  This is a private golfing community that has 24 magnificent properties all over the world. (Goggle them).  We are talking homes starting at $3M. just for the lot. There will be 317 homes on 1500 acres.

The land has been owned by the Becker family since the ‘60s.  And it was great to grow citrus on…until it wasn’t because of “greening”. Now the family wants to develop it.  Can you blame them?  No other farmer is going to buy it.  They’ve tried to sell it to other agricultural enterprises.

I checked and there are 1076 newly registered voters who moved to Martin County in the 3 months of Jan., Feb., and March.  They are coming folks!  So, we can hope the pressure will simply dissipate which is not likely or we can manage it.

If we allow Discovery in a joint venture with Becker to build a world class private development of glorious homes around an 18-hole Tom Fazio golf course, the county will reap millions of dollars in property taxes every year.  (Maybe giving some relief to the average Joe Budweiser taxpayer?).  Bonus, there will be next to no impact.  These residents will not be full time.  BUT, neither will they be allowed to rent the properties out.   And though it is a family-oriented development complete with a “Kid’s Club”, their children will not attend our schools.

The Land Company’s plan maintains the rural look of Bridge Road with nothing to be built within 1500 feet of the road.  They are going to re-establish the water flow way which will help with our flooding issues. They are going to establish access to Atlantic Ridge State Park which I must admit I have never been to since I don’t know where the current access point is.

They are even donating an existing building to the Park.  And there will be equestrian facilities.   The Polo Club which we are all beginning to enjoy will remain.

This development does not set a precedent because much of the property along Bridge Road is not developable.  It is marked for conservation.

Jobs, of course, would be provided during construction and many jobs after.  Jobs in maintenance, service, and management.  They figure around 300.

This is a cash deal folks.  That means that even if the economy hits the skids, the development continues to be built.  No infrastructure to nowhere as we experienced in 2008.

Jupiter Island has nothing to lose only money to gain with the South Florida Water Utility company they own.

I have mulled it over and I know people are moving here.  We will not be able to stave them off forever.  I’d rather have this prestigious project which will only enhance Martin County’s reputation for world class golf (and possibly raise my own property value) than take a chance that with a less cautious Board of County Commissioners down the line we end up with a dense mess out there.

Think it over.

Darlene Van Riper’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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MCCHRYSTAL’ MEANDERINGS

By Frank McChrystal

It’s not a matter of if, but when.

The avoidable, tragic carnage of car versus golf cart is going to happen.  Murphy’s law will rule, as always.

Imagine the scene of an 80 something little old lady in a big old Cadillac vs. golf cart packed with six teens.  The scene will be enough to make first responders re-think their career choice.  And the little old lady will keep driving into the night, wondering when they put in that new speed bump.

I try to reason why grown adults make such bad choices.  Were they never taught Murphy’s law? Do they not understand the difference between golf carts in a gated golf community, where golf carts are commonplace and expected, versus on the public streets of Martin County?

I understand the recklessness of teens buzzing around neighborhoods in golf carts.  I don’t understand Mr. 30 something joy riding with very young children at dusk.  I’m sure the 30 somethings didn’t get the six weeks of non-stop gruesome movies of devastating car accidents during their drivers ed course. Surely that was not politically correct by the early 2000’s.

It’s just a matter of time.  It seems unavoidable.  Golf carts and cars sharing the same roads in gated communities isn’t going away; and that is not exactly negative reinforcement.  The public golf cart transportation in downtown Stuart also sends the message that all is well, and it must be safe.

So, Mr. 30 something, if you are reading this, please consider one more thing.  That golf cart you joy ride in with your young kids at dusk is much more dangerous than any motorcycle.  At least the motorcycle has the option of using speed and quickness to perform evasive maneuvers when the fecal matter hits the fan.  Your golf cart is simply a wounded wildebeest on the African plains.

When the tragedy strikes, we will all empathize with the relatives of the lost ones.  I will also empathize with the 80 something in the Cadillac when she learns about that mysterious new speed bump.

Frank McChrystal’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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FLETCH’S PERSPECTIVE

By Keith Fletcher CEO & President of

Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County

The term is fast becoming a buzzword, along the likes of “optics,” “hack” or “circle back.”

But this (unlike some of those other phrases) is a welcome trend for “mental health.” For far too long fear and shame dissuaded people from seeking—or even acknowledging the need for—help in times of anguish and distress.

While the Covid-19 crisis forced forward a societal conversation on mental health, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County has long been familiar with the field, key factors and implications, and proper responses.

That’s because the vast majority—more than 85 percent—of our 2,700-plus members live daily in crises of family instability, economic uncertainty, and food insecurity.

So, we uphold an environment and offer programs emphasizing academics, nutrition and healthy lifestyles, and good character and citizenship—all of which contribute to mental wellness.

At the four clubs every day after school—and all day during our summer enrichment program—the members enjoy help with academics from certified teachers, STEM projects, robotics, educational field trips, computer games, courses on college and career readiness, even money management and life skills.

The members also learn organic gardening, art, sports, and cooking lessons. They receive healthy food (two meals and a snack over the summer). And mentorship undergirds every action and activity.

What sounds like (and is) an amazing experience in learning, friendship and fun also fortifies their sense of positive resiliency—as opposed to the persona some members adopt due to enduring tough circumstances. And it works: With mentorship—as much as academic help—we see more than 80 percent of our members improve in English Language Arts and more than 90 percent improve in behavior.

Their sense of dignity and confidence visibly improves. You see it in their gait, their smile, their increased eye contact.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Martin County is still strongly committed to improving how mental-health matters are addressed. In fact, we were recently honored to receive a four-year grant from Florida Blue Foundation—the foundation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida—for our new comprehensive initiative committed to reducing the stigma associated with mental health issues and treatment.

We’re further refining a climate where youth, families and staff can identify signs and symptoms of mental-health issues, grow comfortable asking for help, and take comfort knowing they can readily access a network of mental and behavioral health professionals.

We also believe the members are even more equipped to recognize when something’s wrong by showing them what’s right. We uphold an environment that’s caring, kind and consistent—and encourage them to appreciate just how loved and special they truly are.

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FARMER MEIER’S PERSPECTIVE

By Michael Meier

If you eat, you are involved in agriculture.

But since the Green Revolution of the mid-20th century and the relatively recent explosion of the global industrial food industry, it’s been more and more difficult to draw a clear line between the stuff on our plates and the farm fields (or greenhouses, or factories, or labs) it originally came from.

While it is easy to focus on the tragic demise of the small American family farm as a culture in crisis, the truth of our relationship with food today is a much bigger kettle of fish. My goal with this semi-regular byline is to sort through that kettle so we can better understand the ways our food and agriculture systems influence and shape our consumption and vice-versa. And how those changes impact our land, our water, our communities, and our future.

But first, a bit about me. I got into farming because for as long as I remember, I’ve been in love with food: eating it, cooking it, and eventually growing it in the garden. What drew me in was the romance of a dead ripe heirloom tomato picked on a hot summer day, a sugar-sweet carrot yanked out of the cool fall soil, a splash of still warm goat milk in my coffee during morning chores.

But what kept me in farming was the bigger picture. Farming was a way for me to work in line with many of my values at once. I could protect and heal the land and serve my community healthy fresh food. I can explore an honest alternative to disconnected consumer culture, practice self-sufficiency and self-sovereignty I could do all of it while working with my hands outside as the birds sang above.

We farmers are the link between the sun and human need, shepherding the transfer of solar energy through photosynthesis into the stuff that we eat to keep us alive and healthy. Sure, is a heady mix of hedonism, honor, and duty!

Over the years – officially 10 now since I began farming vegetables for a living – I’ve held onto the romance and the sense of responsibility, but I’ve become more clear-eyed about a sustainable direction for our food system. Aside from the trick of simply galvanizing new young farmers to take up the rake and dedicate their bodies to a life of service, we’ve got to continue to educate the rest of us about how and what to eat, reduce regulatory and economic barriers to farming, and, perhaps most immediately pressing, get real serious really quick about preserving our vanishing farmland.

Let’s end this column by explaining how and what to eat. Those of us in Martin County should know that our main local vegetable season is ending. The heat, humidity, storms, pests, and diseases of summer make it too difficult to grow some of the familiar fruits and vegetables we see at main season farm stands. Snag the last of the field-grown lettuce, broccoli, peas, and spinach while you can. But don’t turn your back on the bounty of Florida summers! Now is the time to start getting hungry for watermelon, sweet potato, Seminole pumpkin, black eyed peas, long beans and limas, mustards, collards, chard, okra, and eggplant. Soon, mango and avocado will ripen.

There is magic happening too on our local pastured ranches and apiaries. Eating to help fix the food system is delicious and deceptively simple: just eat like you live where you do on this planet. Eat as much as you can of what’s grown and raised locally in season.

And if you don’t know what’s in season? Easy. Ask a farmer.

Michael Meier’s opinions are his own and may not reflect Friends & Neighbors viewpoint.

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The next letter is from Holly Hoover regarding Sewall’s Point:

Tom,

Thank you so I may know how this should be playing out.

And Jim Matthews on his perspective:

WHY is it we never hear a word about the completion by 2022 of the 2nd /3rd ‘phases’ of the original 2007 Lake O HH Dike R&R… that TC Palm joined Sun Sentinel in tabbing “LINCHPIN of all FL water projects” in 2009 as construction was underway on Reach 1’s most perilous 23 miles from Port Mayaca to Belle Glade??    This should allow an additional 5 million acre feet IF = ACE = is allowed to render an ‘as original design’ capacity of 20 foot normal pool with 27 feet emergency pool.   Many of us fished Lake O at 18 feet and busted props on burnt out bridge in Bay Bottom at 9 feet!!

You can’t google it… I retrieved a copy from the archives of TC Palm to hit them as they became stone cold silent when Komrade BARAMA defunded that and CERP 2000 in later 2009 as he spewed his enviro-nazi agenda from the Everglades he refused to fund??

I even wrote a couple guest columns on this and other true issues of Conservative / Originalist / Libertarian / TEA Party ‘moderate’ lament = before I was shut down from even being allowed a Letter to the Editor; even before they were sucked into the hedge fund owned USA Today collective.

As an aside… our Knight-Ridder bankruptcy sale to McClatchy in 2006 fetched $6 BN in cash & debt… the bankruptcy of McClatchy in 2020 got just $300 million from yet another hedge fund owner as our pensions were taken over by PBGC even with their amazing 90% funded status.  Most of us speculate printed dailies will end in another couple years… notice not a single FL ‘daily’ has endorsed any GOP Super Majority Governance since Miami Herald proclaimed Jeb Bush deserved a 2nd Term as he accomplished all his promises and then some??

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COMMISSION MEETING APRIL 27, 2021

Commissioner Jenkins began his comments by trying to preserve

the relationship between Fire/Rescue and Indiantown. He had met with senior staff prior to the meeting and suggested offering Indiantown $300,000 a year for five years for “economic development” which would come from the federal funds earmarked for Martin County. In exchange, the village and county would sign a separate 5-year agreement to provide the service and charge the MSTU.

Is that a concession to reduce the MSTU’s full impact on the village? Sounds like it to me. Jenkins said most Indiantown folks that he has spoken with do not want the village to go to a hybrid system. That is probably true, but should the rest of the people in the system absorb that cost?

There is an ordinance preventing doing anything but charging the MSTU. Perhaps that is why it necessitates having two different agreements. One for the 5-year term for Fire/Rescue and then one giving the $1,500,000. Does that constitute a quid pro quo.

Smith wants to narrow the parameters of the offer to improving hydrants and water flow from their utility. That may make some sense. Ciampi said there is a fractured relationship. He believes the council wants to settle it.

Heard wants to know where the $1.5 million is coming from. Kryzda explained that the total federal allocation in Covid relief to Martin is $31.5 million. Indiantown, as its own government, will receive another $3 million. Heard believes they are creating an exception and it does not meet the intent of the funding.

Kryzda heard from Hetherington, Ciampi, and Jenkins that they want to do what they can to keep Fire/Rescue there. Heard answered that you cannot do something that is a detriment to the other county residents. Ciampi said he didn’t care. He would appropriate strictly county resources if necessary. It is not a giveaway but a negotiation and that it is a reasonable amount.

That is a politician’s view of things! The vote was 4-1 to have staff offer this up. Heard dissented.

TALK ABOUT A BAD DEAL

Approval for 284 single family Pulte homes on the Christ Fellowship property was granted. It was a few less that I thought would be built on the site but that does not make it a good deal or good planning. And that is too bad since this was the time to show that the western part of the county would not succumb to the sprawl of South Florida.

Imagine taking 321 acres and having a 20-acre site for a nonprofit and the rest to build 284 houses. Imagine the number of impervious surfaces this project consumes. There is no center or community here. There is not a store in the project. There is not a park within the project. There will be 600 plus cars driving on the roads to go to school, work, restaurants, and stores. When the church campus was approved it was not for this, but I guess it was inevitable that it would politically end up here.

This is a project that could have been built 70 years ago and will look it. It is meant to house people with very little connection to each other. Perhaps those close to Southfork will be able to walk to school but I would not count on it. The same goes when you want to attend a church service at Christ Fellowship. How many families do you think will be strolling to services?

A motion was made to approve by Smith and seconded by Ciampi. It passed 4-1 with Heard dissenting.

You can see the presentation here

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COMMISSION MEETING APRIL 26, 2021:

It was a rather quiet meeting. Perhaps because there was only one item of substance. It probably was a good thing because the Costco War will be on in May.

Mike Meier had several thoughts during commissioner comments. He spoke about alleyways and whether they should be abandoned or not. This is something that has been brought up periodically for years. It is time that alleyways be addressed.

There are city-owned alleys and rights of way throughout the city. Stuart has had these unused passageways since the city has been platted. If they haven’t been used in a hundred years or more, it is not likely that they will start being used now. They should go to the owners of the lots that abut these properties.

Other commissioners in the past believed that whenever an abandonment was requested, the homeowner should pay for that right. I think they should just be given since they were in a sense taken from the individual properties’ years ago for a public purpose that was never used. Stuart should end this fantasy, reduce liability, and give the land back to the rightful owners whose properties abut the alleys and rights of way.

When it was Manager Dyess’s turn to respond, he said staff has been working on it. Maybe we will see the fruits of this labor before another new commissioner brings up the subject in a few years.

Matheson brought up a successful job fair held at the safety complex. It was a combined effort of Stuart, the BDB, and Career Source. There were 167 people with 21 employers. I asked Matheson how many of those people landed jobs as a result.  He could not give me a number. If he finds out, he will provide it.

He also mentioned that during the presentation of development applications, he wanted the applicant to present first with the staff following. He wants to be sold the proposal by the applicant not the city staff. It is to start with the next meeting.

Dyess stated that the idea of a park at the end of Bryant was not doable because there is no turnaround for emergency vehicles which effectively kills an excellent idea for a not quite dead-end street.

PALMETTO COVE

On Palm City Road across from the back of the Publix where Halpatiokee begins, there are currently two vacant parcels. The home that was there was taken down around 2016. It has been vacant ever since just waiting for the right developer.

That is the entranceway to my neighborhood. Halpatiokee turns into St. Lucie Crescent. At one point not that long ago, there was a sign outside that torn down home saying baby pigs for sale. Across Halpatiokee there is a two-story apartment building that was in horrific shape 25 years ago when I first glimpsed the block, and it hasn’t gotten better. The generators and truck deliveries of Publix on the other side of Palm City Road only adds more charm to the parcels.

When I heard about new town houses going in, I was incredibly happy. I was sort of wondering what would go in there since someone buying the land and putting up single family homes was not in the cards.

But no development is without people saying no. In this neck of the woods, it is all about density. By right they can have ten units. The owner is asking for thirteen. Commissioner Matheson asked for on-street parking which has been included. There is plenty of trees and shading. They even left several of the old oaks.

There were people who complained at the LPA meeting and many were there at this meeting. But the only people who spoke were those in agreement except for a few that spoke earlier during public comment against all development.

Funny how they are against development in a city but say nothing when the county approves hundreds of homes such as the Pulte/Christ Fellowship development and additional ones at Banyon Bay. There will be sprawl and each home will have a car or four. Yet I heard no one saying anything at the BOCC meeting.

Bruner made a motion to approve seconded by Meier. It passed 5-0.

You can see staff’s presentation here

LPA MEETING APRIL 29, 2021:

This was the special Costco meeting.

The chamber was packed (as much as any public space can be in Covid times). A couple of observations about the crowd. A third of the speakers against the project were related to each other plus one more family member who tried to speak using Zoom.

Interestingly, the family so much in opposition were the same people who owned the property at one time. The Lychee Tree Nursery family decided that they would cash in on some of the land they had. A while back they sold it. Now most of what they did sell is being developed.

They claim that when the land was within unincorporated Martin County, it was zoned differently than after it was voluntarily annexed into the City of Stuart. They thought it was going to be used for a subdivision. Of course, the family could have platted the lots and built that subdivision that they thought should go there, but they did not.

Other family speakers decried the traffic the Costco and apartments would bring. They said that Kanner Highway would be inundated. FDOT states that the 6-lane road is only now operating at 1/3^rd its capacity. They mentioned the high school as if the cars would be in some maddening rush to get to the store and would mow the kids down.

Two days before the LPA meeting, the BOCC approved nearly the same number of units in two subdivisions being built or expanded on Kanner. These single-family homes will have no store, restaurant, or gas station within walking distance so car transportation will be necessary to get anywhere. Yet apparently that sprawl is ok.

I put in a public records request for the emails sent to the commissioners, manager, and attorney regarding Costco. Nearly 80% of them were in favor of the store. What is going on? It appears that one family that has had a few generations of living in agrarian isolation within an increasingly urban part of Martin County is now seeing what they consider an invasion.

It is an invasion of that isolation that this family has brought upon themselves by selling off property that has now fallen in the hands of a company eager to develop it within Stuart’s urban landscape. The people who are complaining about this project should be bemoaning the Christ Fellowship sprawl of more than 300 acres of Florida habitat (which is 6 times the acreage of this development) located 5 miles away on Kanner Highway. I guess sprawl is fine if you build single-family homes.

The density of the PUD will be 8.1 units per acre which includes Costco and retail space. The applicant’s hydrologist met with Lychee Farm’s hydrologist to assuage their fears that the irrigation pond on their property would not have enough water. They also moved building locations to make sure that the shading would not interfere with their growing.

Bob Raynes, the applicant’s attorney, answered the charge that the property was zoned differently. There was no zoning assigned with annexation and they always meant to come in with a PUD. The parcel did have a county zoning Future Land Use designation and it was low density residential of 5 units per acre.

The very reason it was voluntarily annexed into the city was to allow the parcel to be more valuable to its owner. It was with every expectation that something like this would occur. If you look at the site and where it is located on three major roads, there is no doubt that the project would be very urban in nature.

Some of the LPA bord members comments were appropriate such as tree mitigation, parking, and storm water. Others such as building design, neighborhood feeling, and school capacity are not. Overall, they had a difficult job, and they did it well.

They made recommendations incorporating design, parking, tree mitigation, and connectivity in a motion to approve by Mathers and seconded by Strom. It passed 6-0 with Massing absent.

You can see the applicant’s presentation here

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BUDGET WORKSHOP & SPECIAL MEETING APRIL 27, 2021:

A presentation was made by Apptegy which is a company that specializes in school board apps that keep parents and students informed. It allows the district a marketing tool. There is a live feed available. They also would build and manage the website.

This is about building your brand to compete with other options for parents such as charters and virtual. Interesting that the public schools would need to compete with those options. Perhaps one should look at what you are offering as compared to other options.

Most of what I learned in school was rote memorization in the lower grades. A student memorized the times tables, the periodic chart, a poem, or the capitals of each state. As we became older, we then were able to apply those facts to more abstract concepts. It doesn’t appear that is done as much anymore.

At a recent school event I attended elite high school students could not name the first 4 presidents of the United States. Knowing that fact in and of itself is only important because it then allows you to conceptualize why our nation evolved the way it did. The next question asked was which of those first four attended the Constitutional Convention. Only one of the students knew the answer.

Washington was the presiding officer and Madison became the “Father of the Constitution.” Our nation may have been quite different if Adam had been presiding officer and Jefferson the primary author. Both were in Europe serving as ambassadors at the time. Without those simple facts it is hard then to understand our constitutional evolution.

Some charters have students begin reading the Declaration and Constitution in the early grades…not textbooks about the documents but the documents themselves. They are learning fundamentals so that when older, there can be informed interpretation.

Perhaps that method is not appropriate for every student. That particular brand is not what the school district is selling. Yet for a charter, it is easy to sell that brand to enough parents to have a school or two. Other schools will sell other individualized educational brands. It is hard to sell the public-school brand in this stratified world. The district should try the app, but ultimately it will not make much difference to those parents searching out charters, virtual schools, and home schooling.

You can find the presentation here

During the budget portion, CFO Carter Morrison made almost the same presentation as in the last meeting because many of his state figures are not yet set. Now that the legislature has adjourned, he will know more about which revenue streams will supply what funds.

The key here is that there has been a steady erosion of students from regular district schools. The budget is worked out based on student numbers. There are now about 18,000 students which is less than in the recent past. Every student that goes to a charter or virtual costs the school district funds.

To take a peek at the budget so far you can go here

The district will offer the teachers a $1000 bonus to work in the summer. This deal has already been agreed to by the unions.

SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP MAY 4, 2021:

The board held a workshop in essence to discuss the use of ESSER Funds. Those are the funds that are part of the CARES Act funding for educational stabilization due to Covid. It was a complicated discussion to follow without the spread sheet available.

I have asked an expert to come to the rescue. Board Member Roberts has agreed to do just that. Thank you, Ms. Roberts for writing this so quickly.

Dear Tom:

Thanks for reaching out for some clarity regarding yesterday’s workshop regarding ESSER II funding that was discussed.

There have been a variety of funding programs (like CARES, GEERS, ESSER, ESSER II) that K-12 public school districts have been able to utilize to address the unexpected costs and consequences of the global pandemic.  Each program has specific assurances that must be met, categories that expenses must fall into, and a calendar for when the expense was incurred.  

There has been some frustration when funding has been allocated and designated to cover a longer period (like two years) then subsequent reports did not show a huge spend down of those funds in the near term.  This was referred to several times by this year’s Florida legislature when legislators were dismayed to find large pots of money unclaimed by districts.  

From the other perspective, many districts were attempting to stretch the funds over the two-year period, so it wasn’t surprising that only 25% of funds had been expended when only 25% of the designated time (6 months of the two years) had passed.  Some of this money was gathered back for reallocation effectively punching holes in crafted plans.  Keep in mind, that prudently this money was handled on a reimbursement method whereby a district needed to incur the expense, pay the bill, then seek reimbursement.  For personnel expenses (additional instructional or support staff), employees must work first before payment, so those type expenses truly stretch over a scheduled time period. 

Our workshop last evening was to have a meaningful discussion regarding the ESSER II money that is currently being planned for.  There was a seventeen-page memo from Florida Department of Education Commissioner Corcoran dated March 16, 2021 with information regarding ESSER II that I have attached for additional detailed information. (You can see it here

In that memo, Martin County was estimated to receive $12 million (pg 16) from ESSER II.  Since that date, the legislature has allocated funds from ESSER II to meet various anticipated expenses for K-12 education effectively reducing the amount that will be ultimately distributed.  At this time, we anticipate at least a fifty percent reduction, and our best guess is between four and five million dollars that will be available for Martin County.  So, these actual numbers are all preliminary and there is still a state of flux until the actual formulas are revealed from Tallahassee.  

Yes, charter schools receive a portion of those funds in a manner determined by the Florida Department of Education.  Last evening the School Board reviewed and discussed an eighteen-page spreadsheet prepared by Staff regarding ESSER II and priorities.  I’ve also attached the Spreadsheet so you can follow along.  The Spreadsheet describes each item, indicates the accounting code, details the allowable category, estimates a cost, and then labels the priority.   I’ll add some detail on our discussions. (You can find it here

The first group of funds include an estimate of funding to charter schools; namely $859,211.94 for 1,238 charter students.  It’s obvious that this number could be on the high side since basic extrapolation would put $8.59 million for 12,380 students.  Knowing that we have more than that number of students and expecting an award amount at half of that $8.59 million, this number would be determined at a later date.  

Also included are CARES I allocated projects that have lost their funding source.  In here you see teleconferencing licenses (zoom, edgenuity), learning management systems and platforms, professional development for digital instruction, student tutoring and test prep, staff (graduation coaches, paraprofessionals), and student transportation costs to academic events.  The Board removed expenses that were for expenses beyond the two-year period to get a better handle on a realistic number.  This resulted in a total of $2,482,998.60 as the first batch that would be coming from ESSER II.

Next, we addressed items that had already been approved by the Board for ESSER II funding including summer programming (June 2 – July 1 including the additional $9.25 per hour for employees coming in to address learning losses and credit recovery), data warehousing solutions, and unrecovered salary expenses (where anticipated revenue decreased) adds $1,031,822 to this number bringing us to $3,514,820.60.

Later in our discussions, we added an item on the top of page 6 addressing instructional needs at Port Salerno Elementary which is a challenging population which has been a priority of the Board to address.  This involves a plan to add additional licensed teachers in grades 1, 2, and 3 to focus on literacy skills.  Expanding the number of teachers in these grade levels from 24 to 30, adding two paraprofessionals to assist the eight Kindergarten teachers and a Prevention Intervention Specialist to serve as an instructional support interfacing between the school and families.  The estimated cost of this is $395,000.  (Note that this model can be replicated at other schools in the future.)  

We also added an item at the top of page 7 splitting out the Pre-K expansion for Port Salerno adding two classes (40 students) with VPK voucher reimbursement bringing the $190,000 cost down to $100,000 to be added.  (Note the Warfield piece of this is handled later.)  And, we moved the ChalkTalk item on page 15 at a cost of $35,000 because this was Summer programming.  This brings the total up to $4,044,820.60 – which is comfortably within the four-to-five-million-dollar range to not have to come back to rehash these later.  Obviously, the bulk of these numbers are estimates, but comfortable enough for planning purposes.  One other item that we expect to see added to this a future spreadsheet is an estimate of the $9.25 per hour (always to a maximum of $1,000 per employee) for non-bargaining personnel that would meet the same summer requirements as those bargaining unit members.

Pages Four and Five outline Capital expenses (mostly computers and safety/sanitation) totaling $2,604,541.00 which may be eligible for reimbursement.  These are expenses that the district has already paid from the Capital Account.  If funding comes through these would be paid.  If not, they would remain Capital expenses impacting the Capital Account’s Five-Year Plan due to the state at the end of the summer.

Pages Six, Seven and the first item on page Eight are in pink type on a blue background.  These are labeled as Priority Five expenses and after adjustment total $606,100 (not the $742,967.00 reflected).  

The number has been adjusted removing the Port Salerno Elementary components, adding a Prevention Intervention Specialist to Warfield Elementary School with the K, 1, 2, and 3 staffing expansion plus the VPK addition of 40 students in two classes at Warfield Elementary School, and moving the Apptegy item on page 7 to page 8 to be with the Let’s Talk item.  

There is another exciting item on the bottom of page 6 currently labeled Calculus Project (but soon to be re-labeled as Algebra Project).  The Calculus Project was an initiative in several districts to encourage minority students to enter STEM career fields thinking that passing the Algebra I in Middle School would create the opportunity to take Calculus in High School and pave the way for a STEM career.  

Unfortunately, that result was often unrealized (often because of a lack of a mentor for the student).  However, the process of utilizing summer math programming for students that need extra help between fifth grade and sixth grade creates the opportunity to complete Algebra I in Middle School.  With that Algebra I EOC (end of course exam) completed before entering High School removes one of the graduation requirements from the stress of High School and allows students in High School to focus on opportunities and personal interests without that looming over their head.  The rest of the items in this group include a school psychologist, teacher professional development and resources, and accounting staff.  These are all items that would normally be in the General Fund (Operating Account) but would be slated as the next group to apply to ESSER II funding. 

Pages Eight to Fourteen with black type on the blue background are General Fund (Operating Account) items that would come next.  This includes student instructional resources, AVID training, additional CTE programming, communication/customer service/accountability platforms, mental health programs, and teacher assistance solutions.  

There was discussion regarding an item on page 8 for the Pandemic Health Services Manager that is identified as a watch/hold (so that we don’t fill a position that may be unnecessary).  These all come together as the next group for ESSER II funding or revert to the General Fund (Operating Account) if funding doesn’t come through from ESSER II.  This group of items will be woven into the 2021-22 Operating Budget that the Board has been working on for the last three months at Budget Workshops. 

Pages Fifteen through Eighteen plus the items for the 2022-23 school year from page 2 and without the ChalkTalk that was moved are department/staff requests that are being gathered here in one place but need additional vetting and discussion before moving forward. 

It is immensely satisfying to have such meaningful and detailed information to make prudent and logical fiscal decisions.  The level of transparency and engagement far surpasses what I have seen in other districts and in the past here in Martin County.  I am thankful and humbled by the work of our staff and the compilation and presentation by our Chief Financial Officer Carter Morrison.  If you or any of your readers have any questions regarding this information, please feel free to contact me.

Thanks again for the opportunity to share.

Christia Li Roberts

Martin County School Board Member, District One 

THE END OF THE MASKS?

There were also several parents that spoke about the continuation of masks for students. The governor has removed the ability of the school board to mandate masks under its own authority. However, the district did file a required plan with the state to reopen schools earlier that the state approved. The board is going to check with the Department of Education to see whether they can stop the practice for the remaining weeks of this school year. They will decide at a meeting next week.

Graduation will probably have an option on whether masks should be worn. It is outside and the kids will not be coming back to classes to possibly infect anyone. The board is in a quandary with the new Parents Bill of Rights, print advertising requirements for meetings, the opening plan, and juggling a hundred other differing requirements before being able to take a vote. 

Ms. Powers was attending virtually, and it fell to Vice-Chair Anderson to preside. He did a good job. Some of the speakers, though were a bit uncivil One speaker threated the members with “someone” running against them. Anderson spoke up and said there is no reason for people to act this way. He suggested that threatening that he would lose the election was not much of a threat since he had a life before he was on the board. Good for you Tony!

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COMMISSION MEETING APRIL 27, 2021:

The annual audit for the year ending September 30, 2020 was presented. The Town received good grades for its bookkeeping. There were no grades given for whether the town is heading in the right direction.

There was no opinion as to whether money is available for the numerous projects that must be done. Nor was there a discussion of where the money is going to come from to do those projects anywhere in the report. For an audit is a rearview look. It is not a planning tool.

You can see the entire report  here

There was a discussion about how to best use the federal dollars that are coming. Manager Berger recommended that they could use it for cash flow while waiting for grants. It would essentially move projects along. She also gave a list that where the money could be used:

• A storm water fee study $50,000
• $30,000 to fix and maintain storm water infrastructure that has not been maintained.
• $80,000 to harden town hall
• South Sewell’s Point sewer legal legal fees estimated to be $250,000
• $50,000 for a trailer with a portable pump and generator to be used when roads flood.

The total cost is about what would be received by the town in federal funding.

These were just the manager’s ideas, and nothing has been voted upon yet. I am sure many other things could be thrown into the pool. Next year’s budget will be worth watching.

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COUNCIL MEETING APRIL 22, 2021:

During public comment, only one speaker spoke in favor of the council’s apparent decision to create a fire/rescue department. She didn’t really say she was in favor, only that she supported the council’s right to make the decision.

Every other speaker was not in favor of this decision. Why would they be when there is ample evidence to prove that it is not a good idea and that it doesn’t make sense. Regardless of what most Indiantown citizens may want, this council is plowing ahead as if their opinions and desires just do not matter.

One speaker who lives outside the village boundaries spoke and claimed that he would have a 45-minute response time if MCFR closes Station 24. That is not true. He mentioned Tropical Farm’s station. The county is looking to relocate the Indiantown station somewhere closer to serve the western part of the county. So, while it may take two or three minutes more than now, his dire prediction will not be true.

During his comments, Dowling showed that he will tolerate no dissent in the ranks. Apparently, a member of the public who attended one of his events questioned a vendor about where funds were going. Instead of taking the comment in stride when Dowling heard about it, he stated that the person (whose identity he claims not to know) is banned from his events in the future.

Mr. Dowling is confusing Indiantown with somewhere else and is behaving as though the member of the public lives in a dictatorship instead of a democracy. This is not the first time that Dowling has shown these dictatorial tendencies. He forgets he is an elected official in a small Florida town with limited authority.

Also, if the event in question is a public one, then anyone can attend even someone who thinks little of Dowling and questions his motives and abilities. If Dowling wants to run for higher office, then he better develop a thicker skin and not try to stifle people from criticizing his polices or, for that matter, his character.

He also stated he couldn’t go to the Gibbs-Thomas/Jenkins event to discuss the proposed fire/rescue department because it would be against the sunshine statutes. Dowling is wrong. In addition to Harold Jenkins, there were two other county commissioners at the event, Hetherington and Ciampi. None of the three broke sunshine because Commissioners Ciampi and Hetherington did not publicly speak.

I am not saying Dowling should have attended. I am saying he could have attended. All he needed to do was not speak to the crowd.

During her comments, Clarke said that it was up to the county to send a contract regarding fire/rescue. That is a unique perspective since Martin County is not able to do anything. They have an ordinance that forbids them from providing fire service and charging anything other than the MSTU. If Martin County were to kick back ambulance fees or other charges then, while it may not be in technical violation of that ordinance, it certainly could make a Hobe Sound resident mad as someone who was paying full freight.

Martin County needs to stop capitulating to the petty politburo that is now the Indiantown council except for Gibbs-Thomas. With each passing meeting the council seems to be ignoring their constituents and taking the position that they know best, and they seem to believe that governing should be left to those elected with no consent from the governed.

GREEN CARBON SOLUTIONS

This is a site plan for several buildings in an industrial PUD. The location is off Old Fox Brown Road. Their goal is to make products from raw materials that are sustainable.

It appears that staff has done their due diligence. Everything conforms to code and where it does not, there are several staff recommendations which are well thought out. The first phase of development will create 16-20 jobs and phase 2 will have 60-80 jobs. According to the applicant many, of those jobs can be filled by Indiantown residents.

The downside is that there may be up to 30 trucks per day delivering and picking up product. You cannot have business without some downside. Dowling made the motion, and it was seconded by Clarke. It passed 4-0 with Stone absent.  

The agenda item can be found  here

E THELMA WATERS AVENUE

At a meeting, a few weeks ago, the subject of changing the name of Adams Avenue to E. Thelma Waters Avenue was discussed. It was decided that the street would be named for both entities. Even though some council members were convinced it could be done…it cannot.

Now they are calling for the change to E. Thelma Waters, but Adams will be an alias. So, for the next several months, mail sent to an Adams address will continue to be delivered. However, at some point the description on documents and mail will need to be changed.

How complicated can you make something? Get the government involved on either the local, state, and federal level and you have needless complication and rules. The motion to move forward was made by Gibbs-Thomas and seconded by Clarke and passed 4-0.

MORE ENDLESSNESS ON THE WAY

Directly from the agenda item:

“At the Strategic Planning Workshop of April 10, 2021, the Council discussed the

restructuring of their meeting and workshop schedule. The consensus was as

follows:

2nd Thursday (first meeting of the month) – Regular Business Meeting

4th Thursday (second meeting of the month) – Workshop to discuss

upcoming items and allow for more public input.

The Council conceded that additional special meetings may be needed, especially

during budget season, for which they would schedule those meetings accordingly.”

At the April 10^th planning session, the council decided that they needed a monthly workshop to take the place of one of their meetings. At a workshop, you cannot vote on anything. You discuss things. Most elected boards that have workshops don’t have public participation. Indiantown does have it.

Instead of having the public speak and the council listening, this will afford the people an opportunity to ask questions of their council and more importantly for the council to speak endlessly while getting nothing accomplished. Gibbs-Thomas said that this will be just a way to discuss things in a workshop and then discuss them again during the regular meeting.

Dowling, who never met a speech he did not want to give, said that the plan was fine with him. Condescendingly, he said to Gibbs-Thomas that he would help her understand the policy. He went on to say that they are doing the work of the people and it didn’t matter how much time they needed. Whether they go to 10, 11 or 2 in the morning, they were doing the people’s work.  It was noted that even when this was being discussed, the chamber appeared to be empty at 9 pm.

This experiment will begin in July.

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The Next Council Meeting Will Be May 10, 2021 

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