Category Archives: City of Stuart

Thoughts on Consolidation

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I am eagerly awaiting the report on the fire/rescue consolidation from the consultant. At the same time, I am becoming more and more concerned with the current conditions at Martin County’s Fire/Rescue Department.  The county commission and their department have been at  a contract impasse since last December. Both sides are at odds over a variety of issues critical to maintaining a functioning department. As time progresses I am uneasy about Stuart becoming involved with what appears to be an economic and, perhaps, operational nightmare.

The city has completed contract negotiations with our fire/rescue department. I believe the final contract represents a fair and equitable deal for both the employees and the city. I attended some of those bargaining sessions, which are open to the public, as a silent observer.  I can report that, though at times tense, both sides conducted themselves professionally throughout. The outcome is while employees received increases; our operating costs are still less than Martin County’s.

According to the Martin County Firefighters and Paramedics’ Union president, the county has already expended 107% of the overtime budget. The city and their firefighters/EMS employees, by working together, have decreased our own overtime costs substantially. According to the county’s union, the county is on track to lose 20% of their employees by May of 2016. This fact has been disputed by the county administrator. On the other hand, the city has not had employee attrition anywhere close to the county’s level, and our rate has remained fairly constant from year to year.

From what I have been told, Stuart’s two fire-rescue facilities are the most active within Martin County.  The vast majority of the calls are accident and medical related. We had only a smattering of house fires last year with a few brush fires. The City of Stuart has a paid agreement with Sewall’s Point to answer their fire/rescue emergencies, and those responses are counted in our statistics.

As a city commissioner, my only concern is how any consolidation or merger will affect Stuart’s residents and taxpayers. As of today, each commissioner and the management staffs have had briefings on the consultant’s progress but nothing has been given to us in writing. When a report is finally issued, I will need to study the data to make sure that whatever the recommendations are they will be based on using similar criteria. Currently, the budgeting and management criteria are accounted for differently within the city’s and the county’s budgets.

There are differences in health, PTO  and pension obligations. How the entities  pay to have equipment replaced and what happens to those funds in the future. Administration, finance, payroll and legal expenses are accounted for differently (Stuart allocates proportions of those expenses directly in the Fire/ Rescue budget while the county does not). In making a financial determination, not only do these costs have to be equalized for a merger or consolidation today, but we will need to know what will be the costs to Stuart’s residents, businesses and taxpayers going forward. The county already is near its millage cap so how we pay for any new department or consolidation is critical to analyse and understand.

Another question to be answered is how Stuart will do best operationally. As I said above, we have very good service. If you call with a medical emergency (the overwhelming majority of calls are just that), response times are excellent and the care received is outstanding. We currently have a station on either side of the tracks and, with the BrightLine looming, that is an important consideration. If Stuart were to give up operational control, we may not have a station on both sides of the tracks to respond for all our residents in the future.

Any decision made will be critical to how Stuart evolves and develops. If we disband our independent department, we won’t be able to return to having one. If Stuart does decide to consolidate or merge, it will be important that the new department be formed in a way that gives Stuart’s 16,000 residents some meaningful political representation into both operations and financing aspects of the new department.  Looking at the county fire/rescue department situation today, it gives me pause going forward.

Currently, as a Stuart commissioner and a resident, I know what our department costs and how it responds. To change that, I would have to be convinced the outcome for the city would be better for response times, financially and operationally. This will probably be the most difficult decision that I will make as a commissioner since I was elected. It is not a decision that I will take without much thought and deliberation.

Government, Markets And Parking

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Last week, I wrote concerning West Palm Beach’s City Place and how we could avoid making the same errors. I am a proponent of the government not becoming more involved in the market than is absolutely necessary. Governments do not understand the true nature of free markets. In my experience, when government seeks to have more than a minimum involvement, it corrupts market forces.

In the U.S. today, real estate is as perfect a market as possible . What is a perfect market? It has to have certain characteristics such as no participant in the market can set prices. Another characteristic is that there are no artificial boundaries to entering or leaving the market. There must be opportunity to fully maximize profit from one’s investment.

The one factor that can truly influence outcome without contributing to the general equilibrium of the market is government interference. The moment any government entity enters the market with any expectation of a desired outcome that is in contradiction to market forces, the market becomes imperfect. One of the biggest problems for the market is when government owns the means of production (i.e., the land or building). When government sells or leases property, it tends to have other motives which pervert not only that one parcel but the entire market which is unduly affected.

I am not suggesting that building and zoning codes are not needed. Our citizens and residents do need to have a community that reflects their desires in the place they want to live.  However, that being said, government should tread very, very carefully when becoming the Owner of income-producing property.  The irony is not lost on me that Stuart will continue to be the ground owner of the Triangle Property, and as such, has contributed to just what I am saying I am against. At the present moment and with that particular property, it would not have been developed because of earlier government involvement.

The City of Stuart’s next construction venture may be building a parking garage. Before even contemplating spending tax dollars on such a project, a few questions must be thoroughly vetted. This week, I learned from senior staff that within the downtown area, there are approximately 1700 parking spaces of which 1450 are public. Without being a traffic engineer or expert, I can’t believe we do not have adequate parking at present.

I am downtown almost every day and several evenings per week and have found no problem finding a space. During peak times in the evening, I will park at the Sailfish lot which is less than a 2 minute walk from the Lyric or The Gafford. With the tram and now valet parking, it is convenient for everyone to use either that lot or the Kiwanis lot and be at your destination within minutes.

For argument’s sake, I will assume that a garage is needed. Where should it be built? The most likely places for construction would still be on the present parking lots or at least in a location just as far away. Therefore, how many spaces would we actually gain? If we acquire private property to build a garage it would still be in the general areas where we now have lots, and we would be losing the ad valorem tax revenue by the taking of private property and converting to a public use.

Wherever we locate a public garage, the city will be perverting the market today and in the future. It is evident that there is no private market for a parking structure or it would have been built using private dollars and then charging the users. This then leads me to the conclusion that even if the city built a garage, the cost of construction and the continuous maintenance would fall on our taxpayers and not the users. Is it the city’s place to subsidize a perceived need for the private businesses in our downtown area using the tax dollars of all taxpayers?

For the next half century, the location of the garage would determine the direction and shape of development for the entire corridor. Depending on area and height, the garage could end up being the largest building in the district. Both aesthetically and economically, the garage will have an enormous impact on the real estate market for years. Once again, by insinuating itself in the private market, government would most likely have an outsized say in the future of downtown development and all of Stuart.

Before Stuart spends millions of dollars of taxpayer money on a perceived solution in search of a problem, much more objective sturdy would be needed. Societal and technological trends also should be taken into account. Thirty years ago we needed to go to a physical store to buy every conceivable product. Today, I ordered two hats, office supplies and a new kitchen blender without leaving my office. As society continues to evolve perhaps thirty years in the future, children will look to an empty parking structure (that Stuart will still be paying for) and ask “What’s that, Mommy?”

Avoiding the Mistakes of City Place

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City Place in West Palm Beach is once again facing foreclosure. I predict that it will continue to experience problems now and in the future. I am basing this on my nearly 45 years in the commercial real estate business. There are several reasons why repeated threats of and/or foreclosures will continue. Though we in Stuart will never see a development anywhere near this size, there are lessons we can learn.

City Place does have bustling crowds. However, crowds do not translate into economic success for the myriad of businesses located there. The overwhelming majority of retail establishments are composed of chain stores. There is no differentiation in product from any other enclosed or outdoor mall. A Macy’s is a Macy’s is a Macy’s.

Restaurants are also chains with rather high prices for the average person. How far does one drive to go to a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse or Brio’s Tuscan Grill? There are less expensive alternatives at City Place such as Auntie Anne’s pretzels or Moe’s Southwest Grill, but these are not destination restaurants. This is a “Potemkin Downtown”. There is nothing organic in its design or makeup to entice continued repeat visitors that will actually buy the goods and services offered by the merchants.

A Hilton Convention Hotel has opened. My question would be is there enough convention business to fill this hotel? Why would someone stay there? This entire project is a 1970’s concept trying to fit into the world of the 21st century. It is outmoded and not what people, especially millennials, want in a downtown.

Unlike Stuart’s downtown, there is nothing original in City Place’s mix of retail shops. While we have two chain restaurants, the others are all unique and distinct eating establishments that have loyal followings. Stuart’s downtown area is a magnet for visitors because of this originality that cannot be found elsewhere. Our rejuvenated downtown grew out of a “place” where bricks and mortar already existed. The question going forward is how do we expand on Stuart’s success and not become a failed “City Place?”

One of the keys to continued vibrancy is to expand the residential component of historic downtown, the Colorado corridor, Ocean Avenue and Dixie Highway. We have made a tentative start by the proposed Triangle residential development. For Stuart to be a city with a promising future, residents must live throughout every neighborhood. With people comes the need for other commercial activity from dry cleaners to bagel shops. Stuart’s current downtown merchants will do better because there are more customers within walking distance.  The entire city will be enhanced because of more tax dollars being generated without much additional municipal cost since the infrastructure is already in place.

A mistake that we can make and have made in the past is to not allow the market to dictate outcomes. The city commission and staff too often decide what the project should be and then look for the private sector to carry out its wishes. Is there any wonder why so many conceptual plans amount to nothing? Government is not an expert. The best that can be hoped is that government does not impede the private sector. The government should not play “Sim City.”

Our governmental responsibility should be to help the necessary and continual development of an expanded downtown through good policy. Through our zoning and development code, Stuart can have height limits and other important elements that will allow for us to control density and maintain our “Old Florida Charm.” Another important point to remember is that we should not let any single developer amass so much property that we end up making the same mistake as West Palm Beach made with City Place.

The Jefferson’s and other downtown stalwarts had it right. Allow redevelopment through as organic a process as possible. Let the private sector decide what will work and what will not. Government is a facilitator not a partner. Let the people actually investing their money decide on the desired outcome.

Here We Are Once Again

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“Here” we are once again. This year a little earlier than usual we have arrived “here”. We are in a place where we really do not need to be though all the same “here”.  How often can we be “here” without destroying our way of life and the why we live in Martin County? The killing of our estuary seems to be as inevitable as the water flowing to the ocean via the St. Lucie. So we find ourselves once more in this predicament.

Washington and Tallahassee keep promising to do something. The governor wants the Corp to stop the discharges from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee and the St. Lucie. But the governor has done nothing more but paid lip service to our plight. He is not a serious man when it comes to this “problem”. I wrote President Obama three years ago about our river and six months later received a form letter back siting his accomplishments on protecting the environment throughout the country but no acknowledgement of the Indian River Lagoon’s impending death. He is not a serious man when it comes to this “problem”.

Senator Rubio held a press conference here in Stuart. He sat in our city commission chamber and listened to the experts. He promised to fight to end these discharges. The senator was going to come back and report bi-monthly. I guess becoming president became more important. He is not a serious man when it comes to this “problem”.

Representative Harrell and Senator Negron have modestly proposed measures that may bring some relief to the “problem”. Will it be enough help to prevent the death of the rivers and estuaries remains to be seen? We, the people of Florida, did our part; we passed a constitutional amendment to spend money on this “problem”. Unfortunately the powers that be in Tallahassee would rather use the funds for other things and ignore the will of the people. Citizens are only an impediment to the pols getting what they want.

Every year the beauty that is Stuart and Martin County becomes a little less so. Another reason that we are living in this place is gone. The concentration of political power in both Tallahassee and Washington allows for the flaunting of the people’s will. Are we mad enough to really do anything about it? Or will our anger revert to type and once again be manipulated by party hacks and labels. We, the voters, do the same thing over and over and somehow expect a different outcome. In the meantime “here” we are once again.

 

“Just Leave Me Alone!!!”

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Having been a teenager and then having parented teenagers, I remember saying and hearing the words, “Why can’t you leave me alone?” As an elected official of Stuart, I am using those same exact words when I speak to legislators in Tallahassee. Though they are not my parent and I am not their child, I do feel a certain loco parentis relationship in our respective roles. What has become one of my main responsibilities as a commissioner is making sure that the legislature does not saddle us with unfunded mandates and rules which would have an impact on the city and you.

The Florida constitution enshrines the principle of “home rule.”  It states that municipalities can write their own laws and ordinances except for taxation as long as it is constitutional and the legislature does not pre-empt the municipality’s right to do so in a matter. The legislature has no problem in using that pre-emption authority every session. Little by little, Stuart’s rights (which are your rights) to self-determination are more and more infringed upon. Instead of leaving you and me to decide the manner that we want to live our lives, state government exerts its will and its judgement over ours.

So far this session, there have been a number of bills discussed and passed in the legislature that would dictate to us when to hold our local elections and the terms of our office holders and prevent us from deciding how to best regulate rentals, cars for hire and fracking. Take a simple thing like the term of a commissioner, there is currently a bill in the legislature that would pre-empt when that term begins and ends and even when we hold our elections. Why does the legislature care what day local elections occur and the term of a commissioner?  What is the purpose except to say that Stuart and the other 410 cities in the state need the legislature’s guidance in this matter and in dozens of other matters? To the gods of Tallahassee, the charters that were approved by our voters are pieces of paper and not the will of our citizens.

In the instance of fracking, the proposed legislation would prevent a municipality from regulating the procedure. Whether you think fracking is a good or a bad thing, is it possible to have an operation with trucks streaming down our streets and using large amounts of water needed in a way that would not disturb our residents? Every time either Washington or Tallahassee passes a law that restricts what and how we can regulate on the local level, a little more of our freedom to live our lives is taken from us.

It is true that we need federal and state laws to solve problems that do cross county and municipal boundaries. We do need far away Tallahassee and Washington to pass laws to prevent the devastation of the Indian River Lagoon. Give us back the Everglades by creating a flow way south. Clean up the pollution that is or has killed our wonderful springs. Stop rewarding Big Business, Big Ag and Big Labor at the people’s expense. Don’t tax us to give incentives and subsidies to your friends and contributors. Just do the right thing on that level. Your job is to protect us from things that we cannot protect ourselves from. You are not currently doing so.

We can decide for ourselves whether we want to vote for local government in March, August, November or December. Do we want fracking, our Uber drivers to have criminal background checks, and our neighbors to be able to rent rooms in their houses on a nightly basis?  Those decisions should be our choice not your mandate. Tallahassee let my fellow citizens and I decide these things. We are your voters, citizens and tax payers…we are not your children.

County-City Relations In 2016

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Where are Martin County and the City of Stuart heading in 2016? I hope we will be more in alignment with common goals, but I would tend to doubt that. Unfortunately, on almost every issue that confronts the city, the county has a different point of view than the city. Much it has to do with the majority of the county commissioners not fully understanding the legal relationship between the two entities.

The majority of the county commission has the perception that we, at the city, are their subordinates. This could not be farther from reality. Not only is Stuart completely independent, but that independence is derived by a charter granted by the legislature. Any shared funding (such as sales tax revenue) is determined by state statute and is not within the fiat of the county commission to decide.

The county is a political arm of the state which has constitutional offices providing statutory services such as tax collection, voter registration, courts and legal records, property appraisal and the sheriff. Counties were created to allow state governing functions to occur closer to citizens. Counties were to provide a basic framework of government for unincorporated rural areas with few people. Municipalities were where the bulk of commerce was to take place and people were to live.

Unfortunately, what happened in Martin County (as in a few other counties) was an exponential increase in population without the formation of municipalities. This has led to the county providing municipal services to rural, suburban and urban areas regardless of the individual area’s need for such services. While Rio or the Martin Downs Blvd Corridor of Palm City may require a professional fire/rescue response, the ranches of the western county may need only a volunteer level of service. Yet, because of the urbanization of services, both receive the same level of response regardless of cost or need.

The entire urbanization of county government has resulted in some county commissioners feeling that they are in competition with Stuart. We actually are two different forms of governmental entities that should provide different services to our mutual constituents. The failure of some of the county commission to recognize this fact has led to friction between our two entities. From CRA expansion to annexation, the county’s attitude has resulted in resentment on both sides.

As an example the county commission requested a joint meeting with the city commission regarding the CRA expansion. Under the law, the county has no right to block the expansion, but they do have the right to present to the city how they would have used any increase in tax receipts if no expansion occurred. Instead, the county commission had their staff give a presentation that had nothing to do with anticipated use of those particular funds. They further showed a total disrespect for what was supposedly a joint meeting by allowing public comment on an issue that had nothing to do with the CRA expansion. It showed to me a complete lack of understanding of what their role is under our system.

Without this understanding of what the county’s responsibilities are as it pertains to municipalities, we will continue to have difficulties in 2016.  Each of us should be carrying out our respective duties for the betterment of our mutual constituents. Not all our county commissioners regard Stuart as an enemy. Some realize that Stuart can provide services more efficiently and inexpensively because of our urban density. An annexation or CRA expansion ultimately benefits the entire county. With this subset of county commissioners, we can work to benefit all in the county.  This is not a zero sum equation of I win you lose. Rather each entity has strengths that can add value without taking away from either the municipality or the unincorporated areas.

The Triangle Parcel Finally Moving Forward

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For several reasons, I decided to vote in favor of moving forward to develop the Triangle Property with New Urban Communities. Staff has vetted their qualifications extensively. I met early in the process with the principals of the company and their CFO not to speak about this particular project but rather to learn about their underlying philosophy. I researched the firm and looked at some of their other projects. I spoke with a variety of people who had worked with the company in the past, and everyone confirmed my initial feeling that they were able to complete a project and, just as important, ethical in their business dealings.

Using my own commercial real estate experience and CCIM training, I analyzed the financial numbers of different project scenarios. Their projections were based on market research from national firms plus a local realtor’s focus group and advice. The presentation to the CRA and Commission was thorough and informative. After questions, public comment and our deliberations, we voted unanimously to have staff negotiate the final terms. The project is for 48 new rental apartments with parking spaces in excess of our code.

As I have written in the past, I believe that the free market should determine what is built at any particular site. I am also a proponent of the city selling its non-municipal used real estate. In this case, because of the economics involved, New Urban Communities has demonstrated that a sale would scuttle the project. I further took into consideration what the market price as stated by a current appraisal is which is less than what we have invested in the parcel. Therefore rental would be best to recapture our investment dollars.

Some have suggested a structured parking garage on the Triangle lot. The construction cost for anyone to build is $17,500.00 per space without land costs. A garage for 100 cars with the land would cost over $3,000,000 dollars on that site. If you project what the ROI (return on investment) is, the garage would never pay for itself. In this instance, I believe the free market has spoken.

Others wanted to see a retail component to the project. The research, financial numbers and logistics of a mixed use building on the site prove that is less feasible than the proposed residential-only development. One of the important things to all of us is that the project be constructed and in scale with our codes and our “Old Florida feel”. The development will be 3 stories in height which is below our maximum height restrictions.  Once again, the free market has spoken and to our advantage.

A few people wanted a condominium development instead of rentals. After looking at the price to construct a project with the amenities necessary, it becomes obvious that the sales price would be higher than what research dictates people would pay for the units. There has been no new residential construction downtown in a dozen years. In order to secure construction financing, the banks would insist on a cash flow to pay the loan. A dedicated stream of rental income does that. Again the free market has spoken.

If this was an entirely private deal without Stuart being a party to the transaction, this project could go forward as a PUD. Our commission would look at the proposed plans and make our comments as we do all the time. We will be doing the same thing when this comes before us to receive final approval. Stuart still exercises the same amount of control over the project. The only difference is that we will be the land owner and will rent to the developer the use of that land. This is the free market in action.

Currently I see our downtown streets as a “Potemkin Village.” Without more residents, we will never truly live up to our potential as a downtown and a city. This project jump starts revitalization of Dixie Highway. It will spur more new construction instead of the current patchwork of empty buildings and vacant lots. What Stuart needs is additional residents who will expand our tax base. More full time residents will bring added vibrancy resulting in more jobs and commercial development. Projects like this will allow our “Millennials” an affordable option to remain in Stuart until they are ready to buy that first house or apartment, hopefully within our boundaries.

The proposed rent that New Urban Communities would pay would result in our land purchase cost being paid by 2028 and our soft costs in the project around 2036. The project beginning in 2019 is projected to pay the city $90,000 in TIF initially, and as value increases, so too will the yearly amount of real estate taxes. This does not take into account the various fees and other taxes that the residents and building will pay. I see it as a win for New Urban Communities and a win for the City of Stuart. This is an example of what the CRA does by allowing the free market to work.

There will always be those who believe something different should go on the Triangle parcel. Everyone has ideas and thoughts and opinions. Ideas, thoughts and opinion are meaningless in the marketplace unless you are willing to risk your money. New Urban Communities and their backers are doing just that. For the Triangle property, the free market has spoken.

The Safety of All of Stuart

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Our City of Stuart is a good safe place to live. There is one neighborhood; however, that has experienced multiple shootings and criminal activity due mostly to the drug trade. It is plagued with greater poverty than other neighborhoods. This neighborhood is the historic African-American East Stuart.

East Stuart was established because of segregation though it was a vibrant place in spite of it. During its economic and cultural prime of the 1940s and 1950s, the neighborhood thrived. It was the home to African-Americans from the most educated and prosperous to the poor and unskilled. Since these residents were denied access to the broader Stuart because of race, the people of this neighborhood were self reliant in all things.

When integration began in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, that broader world became available to many East Stuart residents. While once constrained by the geography of the neighborhood, this slowly changed. With the ending of legal segregation, new opportunities happened for many of the more educated and affluent. Everyone then could shop anywhere. Most of the businesses in East Stuart could no longer compete with the wider world. As norms changed, so did the make-up of the residents. While East Stuart is still primarily African-American, it is a neighborhood for the impoverished. Individuals now live there due to income more than race.

Poverty, lack of education and employment opportunities have brought the tragedy of drug addiction and an economy based on supplying drugs to the addicted of all neighborhoods. This underground economy has resulted in gang activity and violence to control this illegal market. We need to end this lawlessness as a perception of normalcy. The children of East Stuart should not have to grow up under such circumstances. The elderly of East Stuart should not have to fear being hit by a stray bullet while sitting in their homes. The pathology of this criminal pattern of behavior must not be tolerated.

This will require more police being assigned to East Stuart. If we are to eradicate indiscriminate shootings and drug dealing the city must be willing to devote long term the resources necessary. I want us, as a community and city, to stand firm against this plague. Our police must be fair and objective but do everything possible to accomplish this goal. Community policing should be a big part of this strategy. The hearts and minds of the community is as big a part of safety as is any law and order goal.

The police cannot do this work without community involvement. The people who live in this neighborhood must want to rid their community of this scourge. They need to be the eyes and ears of law enforcement. They have to stand and be part of the solution. When things are toughest, the East Stuart community and the rest of the city cannot afford to back down to those that have interest in the lawless status quo. For this type of behavior knows no geographic bounds or skin color.  Every neighborhood has an interest in eradicating the problem.

It is true the people who perpetuate these crimes are dangerous and have little regard for life. They want us to fear them because that is their ultimate weapon of compliance. They are home grown terrorists doing precisely the same thing as ISIS does in Syria. A healthy fear is natural but can’t be allowed to derail what needs to be done. Our children’s future is at stake and what we do will decide their destiny.

As a commissioner, I will ask that the needed funds are made available to support this effort. While a “Town Hall Meeting” may be called, all of us know what must be done. The actions needed on our part have to be more than just expressing complaints. The time for discussion is over. East Stuart and all of Stuart need to come together and expel the drug dealers and gangs from our city. Along with the police, we must make our city safe for all…especially our children as they are the future.

Do We Need “Open Carry”

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As a kid, I would play “cowboys and Indians” or “soldiers” with my siblings and friends. All of us in the neighborhood would be involved. Even girls could be Dale Evans and fire a gun. Right after Christmas or a birthday, we would have new toy guns but as the year went by sticks or broom handles would substitute for our lost or broken make-believe weapons. We were kids running around the sidewalk or park making explosive sounds and playing dead.

Then one day, I was no longer interested in playing with toy guns. I grew older and other things occupied my time and imagination. But somewhere in the back of every man’s mind is the little boy who wants to play at being that cowboy again…Wyatt Earp with a six shooter in a holster strapped to his hip. For what else could explain why the third most populous state in the nation is so obsessed with guns and especially what is known as “open carry.”

I believe in second amendment rights. Law abiding citizens do have a right to own and possess fire arms. I have a concealed weapons permit. I can’t remember the last time I carried a weapon outside my home; but I want the right to do so. I should be able to defend myself and my family if needed. But I am not a law enforcement officer nor do I desire to “play” one in real life.

So why do we need “open carry” in Florida? Do we really have some inordinate fear or vulnerability that we would need to have a Glock 43 holstered at the hip? Will this make us safer as a an individual or a society? I think not.

Law enforcement professionals receive hours and hours of training in the art of firing and holstering a weapon. Proper procedure and technique is drilled into them before being sworn and throughout their careers. Because of their training, officers are better able to know when the use of deadly force is appropriate. The average person does not have this extensive training, and the vast majority of us do not have the required temperament.

Florida leads the nation in concealed weapons permits at 1.3 million. When a weapon is concealed, the carrier has an advantage. The person can defend himself if necessary and if he believes his life is in danger. No one knows you are armed. You are far more able to walk away from situations that may not, at its inception, be life threatening. Once you take it upon yourself to openly carry a weapon, you may be putting yourself in situations where you are provoking a problem.

What happens during a traffic stop and the police officer sees you are carrying a weapon? Now, when the officer approaches, if you have a weapon in your glove box or concealed on your person, you have an opportunity to calmly tell the officer that you pose no threat. If you carry in the open, that stop may become quite deadly. Misunderstandings occur. With guns in the mix, there is a far greater chance of deadly force being used.

You know the first thing Wyatt and his brothers did when they became deputies or marshals in a place was to make sure no one was carrying a gun within town limits. Common sense dictates some sensible measures for the common good. Crime has never been lower. In Stuart or Port Saint Lucie or anywhere on the Treasure Coast, will we be better served by the openly carrying of weapons? I think not. Let’s leave the make believe to the kids and the law enforcement to the professionals.

What Annexation Really Is!

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In this morning’s Stuart News, a letter appeared regarding the city’s recent annexation of a parcel on Federal Highway. As a member of the City Commission, I did vote for the annexation. Unfortunately, the letter writer is misinformed on several matters regarding that particular annexation and annexation under Florida statute.

Annexation is allowed under Florida statute when a property owner petitions a municipality to be allowed into the city. The municipality then has the option of incorporating the parcel or not if that parcel meets the criteria of the statute and the municipality decides that it is in the interest of the city to do so. Annexation is permitted and encouraged under the law in order to expand municipal services to newly urbanized areas outside the current geographical boundaries of the city. Unfortunately, too many people in Martin County do not understand the differences between municipalities and county governmental functions … including a few county commissioners.

Counties were never meant to be anything other than local arms of state government. That is why each county has a sheriff, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, tax collector and clerk of the court. Each of those functions carries out state duties as recognized by our state constitution and statutes. The state government is making sure that state residents have vital state services throughout Florida. Counties are a political arm or subdivision of Tallahassee.

Municipalities are the local governments. They were meant to provide urban services such as water and sewer, fire/rescue and a host of others. As population grows and demand increases for such services, then annexation of newly urban areas (if contiguous) are supposed to occur. In non-contiguous areas, then new municipalities should be formed in order to provide urban services as outlined by statute. Unfortunately, Martin County wants not only to be a county government but also a municipal one. This is the root of why the county currently has an unsustainable budget.

I most certainly do not want to emulate the unbridled growth to our south. But if you were to look at Palm Beach County, there are 38 municipalities representing the local views of 38 distinct areas. Martin County has 4 municipalities. Instead of encouraging annexation and the formation of more municipal governments to provide urban services, county government is trying to do so.

In all instances of providing urban services, the county is less efficient than Stuart. For instance, it costs homeowners roughly 50% more to hook up to a county sewer than a homeowner in the city. In every instance, from fire/rescue to police to roads, the city provides urban services cheaper and more efficiently.

A city is able to do this for several reasons. The first is because we operate within a compact geographical area with higher density than most of the county. In most cases, the county has taken on the duties and responsibilities of providing services to all unincorporated areas regardless of density. A paid fire/rescue department was never meant to respond to fires or accidents in rural areas…volunteer departments were.

The second reason that the city is able to keep costs in check is because it has a locally elected body in charge that is close to the people. I, as a city commissioner, represent a little over 16,000 people as opposed to the more than 160,000 people in the county. I know the different neighborhoods and constituencies very well. I hear from residents in the supermarket and at the doctor’s office. People see me at the park and at their kid’s school. My cell phone number is on my business card. I am accessible. I try to make sure that every penny collected from the limited number of taxpayers Stuart has is spent in accordance with their wishes.

Finally, since the government is so much closer to the people, we only provide those services that the local population wants and is willing to pay to have. This is in stark contrast to county government where there is no differentiation in what is provided to Indiantown or Rio. Each is a distinctive community, but there is no local representative government or any variation in the tax rate for providing those services whether wanted or not. It costs more to respond to a fire in rural Martin than in Salerno.

The last misconception regarding annexation that should be cleared up is the notion that the property is taken away from Martin County. To the contrary, Stuart and the three municipalities are all in and a part of Martin County. Municipal residents pay taxes to Martin County. We vote for county commissioners and the constitutional officers.  Every person and parcel, even those in a municipality, is part of the county.

In the particular annexation referenced by the letter writer in the newspaper, I would say the development that is now proposed for that site is a far cry better than what they could have built under county zoning. Under the county rules, a 24 hour convenience store could have been built. Under the county rules, a restaurant/bar with music could have been located there. The county’s zoning would have resulted in double the retail area that we granted. Yes, it is true under the county’s zoning; the developer would have had a 60 room hotel instead of the 80 rooms that the city allowed. But I am sure the residents of Palm Lake Park would rather have a well buffered hotel than a night spot with music until 2 a.m.  Even though we do not represent the Palm Lake residents, the city commission exacted better uses from the developer than what was permitted under county zoning. It was a win for the county because of the increased sales, property and bed taxes, a win for the Lake Park homeowners because of our requirements in uses, buffering and setbacks, and a win for the city in increased property taxes.