Category Archives: Our Waterways

Virgin Trains, Fort Pierce & Stuart Can All Be Winners

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The Treasure Coast and Virgin Trains are no longer adversaries.

With the signing of the agreement with CARE and Martin County, the court battles are over. So, what is next for the future of the relationship? Will we be able to work together to find mutual benefits for all of us? Of course, we can! Further, I believe that both Fort Pierce and Stuart can both end up with a stop.

Virgin Train’s primary market was always going to be those going from the cruise ship ports of Miami and Fort Lauderdale to the amusement parks of the Orlando area. But another market can be developed between the Treasure Coast and South Florida. It is an ideal mode of transportation for the South Florida resident looking for a quick getaway. The same is true on the Treasure Coast for those of us wanting a weekend in Miami or Fort Lauderdale, or for the college student going to and from school.

The last time we spent a long weekend in Miami, it took us nearly three hours to drive from Stuart to Miami Beach. Once there, the hotel charged us $30 a day to park our car. We never once drove our car until the return drive. We caught cabs and Ubers. We would have gladly taken a train that brought us to our destination without the hassle.

Fort Pierce and Stuart are not competitors but rather we compliment each other in what we can offer. Virgin Trains and the two cities should see how they can work together to bring stops to both places. In Fort Pierce, the property is available for a station and hotel complex. In Stuart, the railroad already owns property right downtown that can be used.

The agreement states that the cost of the station will be split between the station location and Virgin. For Stuart, I don’t believe that the City should contribute, nor can we afford to do so. What the City can do is work with Virgin to go after Community Development Block Grants, transportation funds and any other possible funding. There may even be a way to obtain federal funds to rebuild the bridge and raise it so that boats can pass under.

This is the time to use our imaginations and work with our federal and state elected representatives to make this a win-win for all of us. Will Virgin succeed financially? I don’t know about that. If the history of railroads is to be believed, the answer is no. But, if we can further transform our City, then we should, and the same is true for Fort Pierce. And, if funds can be made available to rebuild the St. Lucie River bridge, then, once it is raised, it will remain that way regardless of Virgin’s success. The freight trains are not going away no matter what happens with Virgin.

We should not let the feuds of the past stop us from having a better future.

Local Wants Or Federal Needs

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A few weeks ago, I was at the ribbon cutting for the Customs House at Whitham Field.

The five County Commissioners attended. Martin County’s new Florida House Representative, Toby Overdorf, gave a good speech. The elites of the County were there such as the Business Development Board, Marine Industries, and the Economic Council. Afterwards, we were invited to tour the facility. It was what one would expect. There were six or seven Customs & Border Protection Officers available to answer questions. All in all, a fine ribbon cutting as far as ribbon cuttings go.

The facility was built mainly by using grant money. According to the airport’s website, the cost of running the facility will come from user fees. The Customs & Border Protection Agency will operate the facility under a Memorandum of Understanding with the County. They will assign one officer from 11 am-7 pm, but it will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The purpose is to alleviate the problem of planes and boaters having to go to Fort Pierce or West Palm Beach to clear customs.

Most boaters that need to clear customs have visited the Bahamas. Those that make the trip with regularity, such as fishing boat captains, can in almost every instance do away with face-to-face reporting by enrolling in a special program. Those that do not must report to a facility within a set time.

If everything goes according to plan, the new facility at Witham should cost the taxpayers nothing. Any shortfall will be picked up by the Airport Enterprise Fund. The airport is expecting to make more revenue from planes now landing at the field purchasing their fuel at Witham instead of Fort Pierce or West Palm Beach.

Then, why was I against having the County operate such a facility and am still not in favor? There are philosophical and practical reasons for not supporting it.

Customs and Border Enforcement are federal responsibilities. The Constitution clearly gives oversight for immigration, our borders and international commerce to the U.S. government. The Supreme Court has ruled consistently that Washington has absolute authority under the Constitution to do so. It is their responsibility to provide for immigration, border security and commercial enforcement.

Therefore, if the U.S. government believed that there was a need to have such a facility at Witham Field, then they would have placed one there. This idea that Martin County should buy a federal service for convenience is anathema to my understanding of the purpose for government. Whether that service is paid for by the levying of local fees collected by the County or our local tax dollars is immaterial. It is an erosion of the separation of powers under the Constitution.

This opens the door for government adopting policies that allow the purchase of services by more affluent communities. It leads to wealthier constituents not having to endure idiotic government procedures. They can buy convenience, leaving those not as well-off to deal with government red tape. The most influential citizens, therefore, will not be calling their friend the senator, congressman, or president to complain about inept laws and policies.

In the years to come if things do not turn out as expected, then, like the Martin County Golf Course and Sailfish Splash Water Park, Martin County taxpayers will pay. For the most part, government is not inherently very good at running businesses. Our brand-new Customs House is a business.

Even with an analytical study that purports to show this want, I do not doubt that in the future there will be a need for either the Airport Enterprise Fund to be used or taxpayer dollars to continue operation. Plato wrote: “A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.” To paraphrase my friend, Harold Markey, this is a want and not a need. That way of operating (wants over needs) has permeated Martin County’s leaders and has led to hundreds of millions of dollars in unfunded infrastructure repairs not being done.

Marie Antoinette never said, “Let them eat cake” when seeing the starving peasants from the palace.  The phrase was a bad English translation of “Let them eat brioche” that first appeared in Rosseau’s works a decade before. Whether one thinks of cake or brioche, taxpayers should remember the golf course, water park and now Customs House.

 

 

 

Stuart Commission Needs More Deliberation & Fewer Motions

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During Commissioner comment, Mayor Leighton read what I believe was a press release from Congressman Mast’s office condemning the South Florida water Management District’s Board for extending a lease on land to a sugar company where the reservoir will be built south of the Lake. The press release calls for the Board’s dismissal. The lease extension will run through March 31st, 2027.

 

With another lost summer behind us, I can more than understand why any hint of delaying the reservoir would evoke anger. But an elected deliberative board needs to have all the facts before doing anything. In this case that was far from true. In fact, the City of Stuart Commission, through naiveite and political manipulation, became a pawn in a struggle where Stuart does not belong.

 

The lease extension will run for an additional 8 years through March 31st, 2027. If that in any way would delay the construction of any part of the reservoir then perhaps it would be understandable that Stuart should be upset. However, in this case, if anyone read the lease extension before reacting, they would have seen that after the first 20 months the District could terminate the lease with 120 days’ notice.

 

At present, while it has been approved by President Trump, money is not expected to begin flowing to the project for several years. What the District did was smart stewardship by keeping the property producing revenue while we continue to wait for Washington.

 

What the Stuart Commission did was act not only foolishly but with hubris toward another governmental body. It is improper for an elected body to demand the removal of another governmental body not under their control. How would the City Commission like it if the County Commission demanded that the City LPA members be dismissed because they did something that the BOCC didn’t like?

 

It has become painfully obvious to this observer that the City Commission, which is a deliberative and policy board, has become “motion crazy.” Commissioner comments are the time when individual Commissioners can report on their activities and ask that staff look into a resident’s complaint. Turning it into a motion frenzy to have pet projects of Commissioners approved leads to bad policy and poor decisions.

 

If Commissioners wish to have a matter discussed, then they should speak to the City Manager and have it placed on the agenda of the next meeting under deliberation and discussion. In that way it can be fully vetted, and every Commissioner can have all the facts before action is taken. What is going on now is a Commission free-for-all. This is making the Stuart City Commission look amateurish and easily manipulated.

 

Commissioners need to realize that they should not let their personal beliefs interfere with what is best for the City. They should not be manipulated by each other or outside influences. There is almost no instance where a matter can’t wait until another meeting. Good government demands a deliberative stance.

 

Our two newest Commissioners ran on transparency. It is anything but transparent to vote on something without proper notice being given for the public. Staff has the obligation to make sure the Commission has all the information before action is taken. This Commission needs to start acting as a mature deliberative body.

 

Dyess Essay On His Vision for Stuart

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The city of Stuart has been in the center of my life for 49 years. From fracturing my arm on Commissioner Matheson’s street to getting hauled to the police department for playing cops and robbers in the defunct development that eventually became the Town Homes of Stuart, I have seen this city evolve. That evolution has been mostly positive surrounded by an environmental disaster. As a kid we would sneak on the dock behind someone’s house off North River Point Drive and jump in the river or watch the manatee. As a teenager we would go to the rope swing in the south fork or ski in the north fork, but you don’t see those activities anymore. Even with the water issues we have now I still believe in this city and see a great future for Stuart.

In the next five years I would like to accomplish Stuart’s position of relevance in the county again. We use to be the largest community in Martin County and received positive political attention due to our voting; now we are almost the smallest in population which makes us irrelevant to the county. As the county has grown around us we have allowed opportunities to escape us. I am not a kingdom builder, so it is not about wanting to become a large city, but rather a sustainable city that has a place at the table. I would also like to focus on the live, work, play dynamics of our community. I see opportunities for an open space promenade in downtown for gatherings and events as well as a restructured 10th Street facility that provides athletics, education and recreation. We are actually not that bad in the work portion of the model, but we could do better with trade opportunities and education in our low income areas. As for live, we need some housing work. We have an inventory of very high priced homes and then an inventory of very low priced homes and very little in the mid-market arena. I am patiently waiting for the Azul project completion to see how that apartment population dynamic works in downtown. Maybe cottage homes is the answer, I’m not really sure yet.

I could get in more depth on the specific items I see for Stuart, like a splash pad but it’s really not my vision that matters the most. It is yours! My job is to carry out the vision and policies of the commission and if the things that I see for Stuart differ from the commission then the commission’s ideas will be embraced by me. Getting five individuals to agree on exactly the same thing is very difficult, so I understand there will be times that some things that happen will not sit well with all five, but the majority rule will dictate. I know this isn’t exactly what you had in mind when you asked me to write about where I saw Stuart in five years or what I want to accomplish in that time, but I truly do believe in carrying out the goals of the commission who should be carrying out the desires of their constituents.

I have found over the past four months that this is not an easy job and it is very demanding, but I am up for the challenge. I am a doer, and like to get things done rather than meet about things for months on end. Government is great at kicking the can and I believe if the can needs to be kicked to often then we don’t need the can to begin with.

The Meaning of a Local State of Emergency

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What can a city or, for that matter, a county commissioner actually accomplish regarding our rivers and environment? In my experience, an elected official at that level has very little influence. They can’t order the Lake Okeechobee flows to stop or a reservoir to be built.

What they do have is the “bully pulpit.” They can lobby at a state and federal level for funding and programs. They can write letters and articles in support of clean water policies.

If your local elected officials are only involved when they are up for election or when a crisis is occurring, then what they are committed to is being elected to office, not our environment. As voters we should be looking at the organizations they belonged to before the political bug bit. What were their environmental statements and donations? Did they write letters to the editor? Once in office, did they continue as a contributing member to the environmental cause or were they only seen for the photo-op and headline.

Declaring a “State of Emergency” for a city the size of Stuart is a grand gesture with no practical effect. It is a way for the Stuart City Commission to seem environmentally friendly but rather useless and void of any true meaning. If that is the extent of the Commission’s commitment, there is not much to these Commissioners.

When there are no looming environmental catastrophes, is the City proceeding with sewer to septic conversions? They need to be seeking grants and appropriations from Tallahassee for the money so that homeowners can affordably hook up. They should be advocating, and mandating homeowners hook up within several years. This would be a meaningful program.

As we prepare to cast our votes in August we need to look beyond the candidates’ statements during campaigns. Have they put their money where their mouths are? Have they worked for water causes when no one was looking? Who are their campaign contributors? Are unfamiliar PACs sending out mailers on their behalf?

These are the questions that need answers. Don’t be fooled by their garbled campaign rhetoric. It is easy to say I am for clean rivers. It is much harder to have done something to accomplish the task.

 

What Is the Indian River Lagoon & Council

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I attended a meeting of the Indian River Lagoon Council Management Board this past week. As the representative of the Treasure Coast Regional League of Cities, my purpose for being appointed is to give the other board members the perspective of our cities.  What you quickly discover is that the problems of our Indian River Lagoon are not restricted to Stuart, Martin County or even the Treasure Coast. The estuary encompasses five counties and two water management districts. Each of those areas has its own set of challenges which affect the water quality in everyone’s areas.

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) has three main bodies of water: Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River and the Indian River Lagoon. There are no true rivers because there are no headwaters and no mouths, such as the Mississippi River has. The IRL is an estuary and that is why it is part of the National Estuary Program.  The Council is a federal program under the supervision of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is funded by Congress.

Through the IRL grants program, local governments and other organizations can participate in an RFP process to secure funding for water quality projects. This is an additional source for money besides going to the Florida Legislature. The Indian River Lagoon Council is a resource that should be used in our fight for our Florida waterways.

As I have repeatedly said and written, there is no one magic solution to Florida’s water quality problems. It took over a hundred years of neglect, ignorance and, in some instances, downright skullduggery to create this problem. We will need another century and billions of dollars to correct it. One water farm or reservoir or sewer system is only one piece of the puzzle in this ongoing fight.

So I will continue to make what contribution I can in this area, both as an elected official and resident of the area. Unfortunately, this should be looked on as a multi-generational struggle. I am not going to blame or demonize one industry or interest group.  That would be counter-productive to achieving the goal. It took all of us, either through greed or ignorance, to harm our estuary. It will take everyone to help in its transformation into what we want it to be.

 

Snowbirds & What They Bring

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I live on the St. Lucie River where the mooring fields are located. In the last few weeks I have noticed (as in past years) that there are more and more boats on the balls each day. By January 1st, there will be a couple of hundred boats on the mooring balls and in the marina. Some people will live on their boats. Others will live on land in apartments or homes.

These “snowbirds” will eat in our restaurants, buy goods in our stores and use the Stuart tram as a mode of transportation. They will provide additional jobs for those working in our stores and restaurants. Sales taxes will be paid on the food ordered to eat and any purchases made. In general, our boaters and all seasonal visitors arriving from New England, Canada or wherever will become part of our community for as long as they are here. I gladly welcome them to the City.

Many of us that stay year-round will complain about increased traffic. Or how they will need a reservation to have dinner at their favorite restaurant. But, isn’t that a good thing? Isn’t it better to have more people paying taxes and putting permanent residents to work? Dollars that are brought in from up north are new dollars coming into our local economy. “Snowbirds” or, as I like to say, part-time residents add vibrancy to our town. They contribute to our tax base and our local charities. They are members of our organizations and clubs. They are just like the rest of us who are here year-round except they are with us for only five, six or eight months a year.

When I look at Stuart, I like the fact that our part-time residents share the space. I wouldn’t mind more of them. But I also want more full-time residents who will return after college and raise their families within our borders. I want to see entrepreneurs move to Stuart and open businesses. Artists should be making art and living here. More children need to be playing in our parks and in front of their homes. Seniors should be able to take advantage of our numerous parks and recreation center.

Stuart needs people of every income strata, race, occupation, age and persuasion. I want to welcome all to our stores and places of worship. Cities should be places of diversity and understanding…tolerant and embracing. Maybe even a little quirky and original — such as only having a four-story height limit.

 

Our Waterways…No Quick Fix

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Our Congressperson Brian Mast will introduce two bills when Congress reconvenes in September that, if passed, will help to make Florida waterways better. (You can find outlines of the bills at: http://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-lagoon/health/2017/08/23/u-s-rep-brian-mast-calls-federal-study-action-stop-south-florida-algae-blooms/592994001/.)

Florida Senate President, Joe Negron, sponsored legislation to build a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee which was approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor.  Whether you are an Independent, Republican or Democrat, we should all applaud and support these efforts.

The Indian River Lagoon and all Florida waters need Floridians pulling together to accomplish the task of improving our environment. There is no right answer or easy solution. It took more than a century for Florida to make this mess. It will probably take that long for our waterways to be restored. Federal, State and local governments must work in partnership. Co-operation with all interest groups will be the only way we shall succeed.

As a member of the Indian River Lagoon Council Management Board, I have become more knowledgeable about the larger picture we face, and it is daunting. The I.R.L. is a National Estuary Program that receives most of its funding from the Federal Government. The lagoon spans 156 miles from Ponce de Leon Inlet near New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County to Jupiter Inlet, on the southern border of Martin County.  Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie River are only a piece of this larger puzzle. Martin County and Stuart’s water quality are dependent on much more than just any local situation or solution.

At some point in the future, whether it is tomorrow or next year, another algae bloom will happen. When it does, let’s not look for scapegoats to blame. As I have written, everyone must work in tandem. In some capacity, every Florida resident, business person, farmer and visitor has contributed to the far from pristine condition of our waterways. It will take each and every one of us to aid in our recovery.

Martin County’s Infrastructure Sales Tax

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The county has introduced an infrastructure sales tax ballot initiative for the August election. If passed, the measure would add an additional penny per dollar to the current 6% sales tax rate. At present, 61 of Florida’s 67 counties levy an additional sales tax. This makes the local option more the norm than not. The same products (such as food and medicine) would be exempt from the additional sales tax. I had hoped that the parameters on what the county could spend the proceeds would be limited to water and road projects alone.  But, even without those limitations, I am still in support of the measure since Martin County needs to address our road and water project backlog immediately.

The County may seem like it is in a rush to have a vote without adequate time to educate the voters as to the merits of the proposal. Unfortunately, they are up against a legislature in Tallahassee that wants to strip the ability of counties to levy such a tax even after a vote of local citizens. Last session, bills were introduced to do just that. Martin County anticipates that the legislature will introduce such a bill in the upcoming year and perhaps pass it. This is what requires Martin County to have the measure on the ballot as soon as possible. Such are the unintended consequences when the state meddles in matters of local control.

As to the need for Stuart to have the sales tax enacted, it goes without question that without these funds, there will hardly be any capital improvement projects going forward. The City has a population of roughly 16,500. On the average work day, 21,000 people commute into Stuart to go to work and that does not count the many more that come to shop and dine. While we need to have adequate emergency services, roads and other amenities to accommodate this influx, these visitors pay no direct taxes.

No one enjoys a tax increase. However, we do want government to provide services and amenities. They cannot do so without adequate funding. That is why the passage of this additional penny per dollar spent is so important. As a county resident, I hope that Martin County will use the funds as intended. As a Stuart commissioner, I will only vote that the funds are used for projects in the best interest of our residents.

Now Is The Time

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It appears that Senator Negron’s bill regarding locating a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee will have a hard time moving forward in the legislature. Many are fighting the reservoir on the availability of funds, some because there are other projects on the table that should be completed first, and still others because they oppose of the removal of the 60,000 acres from agricultural production.

All these reasons and explanations sound rational. But the most cogent explanation for moving forward with Senator Negron’s bill is the explanation I heard directly from him. The people and counties and cities along the Saint Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon are seeing their way of life eroding every time releases occur. How long must we wait? Isn’t our health important not to mention our economy and quality of life.

The people of the Treasure Coast can’t wait 10 or 20 years. There is no good reason that we should wait. Economically, what we contribute to the state is as important, if not more so, than the sugar industry’s contribution. Like so many things in Florida and the United States, our area is being sacrificed, not because of valid economic and ecological reasons, but because of the hold the sugar industry has on our state and nation. It’s another sign of the collusion between big business and politicians to put the people’s interest last.

The business model for the sugar industry is, as so many others, only possible because of government subsidies. Those subsidies are made possible by political contributions made by the owners of those industries to the very politicians that vote for those subsidies. Our tax money is being used to pervert our interests. We have become a nation of subsidies and cronyism rather than the nation of entrepreneurship and capitalism .

We, the people, fight the battle for our environment while a few use our own tax dollars to thwart that effort. The river and lagoon will continue to be ignored. Every month and year that passes means that we are that much closer to another summer of green algae. The Treasure Coast is being sacrificed as are the state and national taxpayers. How about taking the corporate subsidies from those few well-connected and giving them to the citizens? We can fund the reservoir and all the other projects if we stop corporate welfare.