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.