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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 25, 2007

Seek A Common Goal

On August 16, the Hillsborough County commissioners, sitting as the Environmental Protection Commission, voted unanimously to move forward with the EPC's hybrid option plan to streamline the county's wetlands regulatory protection process, while at the same time continuing the strong local wetlands protections EPC has provided for more than 22 years.

It was clear from the public hearing that this issue divided the community. Emotions ran high on both sides. As difficult as this process was, I am convinced the end result will be a fair and transparent wetlands regulatory program with strong, legally defensible rules in place to protect our local resources. Now that the issue has been decided, it is time to get on with implementing the many facets of the plan over the next year.

As we move forward, it is my hope that the commission, EPC staff, the public and the regulated community come together for the common goal of environmentally sustainable growth.

The chairman of the EPC, Commissioner Brian Blair, has led the agency through this turbulent period. Prior to the August 16 board meeting, I invited Commissioner Blair to attend a subcommittee meeting of the Agricultural Economic Development Council. The subcommittee was discussing one aspect of the wetland hybrid option plan.

Commissioner Blair was assisting me in reaching an agreement with the agricultural community on a specific term of the plan. After my input, Commissioner Blair asked to speak to the committee without my staff and me being present. My staff and I saw nothing unusual in this request since we knew Commissioner Blair was assisting us in this discussion at our request.

We then left the meeting, while other members of the public, aside from regular committee members, remained. After a short discussion, the meeting ended without a vote. Two days later, the full committee unanimously supported the hybrid plan. Afterward, Commissioner Blair was accused in the press of violating the open meeting provision of the Sunshine Law.

My legal staff has advised me that the Sunshine Law was not violated under these circumstances.

I mention this as an example of the mindset that we must begin to change. It is my hope that unfounded verbal attacks such as this, the vandalism of the commissioner's home and the contentiousness of the past few months give way to cooperation among members of our community. Unless we work together, we will not be able to effectively deal with the certain growth that is coming our way.

I look forward to working with the public and the regulated community to have an open, fair and streamlined local wetlands protection program that sets an example for the state of Florida. Please join me in this plan for our future.

RICHARD D. GARRITY

Tampa

Only One With Ethics

Regarding 'Wetlands Compromise' (front page, Aug. 17):

Leaving County Center Thursday night with two wins for the day, I felt disgusted. I shouldn't have because although it was watered down, the Environmental Protection Commission was not eliminated and a Comprehensive Plan amendment that would have compromised rural land status was denied along with a subsequent development. The day's missions were accomplished, yet I was sickened at the display that the majority of this Board of County Commissioners demonstrated.

They seemed offended at the public notion that they were in the pockets of developers, yet Brian Blair addressed the developers and attorneys by name during the evening rezoning meeting and apologized that he could not approve their plan. He referred to meetings with them, which I thought was illegal, prior to rezonings. Al Higginbotham, who I used to have hope for, suggested the residents meet with developers.

In my opinion, the citizens are down to one ethical commissioner: Rose Ferlita. She is truly a Rose among thorns and consistently does the right thing for Hillsborough County. It is clear to me that the rest of them will not do the right thing unless we are down there watching every move.

KELLY CORNELIUS

Lithia

A Political Circus

The circus is long gone, but the clowns remain here in Hillsborough County. I'm referring to the county's wetlands division fiasco that occurred when some of our county commissioners wanted to abolish it.

Brian Blair provided more clowning by attempting to close a meeting to the public on Aug. 13 because he wanted to talk about wetlands policy. Most people would think Blair should know that doing so would be illegal. I guess he hasn't learned much as a commissioner.

Then on Thursday, after the famous four commissioners - Blair, Norman, White and Hagan - reversed themselves and voted with the others against abolishing the department after much public uproar, they did some more clowning around by stating that they didn't really want to abolish the wetlands department; they actually wanted to improve it. Jim Norman even stated that Blair made a bold move to protect the community. We voters certainly thought that was about the best clowning around we've seen in years.

Maybe come next election, instead of re-electing these guys as commissioners, the voters should retire them so they can apply at Barnum & Bailey.

TIM CURTIS

Lithia

Gang Of Four

The Gang of Four turned out to be the Three Stooges plus a Fool. Rose Ferlita seems to be the only member of the County Commission with any integrity - and courage.

The Gang - Hagan, White, Blair and Norman - made a strong case for bringing back the Puritan-era public stocks, with Ken Hagan in the lead-off spot for his cowardly personal attack on Ferlita.

But no one should lose sight of the fact that developers who control this gang got most of what they wanted: a watered-down wetlands protection program less able to protect Hillsborough's dwindling natural resources from greedy developers.

SCOTT MOCK

St. Petersburg

Public Outcry Worked

At the recent EPC wetlands meeting, Commissioner Jim Norman protested that the commission had requested over 40 times that EPC staff address the wetlands issues and never received a response or report.

If I were in Norman's shoes, I would have been extremely embarrassed to admit in public this failure of commission leadership. I believe after the third request I would have given EPC staff the issues to be addressed and a deadline to get back with a report and recommendations or even a blue ribbon committee, as former Commissioner Jan Platt had suggested. What an indictment of their leadership to have not taken this very simple step to get some results. Instead they decided on this Draconian measure of elimination.

We can't help but believe that the commissioners really didn't want a solution until it was forced on them by public outcry. The commissioner doth protest to much, methinks.

GAIL PARSONS

Odessa

Don't Mess With Nature

No more, no mas. How many droughts does it take to sink in? Pun intended. We should not allow any wetlands to be destroyed or moved. We have allowed enough development and destruction of Mother Nature. How many weeks and months of water restrictions every year does it take to realize developers don't have Florida residents' or Mother Nature's interests in mind?

Take a drive on any of our 'former' country roads and reality will hit you like a drought.

GARY RAMOS

Tampa

Thanks For Coverage

One of the main reasons that the Hillsborough County Commission voted to retain the Environmental Protection Commission was due mostly to the really great coverage from The Tampa Tribune. The paper kept it before the residents on a regular basis and in essence embarrassed the commissioners for their kissing-up attitude to the developers.

Thank you, Tampa Tribune, for recognizing a serious flaw in the making and saving this county and its residents future headaches and lots and lots of money.

KAREN WITTENBECK

Odessa

Fox In The Henhouse

Brian Blair continues to act as the ultimate power with regard to the EPC for Hillsborough. He orchestrated a meeting to discredit the past director and shuts down a meeting of the agricultural advisory council, clearing the public and the members from their meeting. Not his meeting, their meeting.

Was Blair afraid they weren't pushing his special-interest agenda? His job is to represent the people of Hillsborough County. He needs to explain how destroying our wetlands further helps our residents more than the developer. According to the public hearing, he can't.

WAYNE ODELL

Tampa

Build Into Oblivion

Let's say Hurricane Dean had made a direct hit on Tampa Bay. Category 5, 155 mph, wind gusts 185 mph, 20 inches of rain. Imagine for a second the additional impact on the people here and the surrounding area in taxes, insurance, etc.

Would developers and politicians feel any responsibility or guilt? Would they care one whit? That's an even scarier scenario. And nothing will change. Just build into oblivion. What a philosophy!

TOM GIEL

Palm River

The writer is executive director of the EPC.

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