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o <br />REPRESENTATIVE PATCHETT NOTED THAT THERE IS A SAFEGUARD BUILT <br />INTO SECTION 2. HE POINTED OUT THAT IF A PROVISION FOR A REFERENDUM WERE <br />NOT INCLUDED AND THE COMMISSION SAID THEY DID NOT WANT THE PROJECT, THE <br />PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO GO ALONG WITH THEM, BUT UNDER THIS SECTION; THE <br />PEOPLE ARE GIVEN THE ALTERNATIVE OF A REFERENDUM BY WHICH THEY CAN.OVER— <br />RULE THE BOARD. HE NOTED THAT ONLY THOSE IN THE AFFECTED AREA WOULD <br />VOTE — NOT THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE. • <br />VICTOR HART AGREED THAT WHAT REPRESENTATIVE PATCHETT IS SAYING <br />SOUNDS GOOD, BUT HE POINTED OUT THAT IN THE GIFFORD COMMUNITY, THEY HAVE <br />THREE PRECINCTS — SOME PEOPLE LIVING IN GIFFORD VOTE IN WINTER BEACH AND <br />SOME PEOPLE FROM WEST OF TOWN VOTE IN GIFFORD. HE NOTED THIS WEAKENS <br />THE POWER OF THE BLACK PEOPLE AND YOU WOULD NOT HAVE A PROPERLY REPRE— <br />SENTATIVE VOTE OF THE PEOPLE AFFECTED, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE ARE 7,000 <br />PEOPLE IN GIFFORD AND ONLY ABOUT 1,100 REGISTERED VOTERS. HE ASKED HOW <br />THIS SITUATION COULD BE HANDLED. <br />REPRESENTATIVE PATCHETT FELT THIS WOULD BE HANDLED UNDER THE <br />SECTION BASED ON THE LOCATION OF THE PROJECT. IF A PROJECT WAS ALL IN <br />ONE PRECINCT, ONLY THAT PRECINCT WOULD VOTE; IF IT WAS BORDERLINE, MORE <br />THAN ONE PRECINCT WOULD VOTE. <br />MR. HART POINTED OUT THAT IF, FOR INSTANCE, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY <br />WANTED TO BUILD A PROJECT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF CLEMANNS AVENUE, THE PEOPLE <br />LIVING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF NORTH GIFFORD ROAD, WHICH IS THE BULK OF <br />THE PEOPLE, WOULDNIT BE ABLE TO VOTE BECAUSE THEY ARE IN A DIFFERENT <br />PRECINCT. HE DID NOT BELIEVE YOU WOULD GET THE CONSENSUS OF THE MAJORITY <br />OF THE PEOPLE IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY THIS WAY. <br />SENATOR JOHNSTON ASKED "OTHER THAN GETTING GIFFORD INCORPORATED, <br />WHICH AT THIS POINT IS NOT TOO FEASIBLE, — WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US?" <br />MR. HART STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE THE DELEGATION TO LOOK AT <br />•,ti THIS BILL, LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY AND LOOK AT WHY THIS REQUEST <br />WAS MADE. HE NOTED THERE ARE ABOUT SS HOUSING AUTHORITIES IN THE STATE <br />OF FLORIDA AND HE UNDERSTANDS ONLY TWO COUNTIES HAVE THIS BILL. HE ASKED <br />THAT THEY CONSIDER WHY THESE GROUPS WANT THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION TO <br />MUZZLE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. <br />10 <br />FEB 12 1979 <br />Book 39 PAGE 78 <br />