5/19/1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Vice Chairman Macht noted, in response to Commissioner Ginn's comments regarding the removal of exotics, that the City of Vero Beach has an ordinance which requires removal of exotics if they are not maintained as landscape items. He then reminded the Board that Commissioner Eggert had called for a referendum of the tax rebate question twice. He did not believe the people have spoken as 47% of them did not wish to do this in the first place. He felt the County needs to deal with the slim majority who passed the bond issue as to whether or not they want to spend more than the appraised value. He believed that elected representatives are in a situation of responsibility for interpreting citizens' wishes but felt that in the larger issues, citizens have a right to be heard. He also felt the environmental community has a stake in this. Vice Chairman Macht continued that the Land Acquisition Advisory Committee was doing a step-by-step, very responsible job in acquiring environmental lands. Attributes were considered and evaluated after presentations and these islands consistently fell very low in the rating system. All properties acquired by the County were acquired at a price established by appraisals and almost all were obtained below the appraised value. If we pay Lost Tree Village $11,900,000, we will have gutted the LAAC funds and lost any opportunity for many other properties more suited for acquisition by the County. We have not even addressed the western part of the County. What you have here is a welter of information based on special interests with very narrow knowledge of the subject matter. Discussion then ensued regarding the confidentiality of the appraisal information, and County Administrator Chandler asked that the information not be released until confirmed with FCT. THE CHAIRMAN CALLED THE QUESTION and the Motion failed by a 2-3 vote (Commissioners Eggert and Ginn and Chairman Tippin opposed). MAY 199 1998