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Vero Beach Mayor Tom White asked the Board, at the behest of City of Vero Beach <br /> residents , to reconsider the purchase of Lost Tree Islands and set aside a substantial amount <br /> of the to - be - issued $ 11 , 000 , 000 bond funds for at least 120 days in order to negotiate with <br /> Lost Tree . If this attempt at negotiation does not work and they do not want to sell , at least <br /> the attempt was made and the money will be there . If an agreement results , it will be <br /> possible then to look for Federal and State funding which is not possible without a local <br /> contribution . He read into the record a letter of April 13 , 2001 , from Jim Egan , Executive <br /> Director of the Marine Resources Council , listing ecological reasons for putting the Lost <br /> Tree Islands into public ownership . ( Clerk ' s Note : A copy was in the backup of the agenda . ) <br /> In closing , he asked that Mayor Tom Cadden and he be involved if the County goes back to <br /> negotiations . They also wish to help obtain additional funding, if needed . He thanked the <br /> Commissioners for allowing him to appear before them . <br /> Indian River Shores Mayor Tom Cadden thanked the Board for allowing the <br /> presentation and thanked those who went to Tallahassee on February 5 `h to persuade the <br /> Governor ' s staff not to go forward with an out- of- court settlement . His constituents are very <br /> concerned about placing the Lost Tree Islands into conservation . He believed this to be a <br /> good time to negotiate prior to the Appellate Court ' s final decision in the lawsuit with Lost <br /> Tree Village Islands . They want the County Commission to move forward with the purchase <br /> of the Islands . Depending on the decision , which should occur before the end of the year, <br /> one or the other side has a lot to lose . At the last town council meeting , he was asked to <br /> work with Vero Beach Mayor White and support the County Commission in any way <br /> possible with respect to the purchase of the Islands . He asked the Board to look favorably <br /> on his three requests : 1 ) to work with the Land Acquisition Advisory Committee to move up <br /> the priority for the purchase of these islands on the list ; 2 ) to consider setting aside a <br /> substantial portion of the future $ 11 million bond issue for the purchase of the islands , longer <br /> April 17 , 2001 <br /> 46 <br /> S PUG 9 3 ' <br />