Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 02-27-1979 Regular — reading text

unanimously. Mr. Motion was seconded by Dr. Houghton and carried asked, when w~ consolidated Hunt some boards, we reduced the membership of the Hearing Panel from nine to seven members. We have eight members now, which it would seem to me that w~ should either change the Code to read eight 152 2/ 27/ 79 members or increase the number back to nine. Mr. Rigdon said, it would seem that you could solve the problem by putting all the names in a hat and drawing one out to be removed. Mr. Hunt asked what the problem was with having nine members in the first place. City Manager replied that there was a problem with getting enough members for a quorum. Mr. Hunt asked City Manager to see what the Code says. ADDITION TO POLL WORKERS Mayor presented a request to add Mr. William F. Lowe, 595 LIOmbre Court, N. E. to the list of Poll Workers for the May election. Mr. Hunt moved that Mr. Lowe be added to the list. Motion was seconded by Mr. Brock and carried unanimously. REQUEST FROM WEST FLORIDA Mayor presented a request from West REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL Florida Regional Planning Council for support for continued State funding of Regional Planning Councils. Mr. Baughman moved to approve the request. This organization has done a lot for us. If they withdraw the state funding, it will just fall on local government, so I think we need to keep it in there. Mr. Bishop said the City gives the Planning Council the money necessary to perform the services mandated. I think what we are talking about here is money that the state gives the Planning Coun- cil for mandates that they want done by the Planning Council. I donlt think there is any way that this should fall back on the City. If the state wants it done, the state ought to pay for it. To me this is a state problem. I think we should write and tell the legisla- tive delegation that we are opposed to it and we object to it.  2/ 27/ 79 1 50 0 Mr. Ryan, Federal Funds Coordinator, said if you read the paper that. the West Florida Regional Planning Council sent over, it is not quite as clear. What it is for is continued state funding for performing developments of regional impact. The City of Fort Walton Beach I doesnlt face any developments of re- gional impact. land left. nal We don It have that much When they formed the Regio- Planning Councils, the governor passed the authority to the Regional Planning Councils to perform develop- ments of regional impact, which are required by state law. All this does is keep you from having to go to Talla- hassee to get a development of regional impact. The implication is what I ob- ject to in West Florida Regional Planning Councills request. If the state does notfund anymore, then the Regional Planning Council is going to look to the local governments to pick up the tabs for performing the developments of regional impact. My recommendation to you is, no way should the City pick up this tab. This is a state requirement, and if the state wants development of regional impacts performed, then the state should pay the tab, the local not governments. I am not opposing the West Florida Regional Planning Council. I am opposing this particular implication, that if we don It support them then we the local governments will have to pick up the tab for developments of regional impact. My recommendation is that you merely note the request. Mr. Hunt said, there is a need for coordinating projects on a regional basis, and I recognize that need, but it seems to me that we have on the Com- prehensive Plan, the Planning Council I was going to develop a Comprehensive Plan for the City as well as other cities within their jurisdiction. We ended up having to go hire a consultant be- cause they donlt have any planners over there. The meetings I have attended have been a rubber stamp type thing and I am not speaking against the Regional Planning Council, but I think even though the contribution that we make on a per capita basis is probably reasonable, at 1-54 2/ 27/ 79 times I question whether we are really getting dollar value for dollars spent out of the Regional Planning Council the way it is presently established. I think there is a tremendous need on a more local basis to coordinate cer- tain projects-- construction projects, water and sewer projects. We are criss- crossing water and sewer lines. I think we need talk to the county commis- to sioners and to the other local govern- ments and see if there is any way that we could get together and sit down and coordinate among ourselves problems of that sort. It is not only water and sewer, but roads and signs. I think we need to be looking more along those lines as well as having a provision for reviewing developments of regional impact. Mr. moved that Hunt the request be noted. Motion was seconded by Mr. Bishop. Mr. Baughman said, Bay County has been going along with a private organization. They didnlt want to belong to the Regio- nal Planning Council. They have gotten into a problem recently and have been trying to join the Planning Council. A lot of counties have found that under the state requirements that we have for planning, it is the best thing to do. I understood that the state was consi- dering pulling state funding away from them. They were asking us to encourage the state to continue funding so the cost would not fall back on the City. Mr. Ryan replied, the implication I object to is the statement that if the state do it then we, doesnlt the local governments, will have to pick up that tab. I would not recommend to this 1 Council that you accept a concept from j the West Florida Regional Planning 1 Council that we agree to pick up the tab if the state does not fund them. Mr. Baughman said, I am not real sure we have a choice. Mr. said, if you don' t put the Rigdon money the pot, they don' t do the in planning. When the state mandates cer-  2/ 27/ 79 I "\ sr- tain things and they don It put the funds in, then I donlt think we should have to. I donlt think this Council should vote to do it if the state doesnlt do it. Mr. Baughman said he did not interpret I the letter that way. It looked to me like we ought to encourage the state to continue funding and that is what they were asking us to do. Question was called for and motion car- ried with Mr. Baughman voting NO. REQUEST FOR VARIANCE AT Request was presented from Nelson Davis, HONEY TREE SUBDIVISION Jr. for a two foot variance on the front setback lines of Lots 7, 10, and 11, Honey Tree Subdivision. City Manager said, you have asked us not to place any more variance requests on the agenda, however this one you agreed to handle from the initial con- cept of the plans. By requiring him to offset the fronts of his buildings 51 it