Charter Review Commission Minutes
Aug. 22, 2005

Supporting documents linked from this page are in Adobe pdf format . You will need the Acrobat reader to view them. If you do not have the Acrobat reader, you may download one here for free.

League of Women Voters letter
Volusia County Growth Management Commission handout
 
CALL TO ORDER/REMARKS BY CHAIR

Charter Review Commission Chair William Scovell convened the listening session at 7:00 p.m.  The meeting was held in the Deltona City Commission Chambers, 2345 Providence Blvd., Deltona, Florida.  The following members were present:  Chair Scovell, Vice-Chair John Graham, T. Wayne Bailey, Joseph Benedict, Patricia Drago, P. T. Fleuchaus, Alex Ford, Richard Gunter, Peter Heebner, Charles Matousek, Thomas McClelland, Patricia Northey, Ezell Reaves and Glenn Storch.  Member Clarence Davenport was an excused absence.  Also present were Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson, County Attorney Dan Eckert, Assistant to the County Manager Betty Holness, Special Projects Coordinator Cindy Finney, Staff Photographer Jeff Crumbley, Administrative Aide Camilla Grasso, members of the press and 29 members of the public.

Chair Scovell welcomed everyone to the second Public Listening Session and made a few explanatory remarks about the appointment and purpose of the Charter Review Commission.  He noted the purpose of the listening sessions was to hear the thoughts and desires of members of the community in relation to defining the County Charter.  He added the information gathered during the five sessions would be used to help the Commission organize its efforts, such as which committees should be formed and which issues those committees should consider.  He added the end result would be the Commission’s recommendations for Charter changes, if any, which would be put on the November 2006 ballot for the voters’ adoption or rejection.

 REMARKS BY ELECTED OFFICIALS

 Chair Scovell recognized the presence of several elected officials:  County Council Member At-Large Joie Alexander, Deltona Mayor John Masiarczyk, Deltona City Commissioners David Santiago, Michele McFall, Charles DeZaruba and Doug Horn and DeBary City Councilman Patrick Fulton.

He stated a few process ground rules, including that each speaker should limit his or her remarks to three minutes, that the Commission would only be listening to the proposals put forth and not debating them, that everyone should be respectful of each other’s time and that those wishing to speak before the Commission must fill out a request form.

Chair Scovell called upon Ms. Alexander for comments.  She welcomed everyone on behalf of District Five County Council Member Bill Long, who was out of town and had asked her to stand in for him, and also brought greetings from the entire County Council.  She emphasized the importance of the Charter Review process and the task of the Commission to look at ways to improve the quality of life in Volusia County.  She stated all input was critical to the process and diverse opinions on issues would be most welcome.  She also noted while some issues might not come under the purview of the Charter Review Commission, they would still be of interest to the members of the County Council.  She concluded by thanking the Commission members for their service and the members of the public for their participation, noting differing opinions on issues were welcome.

Chair Scovell called on Mayor Masiarczyk, who welcomed everyone to the City of Deltona and thanked the Commission members for using the City’s facility for this meeting.  He said that as the Commission worked its way through the Charter Review process there would be a number of organizations, such as Deltona and other cities, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Volusia Council of Governments and the Water Authority of Volusia, voicing their particular concerns and areas of interest.  He asked that the Commission pay close attention to the comments and suggestions from those bodies.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION REMARKS 

Chair Scovell called on the first speaker, Judy Moore, president of the League of Women Voters of Volusia County.  She distributed a written statement (attached) and stated that the League was primarily concerned about the protection of natural resources and unincorporated land, the provision for a single countywide entity to govern water distribution and coordination and cooperation among local governments.

After some discussion among Ms. Moore, Mr. Storch and Mr. Ford as to the League’s participation in the Smart Growth initiative and suggestions the League might be making to the Commission, Chair Scovell invited the League to speak before the subcommittee that would be addressing growth management issues.  Mr. McClelland felt everyone should be given a copy of the final report by the Smart Growth initiative.  Mr. Storch replied that it was being prepared and was almost finished.

Chair Scovell called on Sandra Walters to speak.  She distributed a handout (attached) concerning the Volusia Growth Management Commission (VGMC).  She stated she had often been disappointed in and frustrated by the VGMC process, and listed several reasons why.  Her opinion was that the VGMC was a failed experiment and should be abolished.  Mr. Storch asked if, as far as dealing with city-county conflicts, she thought it should be replaced.  Ms. Walters stated the Commission should study what other counties used, find a successful working model and pattern Volusia County’s structure upon it.  Dr. Bailey asked if she saw any chance of reforming the VGMC.  Ms. Walters felt it would be possible only if an extremely thorough change were implemented on several levels.  Mr. McClelland asked if she would support a paid, full time VGMC, or if she felt it should remain as a volunteer, part time body.  She responded that she felt the Charter Review Commission should also explore that option.  Upon questioning by Mr. Storch, Ms. Walters also stated she would like to see elected officials as members of the VGMC.

Chair Scovell then called on Deltona City Commissioner Doug Horn to speak.  He addressed the concept of the city and of home rule, noting that cities were formed because the populace wanted to control its own growth, development and storm water management.  He added that one of the Florida State Statutes was very specific regarding what cities had the power to do, except in a charter county that had an ordinance that overrode what its cities were allowed to do.  He urged the Commission to look closely at the State Statute on cities and charter counties, adding that most of the County’s citizens lived in cities because they chose to do so, and their choice should be respected and protected.

Mr. Matousek asked for clarification of Rule 2, Item 4, in the Rules of Procedure, which addressed the rewriting of a Charter article.  He felt at some point language should be added concerning additions or deletions to the Charter.  Chair Scovell reminded him that the Commission was at this time soliciting input and suggestions and Mr. Matousek’s item would be considered during the work of the committees to be formed.

Dr. Fleuchaus asked what sort of publicity the County was doing to promote public participation at the listening sessions.  Ms. Holness responded that several public notices had been published in the newspaper, notices were sent to all local elected city officials and School Board members, a notice was included in the “On the Economic Scene”, a publication issued each Monday, which reaches some 2,100 people, notices were sent to everyone who had applied for appointment to the Charter Review Commission, and a notice was also placed on the County’s web site at www.volusia.org.  Chair Scovell felt when the Commission began to address specific issues; there would be much more public participation.

Charles Cuidera then spoke.  He felt Mr. Matousek’s comments regarding additions or deletions to the Charter were germane to the current discussion.  Chair Scovell explained that the current process was to gather information relating to topics the public would like the Commission to consider, and that specific subjects would be considered at the committee level. 

Deltona City Commissioner David Santiago spoke last regarding meeting attendance.  He noted that at this point, the subject of attendance, and even perhaps the Charter itself, might be a non-issue.  He also mentioned the topic of conflict with the existence of the VGMC, noting that just because a governing body does not agree with one’s point of view does not always mean the process of that body is corrupted or broken.  He concluded with asking the Commission to remember that throughout the Charter Review process there would be organized groups with particular agendas to accomplish, and urged the Commission to keep the bigger picture in mind.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:42 p.m.

back to charter review main page

back to county council

Comments or questions?
E-mail the