Charter Review Commission Minutes
Aug. 23, 2005

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Halifax River Audubon handout
A. J. Devies handout
Art Giles comments
Ken Russell handout
 
CALL TO ORDER/REMARKS BY CHAIR

Charter Review Commission Chair William Scovell convened the listening session at 6:00 p.m.  The meeting was held at VOTRAN, 950 Big Tree Road, South Daytona, 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, Ezell Reaves and Glenn Storch.  Member Patricia Northey was an excused absence.  Also present were Volusia County Attorney Dan Eckert, Assistant to the County Manager Betty Holness, Assistant County Attorney Rick Karl, Government Relations Manager Dona DeMarsh, Staff Photographer Jeff Crumbley, Administrative Aide Camilla Grasso, members of the press and 25 members of the public.

Chair Scovell welcomed everyone to the third 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 County Council Member from District Two, Art Giles, and County Council Member At-Large Joie Alexander.

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 Mr. Giles for comments.  He welcomed everyone and thanked the Commission members for agreeing to serve on the upcoming task of reviewing the 14 Articles of the Volusia County Charter.  He noted that the present review would be the fourth since the County went to Home Rule Charter.  He stated that even though the Charter had stood the test of time, it might or might not need to be modified or adjusted, adding that it was the job of the Charter Review Commission to decide such matters.   

Mr. Giles said that protection of the environment, e.g., water, air, quality of life, had been a main concern over the years, and requested the Commission to continue examination of the issue, along with consideration of a steady funding source for land acquisition along State Road A1A for various uses, such as parks and off-beach parking.  He also asked the Commission to study allowing the County Chair to have the authority to hire and fire an administrative assistant and secretary.  He then concluded by thanking the Commission members for their dedication to the Charter Review process.

Mr. Storch noted that there was a recommendation in the Beach Management Plan to look at the idea of increasing the tolls for out-of-County residents to provide a permanent funding source for park acquisition along the beach.  Mr. McClelland asked if the ability of the Chair to hire and fire his/her own personnel was a Charter issue or if the County Council could enact it on its own.  Chair Scovell noted that the County Attorney would be asked to respond to the question at an appropriate time.  Mr. Storch asked Mr. Giles about individual secretarial help for the other individual County Council Members.  Mr. Giles responded that the Council planned to hold a workshop to discuss the issue.  Mr. Matousek asked if the steady funding source for the A1A projects would include bonding the Volusia Forever or ECHO initiatives or some other resource.  Mr. Giles replied that he felt the two initiatives were operating as they should and some other source should be found.  Ms. Drago asked for clarification as to whom the personnel assigned to the Chair should report.  Mr. Giles stated that they should report directly to the Chair rather than the County Manager.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION REMARKS

Chair Scovell then called on the first speaker, Jim Cameron, Vice President of Government Relations for the Daytona Beach/Halifax Chamber of Commerce.  He stated the Chamber had several topics it would like addressed during the Charter Review process:  growth management, especially in light of the final report from the Smart Growth Initiative; coordination between fire and EMS services; water management; off-beach parking; and authority of the County Chair.

Upon questioning by Mr. Matousek, Mr. Cameron stated that the Chamber had suggested examining the idea of a strong Chair and giving the Chair more authority over setting the Agenda for County Council meetings.  Mr. Graham asked for a copy of the Smart Growth Initiative’s report.  Mr. Storch stated that it was not yet completed but it would be distributed to the Commission members as soon as possible.

Chair Scovell called on A.J. Devies to speak.  She stated that there were problems with beach accessibility, some due to disintegrating infrastructure and others due to non-compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  She suggested the County establish a “disabled services division” to deal with such areas, adding that parks on the west side of the County had accessibility problems as well, and urged the Commission to address the needs of the disabled during its Charter Review process.

Chair Scovell called on Richard Lohmann to speak.  He spoke of his concerns over water use, especially in light of future growth and development.  He recommended the County examine the possibility of building a desalinization plant for agricultural and home irrigation purposes, leaving the aquifer as a source for potable water usage.  He also felt the County should not build any new structures, especially schools, without looking at alternative methods of generating electric power, such as sun or wind.  He spoke of concerns over building being allowed in flood-prone areas and taxpayers having to pay for salvaging homes in those areas, and also suggested that the County examine the north end of its boundary for off-beach parking.

Mr. McClelland suggested that the idea of a desalinization plant be presented to the Water Authority of Volusia (WAV), and Ms. Drago noted that the School Board currently had two solar energy pilot projects in place.

Chair Scovell called on Marion Kyser.  She asked the Commission to examine the possibility of abolishing elected office term limits.

Chair Scovell next called on David Hartgrove.  He was in favor of creating urban growth boundaries (UGBs) to keep a check on the various municipalities when they expressed a desire to take environmentally sensitive land to expand their borders.

Ken Russell spoke next.  He asked the Commission to address the topics of the Smart Growth Implementation Committee’s final report, exclusive methods of annexation and County Council workload.  He submitted a handout detailing his thoughts in those areas (copy attached).  Mr. Heebner suggested that County staff research Palm Beach County’s  exclusive methods of annexation, which Mr. Russell referred to in his remarks.

Chair Scovell then called on Michael Porter, who noted that 23% of the residents in Volusia County were disabled and urged the Commission to consider the formation of an ADA advisory committee to the County Council.

Constance Hunter then spoke, stating that there was not enough supervision on the beach.

Chair Scovell called on Peggy Singleton, who expressed concerns over growth and had several questions for the Commission: 1) what could the Charter do to help preserve the rural areas; 2) how could the cities’ annexation of County land be tightened and could the Charter Review Commission use the Orange County annexation plan as a model; 3) how could the Charter stop urban sprawl; and 4) could the concept of UGBs be used to ensure smart growth?

John Nicholson then spoke.  He was in favor of term limits and generating funding through user revenue, such as beach tolls.  He also felt all public facilities should be ADA-accessible and that County government should be more accountable to the public.

Chair Scovell then called on Roland Blossom, who stated he was in favor of removing term limits from the Charter and also having six County Council District representatives but only one At-Large member, the elected County Chair.  He also asked if reviewing County ordinances was one of the Charter Review Commission’s duties and requested the Commission to look carefully at the UGB and annexation processes.

Chair Scovell next called on Lucinda Rouse.  She stated she was in favor of consolidating all the municipalities and having a single governing body.

The last speaker was Mary Fidler.  She asked that the Commission look closely at the protection of property rights in rural areas.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.

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