THANK GOODNESS HE LOST BY 16 VOTES…
Life is funny…and unpredictable….This writer thought this town endured a major loss in the last election with Peanuts Wick losing by a mere 16 votes…but as I sit here today a little over a year later…we got it just right…with the LBTS Mayoral election!…
Believe me, no one is more surprised than I, and even though I had increasing doubts about Peanuts during the campaign upon seeing him up close, at his condo appearances, grandstanding at the expense of his fellow candidates. Observing his overinflated opinion of himself, in stating he did not need to “prep” for debates while actively critiquing his fellow CIC endorsed candidates as they willingly worked on their own presentations (they clearly won each debate, while his lack of practice was glaringly apparent and much commented on behind the scenes)…His early complaints of having to answer the CIC questionnaire…had him putting his foot in his mouth by complaining to the “author” of the CIC required candidate questionnaire, unaware that this former mayor was also the author, as he had been in the past,and was insistent on its use and its importance to the group’s decision to endorse…….Most unsettling though were the many “swings” in his political stance depending on which “M & M”…(McIntee & MacMillan) was guiding him that day. The big one of course was the Palm Club sewers, coming to the podium to say the taxpayers should pay for them, when his fellow candidates stood their ground, withstanding the M & M “heat” … he “caved”.
All the while though, I really thought he would still be better than Candidate Roseann Minnet. I said it, I wrote about it, I believed it. One big reason, I sat beside Peanuts on P & Z and watched as he was the one that knew the proper procedure, Robert’s Rule Of Order and “guided” P&Z Chair Minnet at the meetings. This seemed to me a major “edge” in giving him that middle Mayoral seat….in 2008.
I was wrong…big time…Mayor Minnet has grown immensely in her position, calm and prepared. Having done her homework, in working out all the “kinks” while handling the “hard knocks” aimed at her from Mc-Gang 3 on the dais and occasionally Mc-4 if you add the number of times the Town Manager played a part. In fact she has made many converts from those who voted for her opponent. I hear it everyday in my travels around this town.
We hear Peanuts now wants to be called Lawrence or Larry and will return for a second run…a CIC endorsed candidate…( another questionnaire?)…We also hear he recently turned down a “nomination” to be on the new CIC board (more about the 2009 CIC board to come)…
Well, I’m here to tell the voters…If it is fact…that Peanuts will be running for Mayor….take a look before you vote next time at a P & Z meeting with Chair Peanuts Wick in the middle seat and think long and hard about having him as your Mayor.
I have, and I did again at the 4/15/09 P & Z meeting on the Rental Ordinance…( to follow below)…He was condescending to his fellow members, and annoying in his manner of constantly saying “Okey Dokey”…He called out a fellow member who is a real estate broker, for possibly having a conflict of interest. The member reminded Chair Wick that according to the Vacation rental ordinance before them, any homeowner on the board could have a conflict of interest if they rented out their property in the future. The Town Attorney, took the time at the podium to concur with the board member, Buzz Oldaker and to inform Chair Peanuts Wick how helpful it is to have a diverse group on the dais volunteering for boards…
HMMM…Perhaps this new Town Atty. was not filled in on the “scorched earth” board selection tactics witnessed with last year’s Commission majority’s actions of “killing” any diverse board participation?….
Peanuts inserted his own points when members asked for clarification from Town Attorneys…..two attorneys were in attendance…All in all, anyone who thinks that a second matchup is required in 2010 between Mayor Minnet and L. “Peanuts” Wick…should sit in on one these meetings…and decide…Could you take this 2 to 3 times a month?…..
Of note, let me make it clear, Peanuts may be a great volunteer in his service to various organizations…and there is no doubt , he does know the rules,and procedures, but in this writer’s opinion, he does not belong in the center seat on the dais.
The rental ordinance was addressed at length….almost 3 hours going over what comes down to being a whole new ordinance, to offer conditions in which to rent short term. The Mayor brought this to the dais, after seeing that it was used in other cities. Some of the existing code was “cleaned up” and moved in order to make the ordinance flow better …
The Attorneys’ advised that this was a 28 day minimum (a calendar month) as directed by the Commission, with the requirement of filing for application for a Business Tax License (occupational license)…then having the required onsite inspection…and once in receipt of that license, the applicant can then apply for the vacation rental license to rent out their property…It included various language that required some attention and the board went over it line by line…
Buzz Oldaker came prepared to go over each section, with a list of questions, while Vice- Chair Cristie Furth looked as if she had not prepared, disjointedly throwing out strange statements such as she was “absorbing ” it and repeating back some items outside of the content being covered at that point in time…as her fellow dais members looked puzzled…
Also, disappointing again was the Director of Development, Jeff Bowman who had nothing to offer at the start except to repeat that underlined material meant an addition to the ordinance while crossed out material meant it was removed….Administratively the Attorneys will “wordsmith” the appropriate language where needed..a form will be used rather than a written letter to advise of a change in the “agent” for the property, per the suggestion made by Buzz Oldaker…
After going over everything it was time to go through the points brought forth and vote them in, before the final recommendations to go to the Commission….such as removing “overlay” as there are no more overlay districts…passed 5-0…Peanuts wanted to change”his or her best effort”…saying it left too much latitude in what “best effort” could mean…it died for a lack of a 2nd….A change to the Administration to review and the right to appeal to the Commission was approved 5-0…After deciding the ordinance as written for any review to go to the Commission would cause the “agent” undue delay in waiting for placement on the agenda….A change of taking out the fee amount was passed 4-1 (member Ritchie dissented)…which would allow for fees to be changed by the Commission in a resolution rather than going through the ordinance process to increase or decrease the amount….A major discussion took place over the time stated for the “agent” to arrive at the property if called…the 1 hour requirement was met with some concern over lack of flexibility due to being otherwise engaged such as in a meeting or a movie…discussion went from 2 hours to “reasonable amount of time”…and ended up with a 3 hour time frame to be included…passed 4-1 (Hunsaker dissenting)…George Hunsaker had made it clear what the situation called for being a “vacation agent”….. Cristie Furth wanted to put in a limit on cars allowed, adding the 10 person limit per home was too high…The Attorney reminded her the vacation rental would follow what was allowed for those who rent annually or own in the parking code…and any change would “be going down a path”…it died for lack of a 2nd…The trash toters were put in the ordinance requiring 2, and Buzz Oldaker reminded all of the recent trash contract, saying it should be changed to whatever the contract requires…George Hunsaker informed the dais, only 1 toter was allowed per single family home…passed 5-0 to follow the contract required by the hauler….The main motion was then voted on with the amendments …passed 5-0
In a secondary ordinance 2009-XX…notice of intent ….Buzz Oldaker asked one question that was disturbingly answered and more disturbingly voted down…
He asked that a letter should be sent “certified” so the recipient would have the letter in hand and the Town would be acknowledged in the receipt of said letter…Atty. White felt that was would be normal procedure, but deferred to Director Bowman…who said …it was not!…We have “personal service”…delivery or use regular mail!…The vote was taken 4-1 (Oldaker dissenting)…HUH?…All such mail should be sent certified…the “status quo” should be rectified ASAP…in this writer’s opinion…
The main motion was passed 5-0..
There was no old business…no comments were made by board members…except Chair Peanuts Wick who asked Director Bowman for “movement” on the Town Charter on “grade” dealing with heights in 7.1 …Peanuts wants it to come before P & Z and eliminate 7.1c… to then have 2 ways to determine grade from the ground or the dirt line…
adjourned more to come…..
Tags: Boards, Local Politics, Scoops
