Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/143399
Sarasota News Leader July 12, 2013 Page 21 argued the county could hire a non-academic Barbetta continued his argument: "To sit here economist to do the work for between $20,000 and say we don't want to hire an economist who happened to work for a developer some and $25,000. time in his life —" Commissioner Christine Robinson suggested skipping the academic and hiring an econo- Patterson cut him off: "I didn't say that." mist who would be given access to a banker "The implication was pretty clear," Barbetta and "an expert in public finance." Barbetta said. supported that idea, with the stipulation that the economist possess "private sector project "Don't put words in my mouth." development experience." Robinson then made her proposal official; it But "that private sector experience is proba- was quickly seconded by Barbetta, and apbly going to be working for a developer," Pat- proved with a 4-1 majority. Patterson was the terson pointed out. She said she was "jaded" only "No" vote. because of past experience with project economists whose results weren't up to snuff. "If NEXT STEPS we in our choice are going to hire somebody The conversation then moved on to the spewhose job is to sell the economics of a devel- cifics of the hiring process and the timing of opment, we might as well not do it." staff's Scope of Work. The commission ap"Your argument doesn't make any sense," proved the overall plan of attack. Staff-proBarbetta told her. One of the people he rec- posed zoning changes should be back in front ommended for the job was Donna Arduin, a of the board by November. budget adviser to Gov. Rick Scott. "Nobody's Early in the meeting, Barbetta said there are "a naming Hank Fishkind." lot of lies, a lot of misinformation" about the Fishkind's Orlando consulting firm, Fish- county's intention in reopening 2050. "We're kind & Associates, provided fiscal neutrality doing the best we can up here," he said. "We're reports for Neal's Grand Palm in 2010. In a not in the pockets of developers." contemporary review, county staff found that while the report was "adequate in its general approach, findings and conclusions," there were questions about the "validity of the data" in a table showing "total impact fee revenues exactly equaling the capital expenditures for the respective services. From real-world experience of our capital budget, our impact fee revenues are generally lower than our corresponding capital expenditures, particularly when it comes to roads." (Emphasis in the original.) "I, too, think the acrimony is unfortunate, but actually it's less than what I expected, having gone through the acrimony of approving 2050 in the first place," Patterson added. "The discussion among developers was you've got to stop the 5-acre 'ranchettes' because it's urban sprawl. ... But frankly, row after row of residential developments on quarter-acre lots with no walkability and no possibility that elderly people can live there who can no longer drive is classic urban sprawl, and we were trying to avoid that." %