Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/116876
Sarasota News Leader March 22, 2013 Page 44 WALMART DENIAL CONFIRMED In a formal but necessary step, the city commissioners approved a document confirming their denial of site plan approval for a Walmart Supercenter proposed for the old Ringling Shopping Center. ing code and incompatibility with the nearby neighborhood. Once the document is signed by the mayor and certified by the city clerk and auditor, Walmart will have 30 days to appeal the city���s decision. The document was approved 3-2, with Mayor The document cites three reasons for the Suzanne Atwell and City Commissioner Paul denial: inconsistency with the city���s compre- Caragiulo in the minority ��� the same voting hensive plan, incorrect application of the zon- pattern as in the original decision. ���BOOM-CAR���ORDINANCE MODIFIED, ENACTED The city���s second attempt to control loud sound from vehicles was approved unanimously on March 18. The city shifted enforcement to a ���plainly audible��� standard. If a police officer can hear the sound from 50 feet away, the vehicle is in violation. ing ��� will stay in effect for 12 months. Any subsequent violation will result in a ticket. The ordinance will go into effect April 1; it will apply between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 Upon a first offense, the officer can ���warn��� the a.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. and 10 a.m. on driver. That warning ��� like a trespass warn- weekends. STATE STREET GARAGE SUNSHINE VIOLATION A challenge to the city���s award of a construction contract to a woman-owned company has voided the selection, and the city will be admitting to its violation of the Florida law governing open public meetings, the commissioners learned March 18. City staff neglected to add in points that are awarded for a minority-owned business when considering the scoring sheet during a publicly advertised meeting. When staff added the points later as required by law ��� but in private ��� the action reordered the ranking significantly. Winner A.D. Morgan Construction was not even in the top four at the open meeting. The project in question is the construction of the State Street parking garage. On Friday, March 15, the selection committee held a duly advertised meeting and rescored all the applicants in the sunshine. City Attorney Bob Fournier believes the open re-scoring qualifies as a ���cure meeting��� under state law. A bid protest is possible from the losing firms, however; meanwhile, a judge will determine if the ���cure meeting��� was adequate or if the entire solicitation process is tainted and must be redone. The city is under a contractual deadline to finish the State Street parking garage or face penalties. facebook.com/SarasotaNewsLeader