Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/127088
Sarasota News Leader May 3, 2013 Page 95 Siesta Seen manager, regarding the process such a request should follow, Wiggins said a permit would be needed to put the bench in the location the groups had suggested. "I'll relay that back to them," Patterson said. Later, before the board broke for lunch, Patterson revived the matter, saying she had emailed Russell Matthes, the SKVA president, and Mark Smith, who heads up the Maintenance Corp., to tell them what the board had decided earlier. Their response, she continued, was that they wanted permission to cover the expense for the bench out of the assessments property owners pay for Village maintenance. They added, Patterson noted, that they would be happy to follow the appropriate process to request the bench's placement in the right of way. Then Patterson said she understood a county staff member had suggested they bring their request about the purchase of the bench to the County Commission. "I don't think they're asking to buy the bench before they have permission to put it out," she added. At that point, James K. Harriott Jr., the county's chief engineer, stepped to the podium to clarify that if the ordinance for the Village upkeep does not specifically say assessments will pay for a certain item, the County Commission has to give its approval for the payment to come out of the assessments. "Again, there's a process," Barbetta said. "It shouldn't be an email to one commissioner." Patterson reiterated that Matthes and Smith were acting on information given to them by a county employee in the Public Works DeThen Commissioner Christine Robinson said partment. she had emailed them back to ask why they were seeking to buy the bench before the right She added, "Remember, lots of things come through one commissioner to the table …" of way use was granted. Patterson responded that she thought they An email from Reid to Patterson on April 24 needed County Commission permission to repeated that staff was checking on the matter purchase the bench out of the assessment and "will address it appropriately." funds. Reid also wrote, "Emails sent to meetings for "We'll be happy to look into this and report on reactions by Commissioners never seem to go it," County Administrator Randall Reid told well. The right staff needs to be involved for proper resolution. I will keep you posted." the board. "They should consider trying to do this through staff," Robinson added, noting that handling the matter through emails without all the pertinent information could be problematic. In the interim, Mark Smith had emailed Patterson to say, "We really need to modify the ordinance [for the Village upkeep] to add little improvements to the Village without making it a [County Commission] issue."