Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/129431
Sarasota News Leader May 10, 2013 Page 10 "I calculated 140 — let's round it up to 150 — people showed up at these meetings," he said. "And then another 300 written comments we received. So that's 450 comments. If all 450 were against revisions to 2050, I come up with one-eighth of a percent, based on our population. ... These comments that we're gutting it and the public's against all this and everything, I think, are unfounded." Barbetta later suggested staff should be "expediting the process as much as possible," and he moved to eliminate a round of neighborhood workshops and Planning Commission consultation in the review process. Commissioner Charles Hines said citizens could register their thoughts at any public hearings, meaning there was no need for neighborhood input in the short term. Commissioner Nora Patterson was the only board member to object. The motion passed 4-1. According to Parsons' presentation, staff will now put together a "Scope of Work" that will "Define issues & how to accomplish," as well as detail a "public engagement plan" and bring that back to the commission within two months. Commissioner Joe Barbetta. Photo by Norman Schimmel ditional process for revising the Comprehensive Plan. Control Growth Now President Dan Lobeck registered "severe disappointment with the process," saying Barbetta's "one-eighth" remark demonstrated "contempt" for the public. Lobeck was "appalled," while Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations PresiNo neighborhood workshops will be sched- dent Lourdes Ramirez was "disgusted." uled till the final phase of the overhaul. At the very end of the meeting, Barbetta That prompted sharp words from some in the walked back on his "one-eighth" comment. audience. "Just to clarify, because I must not have been Former commission candidate Jono Miller clear enough, what I said was that the onetook issue with Barbetta's "one-eighth of a eighth of 1 percent shows that there was not percent" remark, arguing "the commission a groundswell of the public coming out," he should clearly communicate with the public said. "I did not dismiss that. I wish more peoabout what level of participation meets their ple came out." threshold for being significant." Barbetta added that he was "always open to The day after, on his blog, Miller wrote that public input" and that his words had been "tothe commission had chosen to "abort" its tra- tally misinterpreted; typical, but that's fine." %