Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/135276
Sarasota News Leader June 7, 2013 Page 23 She would support selling WMS, however, Patterson said, "if we were made whole entirely with a check from the City of North Port" and the contract included a provision that the nature of the property would be protected. they think this could be helping," she said of the North Port Commission. "I certainly don't want to see the springs closed," Chairwoman Carolyn Mason told her colleagues. Nonetheless, she added, "I'm just dumbfounded that several members of the current North Port City Commission have chosen to go in a different direction than the previous commission that agreed with us initially in purchasing it … It's a huge asset for both the City of North Port and Sarasota County." DeMarsh also reminded the County Commission that it had gone through the first two steps set forth in the state's Conflict Resolution Statute. The third step would be mediation among the city and county administrators and attorneys. DeMarsh noted that the County Commission could say in the letter that it did not agree with the City Commission's unilateral action Patterson ended up voting "No" on a motion on the lease "and leave for another day what by Robinson to decline to sell the county's enforcement action would be taken." share of the springs. "I just don't reject that If the city proceeded with a lease agreement, as some future possibility if we can't reach he continued, the County Commission could an agreement [with the City of North Port]," decide then what legal action it wished to purPatterson said. sue. THE LEGAL DETAILS Before making the motion regarding the letter protesting the City of North Port's unilateral move on the short-term lease with Cypress Lending, Commissioner Robinson asked DeMarsh for clarification about how the county should proceed on that point. Because of the state law, DeMarsh said, Sarasota County could not agree to awarding a new lease agreement for WMS without going through a competitive bid process. Robinson then pointed out that the County Commission could have sought to pursue similar action on its own. "But it wouldn't have even entered into my frame of mind to do that to a partner, so I'm a little perplexed as to how Even without mediation, he added, he believed a supermajority of the County Commission could vote to file a lawsuit to slow down any city action it felt was in violation of its interests as co-owner of the property. "I think we all know what's going to happen there," Barbetta said of mediation. It would be a waste "of a lot of time and money," he added. Patterson agreed with him. "I implore [Yates, Cook and DiFranco] to think about the county and to think about their constituency when they take their vote on Monday," Barbetta said, referring to the interlocal agreement. Eventually, economic development is going to happen at Warm Mineral Springs, Patterson added, "because people will see the potential and push for that." %