Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/227385
Sarasota News Leader December 13, 2013 Page 64 internationally and try to overcome that the best that we can." Robinson was referring to the dispute over the future of the resort that erupted after North Port Commissioners Rhonda DiFranco and Cheryl Cook were elected in November 2012. They joined City Commissioner Linda Yates in a desire to see Warm Mineral Springs maintained as a park, instead of pursing the Invitation to Negotiate for long-term proposals that the North Port and County commissions agreed to issue after a joint meeting in July 2012. The boards bought the property together for $5.5 million in December 2010. Robinson's Dec. 10 motion included one further point sought by the North Port Commission in a 4-1 vote at its regular meeting on Dec. 9: agreement on collaborating in updating the cost estimate and scope of research related to a proposal the boards previously considered regarding a hydrological study of the Springs to be undertaken by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Robinson and Barbetta both later said they felt City Manager Lewis had made significant steps toward preparing such a scope before the city and county commissioners reached the point when they could not agree on how to proceed with the future of the Springs. A sign embedded in the ground welcomed visitors to Warm Mineral Springs. Photo by Ebyabe via Wikimedia Commons right back where we were. Everything that's being done has been done on this … end of the county … and now we're putting a BandAid on it …" Robinson, who represents South County interests on the commission, has taken her board's lead over the past months on the Warm Mineral Springs issue. "This is significant progress in my view, and I am very encouraged by it," she told her colleagues at the outset of the discussion, referring to the North Port Commission's action the previous day on the proposals in the letter. (City Commissioner Cheryl Cook Robinson's motion supported a section of a cast the lone "No" vote on her board.) Dec. 10 letter from the North Port board to "I guess I don't really care who's at fault," the County Commission saying, "Staff will County Commissioner Nora Patterson said. also proceed with a scope of research and "The history is almost irrelevant to the facts, pricing as it relates to history, archaeology to me," she added, noting the boards together and geology of the 81 acre site." had bought "an asset that we've made unavail"I applaud the efforts of Commissioner able to the public that was previously open to Robinson and Mayor Blucher," Barbetta told the public, and that's not a satisfactory situahis colleagues, "but I can't support this. We're tion. It's regrettable where we are."