Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/88739
LETTING IT ALL OUT TOP STORIES Group therapy session breaks out at joint County Commission-Venice Council meeting — Cooper Levey-Baker "Good talk, good talk." You could almost hear those words mut- tered after Tuesday's joint meeting between the Sarasota County Commission and the Venice City Council, during which commis- sioners aired personal grievances and expressed hurt feelings. Agenda item 2B may have been labeled as just a "Discussion on intergovernmental relations relating to mutual cooperation, improved communications, protocols, and relationship building," but the moment quickly turned personal. County Commis- sion Chairwoman Christine Robinson introduced the topic while appearing to fight back tears. "I'm frustrated, would be the best word to say. There are frequently times that things are said at council meetings that are not said to my face," she said. "I want to stop some of the rhetoric that is happening." Commissioner Joe Barbetta blasted the City Council, and particularly Mayor John Holic, for calling the county a "benevolent dictatorship" during an Oct. 9 meeting. (Full story here) INTO THE MINEFIELD Sarasota City Commissioner Paul Caragiulo cracks open the 'noise-ordinance box' — Stan Zimmerman The noise ordinance is one of several "third rails" in Sarasota city politics. The people responsible for it are older, wealthier and far more likely to vote than the people who hate it — who are younger, less affluent and far less likely to vote in city elections. Voters with money versus youngsters with amplified guitars? For politicians, this is a no-brainer. Therefore, when city Commissioner Paul Caragiulo called for a town-hall-style meet- ing on Thursday evening, Oct. 17, to take testimony on the decade-old noise ordi- nance, more than one eyebrow was arched in the downtown condos. "My purpose is to have an open discussion on the noise ordinance," said Caragiulo at the start of the meeting. "There is no information or any proposal on the table. I just want to hear from you." He got an earful for two hours. What he does with that earful is going to be any- body's guess. (Full story here) AT A GLANCE