Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/97647
Sarasota News Leader December 7, 2012 of the springs, and Mayor Yates pointed out several licensing and tax concerns she had with the original agreement to buy the land — factors that led the city to slow down the redevelopment process. Yates is insistent that the boards should outline their desires for the property before involving the private sector. Page 17 joint meeting ... until I know why I'm there," he said. "I want to know in advance what the North Port Commission finds wrong with this process." "We get an election and all of a sudden it's thrown out," he added. "It's really, really unfortunate that all this time has gone by." The County Commission was, shall we say, Mason, less vocal a participant in meetings displeased. than Barbetta and Robinson, said she was At their Tuesday, Dec. 4, regular meeting, "disturbed" by the North Port decision. Commissioners Christine Robinson, Joe Barbetta and Carolyn Mason all criticized how "Both commissions, eyes wide open, made North Port handled the process. Robinson the decision we made and now it's become asked whether any city commissioners had unraveled," she said. "I, too, was disturbed at expressed "heartburn" about the Invitation to some of the comments made in watching the Negotiate process between the July vote and meeting." this week. The answer: Nope. She said she "Our commissioners, our elected officials, was "troubled" by that. need to mean what they say and stick to their Robinson also criticized the city for shooting word," she added. That barb seemed directed down the process altogether, rather than sug- at Yates, who voted for the Invitation to Negogesting improvements to the document that tiate process in July, and now opposes it. the county could then consider. The County The County Commission eventually voted Commission itself modified some of the lan- to send a letter to the North Port City Comguage to make sure mission, asking the both the city and counboard to put its specifty will be able to reOur commissioners, our elected ic objections in writview all the proposals, ing within 30 days. If rather than just those officials, need to mean what they say and the city complies, the deemed OK by the se- stick to their word. county will consider lection committee. Carolyn Mason a joint meeting. The Commissioner North Port assistant "We're kind of in a cirSarasota County city manager said if cle that keeps repeatthe boards stick to that ing itself, and it will keep repeating itself," Robinson said. "We lost timeline, the Invitation to Negotiate process five months, four and a half months, on this. ... could still be completed by the June deadline. It's a lot of taxpayer money that was wasted." "We are not agreeing to a joint meeting at this Robinson "hit the exact crux of the prob- time as we feel we do not have enough inforlem," Barbetta said. "I don't want to go to a mation to plan one," Robinson wrote in the