JUDGE FERRIS ORDERS
CARRABELLE TO CONDUCT ELECTIONS ON PANHANDLE CITIZENS COALITION (PCC)
PETITIONS-DATE STILL NEEDS TO BE SET; PCC INVITES PUBLIC TO JOIN IN
CAMPAIGN; MAYOR MESSER GOES DOWN TO DEFEAT IN PART BECAUSE OF DENYING
CITIZENS THE RIGHT TO VOTE ON THESE ISSUES; PCC TO NEXT PETITION AT
PANAMA CITY BEACH ELECTIONS SEPT. 9TH
Judge Ferris ruled yesterday (Tuesday, 9/2/03) that Carrabelle must
hold an election on the citizen referendums regarding the elimination
of the Planned Unit Development (PUD) ordinance and extention of additional
sewer and water service outside the city. Created by the Panhandle Citizens
Coalition (PCC), the referendums, if passed by the voters, would force
the City to (1) repeal the PUD ordinance now in effect allowing unlimited
building heights and return to the previous Franklin County development
regulations earlier in effect and (2) make the city get citizens approval
and offer utility service to existing city residents before the extension
of additional sewer and water service outside the city.
Franklin PCC steering committee member Pat Maier, who is from Carrabelle,
said"Thank goodness, the voters will now have their chance at long
last to vote on these measures. We welcome any residents who want to
help us on these election campaigns."
Maier continued, "It's too bad the then majority of the City Commissioners
allowed themselves to be led around by persons who we believe gave them
bad advice and ultimately ended up costing the taxpayers more both in
additional monies and time than if they had just gone ahead and scheduled
the election after the signatures were originally gathered. We appreciate
the Judge ordering these elections so that the public rather than development
interests can make these important decisions."
Jeff Richardson, attorney for PCC and the citizen petitioners, said,
"The decision by Judge Ferris is a victory for the citizens to
control their own future and will result in the will of the people being
expressed in an election. The right of the public to vote on questions
they deemed to be of importance to themselves has been upheld by the
Judge and we appreciate her scholarly decision affirming the citizen's
right to govern themselves."
John Hedrick, Chair of PCC said"All that remains now is to have
an election date set by agreement with the new city council. We expect
that that will be easier with the exit of Curly Messer, the previous
mayor, who lost in part because of his role in denying the citizens
the right to vote on these issues. If no agreement is reached, we will
ask the Judge to decide the issue."
He continued, "It is anticipated that the outcome of these referendums
could have an immediate impact on two large projects of the St. Joe
Company: their large acquisition of lands on Timber Island for either
a potential marina or condominiums and their accessing water and sewer
systems controlled by Carrabelle for their SummerCamp development. In
the larger picture, this is our first major legal victory and it should
have reverberations all across the Panhandle, particularly in locales
where we have been campaigning for elections on petitions signed by
the voters. This should give people faith everywhere that their efforts
will make a difference and they will be able to make decisions which
will directly affect their lives."
PCC also has a petition in Gulf County regarding the closing of scenic
US 98, two in Port St. Joe regarding voluntary annexations and extension
of sewer and water services, a petition in Sopchoppy on water service
and 3 petitions on Panama City Beach regarding voluntary annexations,
extention of sewer and water service, and imposition of height and density
restrictions. PCC will be at the polls September 9th in Panama City
Beach gathering signatures on its petitions there as well as for the
proposed Florida Hometown Democracy constitutional amendment.
PCC is a citizens organization comprised of approximately 100 local
members and is supported in its efforts by other groups, including the
Florida Consumer Action Network, that has 40,000 members statewide and
who specifically supports the right of local citizens to make development
decisions with initiatives. PCC's purpose is to provide citizen oversight
of the development process to ensure fiscal, ethical, and environmental
accountability and to safeguard the cultural heritage of the Florida
Panhandle. PCC is a proud sponsor of the Florida Hometown Democracy
constitutional amendment petition.
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