Important County Commission Meeting Agenda for 4/30

Linda Horstmyer • April 27, 2024

Martin County Commissioners will vote on four Rural Lifestyle development proposals on Tuesday in a lengthy and complex agenda.

In addition to proposals to advance the Calusa Creek Ranch and Discovery projects, Commissioners will consider an assessment for the Harbor Estates/Gaines Avenue water main extension, a plat for the Pentalago Phase II project in Palm City, and a draft of a tentative $1.22 billion Capital Improvements Plan for Fiscal Year 2025.


Agenda Items PH-3 and PH-4 seek approval of a Comprehensive Plan text amendment and a Future Land Use Map amendment to authorize development of the 3,460-acre Calusa Creek Ranch project, now known as the Ranch Planned Unit Development. More than 250 pages of Public Comments – mostly in opposition to the project – are included in the agenda summary, although many recent adverse comments have been omitted by staff. The Ranch PUD, which is located more than a mile outside the Urban Services Boundary, would allow extension of public utilities and clustered residential development including 175 single-family homes, two golf courses and a boat docking facility on land now designated for agricultural use. 


In recommending approval of the amendments, staff ignores South Florida Water Management District comments which opposed the FLUM amendment because the property is located within the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) footprint and the proposed project fails to provide assurance of adequate stormwater management and water quality protection.


Commissioners Sarah Heard and Harold Jenkins voted against the Calusa Creek Ranch amendments when they were transmitted to state agencies for review. The amendments were approved by Commissioners Ed Ciampi, Doug Smith and Stacey Hetherington.


Tuesday’s vote seeks final approval of the amendments along with a proposal to adopt a Planned Unit Development Agreement for the Ranch PUD and a master and phasing development plan for the project on SW Kanner Highway near SW Bridge Road (Agenda Item PHQJ-1).


NOTE: Commissioners who vote to approve the Ranch PUD amendments will be voting to destroy the Urban Services Boundary and allow adverse impacts to land within CERP to restore the Everglades. Can these Commissioners be trusted to properly spend millions of taxpayer dollars raised by a half-cent sales tax increase to acquire environmentally sensitive lands for conservation? Voters should think twice about approving the half-cent sales tax referendum in November if Commissioners approve the Ranch PUD amendments and continue to allow irresponsible development in rural and environmentally important lands.


Agenda Item DPQJ-2 seeks approval of a plat for another Rural Lifestyle project that was previously approved – Discovery – to develop 317 single-family residential lots off SW Bridge Road near the I-95 interchange in Hobe Sound. 


Comp Plan amendments to facilitate the Discovery project were approved by Commissioners Harold Jenkins, Doug Smith and Stacey Hetherington (who assured voters before her re-election that she would oppose the project and then flip-flopped to cast the deciding vote in favor of Discovery at the first Commission meeting after the election). 


Staff has failed to insist on compliance with the ordinance that requires full disclosure of individuals who benefit from development approvals by submitting a “Disclosure of Interest Affidavit” that identifies “every natural person and entity with any legal or equitable interest in the property” which is the subject of the application. The Disclosure of Interest Affidavit for Discovery identifies five limited liability companies but names only one person as an owner of two of the five entities. 


The purpose of the Disclosure of Interest Affidavit is to make sure that the public knows whether any commissioners, staff members, campaign donors, or lobbyists will benefit from approval of a development application. In a common and clearly intentional violation of the Martin County Land Development Regulations, staff consistently refuse to insist on properly completed Disclosure of Interest Affidavits despite repeated requests for compliance. The Affidavit submitted to the Local Planning Agency earlier this month for the Calusa Creek Ranch application was “amended” by the County Attorney’s Office at the last minute, after citizens complained about failure to disclose the names of individuals who own the property.


In addition to the Discovery plat, Commissioners will vote to approve a plat for the Pentalago Phase II project for 16 of 42 units in the single-family subdivision north of I-95 and east of SW Citrus Boulevard in Palm City. (Agenda Item DPQJ-1)


Item PH-1 seeks approval of a final assessment resolution to extend public water lines to the Harbor Estates/Gaines Avenue area at a cost of $9,808.53 per unit, payable at an annual rate of $627.32 for 20 years beginning in November 2025.


A workshop is scheduled as Agenda Item WORK-1 to review the tentative Capital Improvements Plan for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins October 1. The tentative Plan includes expenditures of $1,223,918,591.00 with revenues of $909,942,256.00 over 10 years. The most costly categories for proposed Capital Improvements are roads, utilities, coastal, public buildings and law enforcement. The least costly categories are the library, public transit, solid waste, fire rescue, the airport, and ecosystem restoration and management.


The Consent Agenda includes 19 items that will be approved in a single vote at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting without public discussion of any of the proposals, including:


– Item CNST-2, the Clerk’s Warrant disclosing expenditures of $29,566,363.14 in taxpayer dollars between March 25 and April 14, 2024, without disclosing the names of the payees or the purpose of the payments;


– Items CNST-11, CNST-12 and CNST-13 approving reductions in code enforcement fines to be collected by the County from $1,589,152.50 to $58,825.00;


– Item CNST-15 accepting SW Earl Avenue in Palm City into the County Road Inventory, converting the roadway from private to public ownership and maintenance, with the cost of constructing needed improvements to be paid by taxpayers; and


– Item CNST-19 approving an agreement for the County to provide building official, inspection and plan review services to the Village of Indiantown for one year, with the Village to reimburse the County $130.00 an hour for the Building Official’s time, $117.50 an hour for the Assistant Building Official’s time, and $105.00 an hour for Inspector’s and Plan Reviewer’s time.


Other items on the public portion of the agenda include:


– Item DEPT-2 seeking approval of more than $3.5 million in contracts for water main extension within the Harbor Estates/Gaines Avenue area ($1,444,778.00 to Jamie Underground, Inc.), tree pruning, removal and installation on road rights-of-way and County-owned properties ($1,000,000 over 5 years to All Florida Tree and Landscape, Inc., Sherlock Tree Company (no relation to Ginny Sherlock) and Tri-Brothers Tree and Landscaping, Inc.), and Bathtub Beach and Sailfish Point beach renourishment ($1,095,879.52 increase to previously approved contract for $5,921,000.00 making a total contract of $7,016,879.52 to Atlantic & Gulf Dredging and Marine, LLC);


– Item DPQJ-3 seeking a resolution to grant a variance to reduce the required width from 50 feet to 30 feet for a portion of NE Mango Terrace off Skyline Drive in Jensen Beach and to accept the as yet unbuilt roadway into the County Road Inventory (there are no reports or permits included in the agenda summary to confirm that the proposed roadway will meet requirements of the County engineering division for open roads);


– Item DEPT-5 seeking approval of a request by the Martin County School Board to place a referendum on the November general election ballot to renew an ad valorem tax increase by up to one-half mill per year for four years; and


– Item DEPT-3 seeking concurrence by the Board of County Commissioners with the selection of Nicholas Clifton as administrator of the Florida Department of Health in Martin County (to be heard at 9:30 a.m.).


The meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday in Commission Chambers at the Martin County Administration Center. Attend in person, watch on MCTV or livestream the meeting from the County website at http://martin.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=24. 


Agenda items may be viewed and downloaded at https://martin.legistar.com/DepartmentDetail.aspx?ID=35023&GUID=98D7CC54-EF7D-4C4C-8084-1AF34C623D6E


E-mail commissioners about matters that interest you at sheard@martin.fl.us, eciampi@martin.fl.us, dsmith@martin.fl.us, hjenkins@martin.fl.us, shetherington@martin.fl.us with copies to the County Administrator and County Attorney at ddonalds@martin.fl.us and swoods@martin.fl.us.


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November 26, 2024
The November 21 Rivers Coalition meeting focused on Major Cory Bell from the Army Corps of Engineers sharing the reasoning behind their decision to start releasing water from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie Estuary on December 7 in a “Lake Recovery Operation”.  Why now? Four years of above-normal lake levels have destroyed almost 90% of the lake’s submerged aquatic vegetation – the grass that’s needed for the little critters at the bottom of the food chain to grow and for bass to spawn. During that time, the lake’s turgidity has degraded so much that sunlight, essential to plant growth, can only penetrate three feet of lake water compared to the six feet that was previously the case. The Lake Recovery Operation’s plan is to lower the current lake level (16.03 feet; a foot above the late-November optimal management level) to 12 feet or less for a 90-day period. They want to reach that 12-foot level on May 1, to allow the decimated submerged aquatic vegetation beds to recover during the summer. It sounds like a wonderful idea. Alas, there’s a cost – a big one, to us. The Lake Recovery Operation would send a whole lot of fresh water down to the St. Lucie Estuary. As the Florida Oceanographic Society noted in a letter to the Corps, “Over the past two months, the St. Lucie Estuary has been subjected to prolonged freshwater conditions as a result of sustained stormwater runoff. This influx of fresh water has devastated essential marine ecosystems, including the widespread loss of oysters and seagrass beds, already suffering from the effects from recent rainfall runoff.” They added: “Any further freshwater introduction from USACE operations could hinder or even halt the potential for recovery of the estuary.” Simply put: What’s good for the lake is bad for the estuary. You will probably not be surprised that Rivers Coalition members were not at all happy with the Lake Recovery Operation. The FOS and Friends of the Everglades have both written the Corps urging them to reconsider the timing and scope of their Lake Recovery Operations. If you’d like to join them, you can send an email to cory.j.bell@usace.army.mil . Meanwhile, a frustrated Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch observed that the Treasure Coast’s position on the South Florida Water Management District’s Board has remained unfilled ever since the Florida Senate refused to consider her reappointment two years ago. She urged us to try to get the Governor to appoint somebody – anybody – to advocate for the Treasure Coast on the so-important-to-us SFWMD board. So if you happen to bump into the Governor…
October 30, 2024
October 29, 2024 Rumors Report: 2024 General Election Overview The Algorithmic Transparency Institute, a project of the National Conference on Citizenship, is partnering with the League of Women Voters during the 2024 U.S. general election to inform LWV and State Leagues about narratives circulating online related to elections, democracy, and voting. This report summarizes key narratives based on internal monitoring by ATI and tips submitted by our volunteer network. We also outline data deficits related to each narrative. A data deficit indicates an open question or lack of good information on a topic. Data deficits represent critical opportunities where advocates can insert good information to help combat the misleading narrative. Covering Rumors Responsibly The following narratives may describe rumors, mis-/disinformation, conspiracy theories, and hateful content. Please be mindful of and responsible with how you communicate about these topics. Rather than restating or re-sharing rumors, instead share positive information that inoculates voters against rumors and other false/misleading information. Summary of Narratives ● National Narratives: ○ False Claim: Video shows Trump ballots being destroyed ○ Misleading Claim: Ballot drop box fires are proof that political groups will enact violence on Election Day ○ Misleading Claim: Voting machines are “switching” votes in several states ● State Narratives: ○ Misleading Claims: Fraudulent voter registrations uncovered in Pennsylvania indicate widespread problems ○ Misleading Claim: Bucks County, Pennsylvania election officials are improperly turning away voters ○ Misleading Claim: Re-printed ballots in Virginia Beach, Virginia could lead to double voting, election fraud ○ False Claims: Georgia elections are susceptible to fraud because Georgia Election Board rules were blocked Narratives False Claim: Video shows Trump ballots being destroyed A story about a hoax video, supposedly showing an election worker discarding ballots, has made national news. In the video, an election worker in Bucks County, Pennsylvania opens mail-in ballots. When he opens a ballot for Trump, he tears it into pieces. Upon opening a ballot for Harris, he places it back in the envelope. Officials in Bucks County say the video is a hoax – and not a particularly good one. The ballot envelopes in the video are made of glossy paper with a blue accent. Real Bucks County ballot envelopes are matte with a green accent, as seen in this video about mail-in voting from the official county YouTube page. Investigations by federal officials revealed the video was created and disseminated by Russian intelligence. In a joint statement, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said, "This Russian activity is part of Moscow's broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the U.S. election and stoke divisions among Americans.” Data Deficits ● Voters may lack information about what Bucks County ballots and ballot envelopes look like ● Voters may lack information about foreign interference campaigns spreading ahead of Election Day Where can we point people for good info? ● Russia is behind fake video of ballots being destroyed, U.S. officials say, from NPR ● Life of a Ballot, from BucksCoGovt YouTube ● Press Release: Joint ODNI, FBI, and CISA Statement, from The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency Misleading Claim: Ballot drop box fires are proof that political groups will enact violence on Election Day Fires were reported at ballot drop boxes in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington on Monday. In Washington, “hundreds” of ballots were destroyed. In Oregon, only three ballots were affected. Earlier this month, on October 8, another device was found in an empty ballot drop box in Washington state. The incidents are still under investigation, and it’s important to remember that facts can change quickly in breaking news situations. This narrative is up-to-date as of 12:00 PM ET, October 30. At this time, authorities believe the incidents are connected, targeted, and intentional. Investigators are searching for a car spotted at both scenes and similar devices were used to start the fires. Posts have claimed that this is evidence that political or activist groups are planning other violent acts. Posts have also claimed that particular people or groups have been accused. Though investigators believe the attacks were intentional, there are no suspects at this time. The New York Times reported that incendiary devices were marked with the words, “Free Gaza,” and that investigators are “trying to determine if the perpetrator was actually a pro-Palestinian activist or someone…sow[ing] discord.” In Washington, voters who dropped their ballots in the affected drop box between Saturday and Monday are encouraged to contact their local elections office. In response, election officials will be emptying drop boxes more frequently, and in the evenings, to reduce the number of ballots sitting in boxes overnight. Drop boxes will also receive “24-hour enhanced security.” In Oregon, only three ballots were burned. Luckily, none were heavily damaged and the three voters – who can be identified via a unique ID on their ballot envelope – have been contacted by election officials. Officials in both states want to reassure voters that even if their ballot was affected, they will have their votes counted. Ballot drop box fires are rare, but have happened before. In 2020 two drop box fires were reported: one in Massachusetts and one in Los Angeles County. While these fires are an alarming threat to democracy and the functioning of elections, it’s important to emphasize that voting is safe and election officials are working hard to ensure that every ballot is counted accurately. Be cautious of rumors that assign blame or make unfounded claims about motive while investigations are ongoing. Data Deficits: ● Voters may lack information about motive, suspect(s) in attacks Where can we point people for good info? ● Ballot drop box fires under investigation in Oregon, Washington after hundreds of ballots destroyed, from CNN ● WA, OR ballot box fires: Here’s what we know, from The Seattle Times ● Devices With ‘Free Gaza’ Messages Found at Ballot Box Fires, from The New York Times Misleading Claims: Voting machines are “switching” votes in several states Rumors about voting machine errors continue to spread in states across the country. In many of these instances, voters reported their votes being “switched” to candidates they did not choose. In one such example, election officials in Shelby County, Tennessee held a press conference to head off rumors about a problem that affected three voters (out of 18,000 who successfully cast their ballots). Officials explained that the problem, saying “‘it’s all about the placement of the finger when it taps the screen.’” The affected voters had tapped the touchscreen too close to the edge of their selection, triggering a different candidate selection. Similar rumors have spread in Georgia, Texas, Maryland, Florida, and South Carolina. Election officials say it is important for voters to make their selections carefully and to review their ballot before submitting it. Data Deficits: ● Voters may lack information about how to properly use a touchscreen voting machine Where can we point people for good information? ● Election Commission official clears the air on voting irregularity claims, from FOX13 News ● 'Blown out of proportion': Georgia county clears air on voting machine fraud claim, from ABC4 News ● Georgia tests its touchscreens and scanners to make sure they will work on Election Day, from The Atlanta Journal Constitution Misleading Claims: Fraudulent voter registrations uncovered in Pennsylvania indicate widespread problems Election officials in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania have uncovered at least 2,500 voter registration applications that appear to be fraudulent. Officials discovered the applications in the course of their standard review process. Officials say the suspicious applications included signatures that did not match the voters’ on-file signatures, obviously incorrect personal information, and many applications written in the same handwriting, appearing to have been written by the same person. District Attorney Heather Adams said the applications were submitted by paid canvassers, who are employed to register voters. Detectives are investigating who directed the paid canvassers and if other counties were impacted. This is not evidence of widespread voter fraud at this time, nor evidence of a particular group/person directing the canvassers. Election officials in Lancaster County say the system is working as intended to protect against fraud. Rumors have targeted both left- and right-leaning groups, though officials have not yet released information about who may be responsible. Data Deficits: ● Voters may lack information about how voter registration applications are verified Where can we point people for good information? ● Pennsylvania officials investigating fraudulent voter registration applications in Lancaster County, from NBC News ● Donald Trump makes false claims about ballots in Lancaster County in Truth Social post, from The Philadelphia Enquirer ● Trump stokes voter fraud fears in Pennsylvania as counties investigate and state urges patience, from CNN Misleading Claim: Bucks County, Pennsylvania election officials are improperly turning away voters Stories have spread about long lines as Pennsylvania voters cast ballots ahead of Election Day, leading to rumors suggesting that election officials are stopping people from voting. Though Pennsylvania does not offer traditional early voting, it extends – as a courtesy – “on-demand in-person mail-in ballots.” Using this service, a voter can visit an election office/satellite election office and request a mail-in ballot. The official will immediately check the voter’s registration status and print off a ballot if the voter is eligible. The voter can fill out the ballot on-site and return it right then. This differs from the typical mail-in voting process, through which voters need to request a ballot, wait for it to be mailed to them, and then return it. Early in-person on-demand voting is a limited service that election offices offer as they are able. Voters may be turned away if lines become too long and election officials are at capacity. Voters who did not understand the limited availability of early on-demand mail-in voting believed they were improperly turned away by election officials, and many reached out to various authorities to try to remedy the situation. Some claimed that officials were turning away voters from a particular party; however, there was no way for officials to know voters’ party registration. Bucks County clarified: “Due to high demand, wait times for in-person mail-in ballots may be longer than expected. To ensure all applications are processed by the end of the day, the office may need to stop accepting new applicants before the posted closing time. We appreciate your patience and understanding.” Data Deficits: ● Voters may lack information about Pennsylvania’s on-demand in-person mail ballot system and how it differs from traditional in-person voting Where can we point people for good information? ● Confusion over mail ballots at Bucks County election office leads to long lines, frustrated voters, from The Pennsylvania Capital-Star ● On-Demand Mail Ballot Voting, from The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ● Trump campaign to sue Bucks County after voters have issues with mail ballot voting on demand, from CBS News Misleading Claim: Re-printed ballots in Virginia Beach, Virginia could lead to double voting, election fraud Approximately 7,400 residents in Virginia Beach, Virginia received corrected mail-in ballots after candidate names in three races were printed in the wrong order. Candidates are to be listed in the order they filed their candidacy. Corrected ballots were sent out and affected voters were directed to shred their incorrect ballots. One resident expressed concern about election fraud, saying that the old ballots could be used to double vote. However, local officials confirmed that mail-in ballots are scanned as they are received, which would identify any voter who submitted multiple ballots. Data deficits concerning election administration processes – and how officials handle problems like mis-printed ballots – can become easy targets for rumors. Data Deficits: ● Voters may lack information about administrative processes for fixing ballot errors, like misprints ● Voters may lack information about how mail-in ballots are tracked and identified Where can we point people for good information? ● Virginia Beach spent thousands of dollars on mail-in ballot reprint, from The Virginian-Pilot False Claims: Georgia elections are susceptible to fraud because Georgia Election Board rules were blocked The Georgia State Supreme Court recently said controversial rules passed by the Georgia Election Board cannot go into effect before the November 5 election. Though the Court did not rule on the legality of the rules, they said the changes could not go into effect while there are legal challenges against them. Practically speaking, this means the rules will not come into play in the 2024 general election. The Georgia Election Board, which is composed of five members, passed a slate of rule changes informed by false claims about election integrity. Changes included requiring the hand-counting of the total number of ballots cast in each county and allowing election officials to decline to certify election outcomes if they believe fraud occurred. Three of the five board members have promoted false claims about election integrity and won the praise of Donald Trump for their work. Data Deficits: ● Voters may lack information about the Georgia Election Board’s rulemaking controversies Where can we point people for good information? ● Georgia Supreme Court maintains block on controversial election rules from Trump allies, from CNN ● Georgia election official Janelle King on the effort to change the state's election rules, from WBUR ● Explore the court cases that could impact the results of the 2024 election in Georgia, from The Savannah Morning News
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