The Wizard of PIC

Everyone who has been on Longboat Key for any length of time knows about the Public Interest Committee of Longboat Key or PIC. I moved to this island in 1985, the first full year of PIC's existence. The late 80's were contentious times on Longboat and PIC became the voice of the island residents in the struggle between ARVIDA and everyone else. PIC quickly acquired quite a few members. Because of this public support, PIC was able to become a formidable force in island politics.

After the developer wars had ended and Longboat created its current Comprehensive Plan that reduced density on Longboat from the original 75 thousand to 25 thousand, PIC still was an active and strong voice in island government. PIC was created as a voice for the residents. If you were a real estate sales person you were ineligible for PIC membership.

The late 80's and 90's became the golden age on Longboat. Residential real estate values increased pleasingly. Longboat Key became one of "the" new places to have a second home or retirement home. Little by little PIC became less and less relevant. There was an almost perfect balance between tightly regulated development and residential paradise. The American economy was booming and new wealth fueled a booming real estate market on Longboat that continued unabated until the end of 2007, when the meanies on Wall Street ruined everything for everyone.

2008 saw the resurrection of PIC as a voice in Longboat politics. Prior to 2008, PIC's main function was to anoint a PIC member to fill any vacancies on the town commission. I recall they took a position on the wrong side of the ill-fated reclaimed water project. I believe PIC also took the wrong stance on the airport noise struggle.

Anyway, in the hard times that started in 2008, a few residents, along with the Chamber of Commerce and the Key Club were able to reconstitute PIC, not as a resident advocacy group, but rather as a pro- development organization.

At this time PIC has 116 members that include the manager of the Key Club, one of the attorneys for the Key Club, the Chamber of Commerce LLC, a member of the board of the Chamber, one active and one retired real estate sales agent, one commissioner and one member of the Planning and Zoning board. 13 PIC members list off-island addresses. Of the 14 members contributing more than the basic $40 membership amount are the Key Club, the Key Club lawyer and a board member of the Chamber of Commerce.

The PIC board has 10 members. Talking to a long time PIC member, the PIC board does not poll members about political positions supported by the PIC organization. It appears that PIC, as a political activist organization, is controlled by as few as 6 members. To me this is less than a representative body to be advertising itself as an independent group that "communicates an independent citizen-oriented point of view." As  far as I know PIC has never advocated community surveys including the one recommended by the original Vision Plan director. I do not believe that the 90 members of PIC, who are not part of the board, or who do not have special interests, have much input into what PIC supports.

PIC has traditionally backed certain candidates in town elections and has traditionally backed PIC members over non-members most, if not all, of the time. This past election was no different except that the Key Club expansion application was at that time before the commission. At least one candidate, who appeared before the PIC nominating committee, was surprised to find the Key Club manager and at least one commissioner part of the interviewing group. The candidate also met a Key Club attorney leaving the Longboat Chapel sanctuary as he was entering for his interview. I leave it up to your judgment to decide if PIC is really representative of the residential community as they profess. And if so why was the Key Club present during the candidate interview?

I recently became a condominium representative to the Longboat Condominium Federation which represents perhaps 50% of the taxpayers on this island. If there is a truly representative organization, the Condo Fed would be the winner hands down. Yet the Condo Fed is a-political and I do not believe takes positions on any civic or political issues. Yet we have an organization of fewer than 100 members, if we subtract those members with special interests such as the Key Club and the Chamber of Commerce, that asks for special recognition by the town and wraps itself in the mantle of a populist citizen's organization.

There are those who will say I have a less than positive assessment of PIC because they did not anoint me as their pick when I ran for commissioner against Bob Seikman. I would not have won against a strong incumbent commissioner even with PIC's endorsement. Likewise, I defeated PIC's incumbent candidate the following election by a strong margin. There may be residents who rely on PIC to tell them who to vote for, as there are some who ask for marked-up ballots in national elections. I feel that any citizen who votes from a place of ignorance is lazy and doing a disservice to the community they live in.

In and around 2002 there were no fewer than 5 PIC board members on the town Planning and Zoning board. As PIC board members, a majority vote on the Planning Board met privately on a regular basis. To me this is too close for comfort. I prefer to see an unentangled town government. Unfortunately PIC has had a close relationship with our commission and major boards for too long. Remember PIC has a small membership and an even smaller controlling board. If Longboat Key was booming like the Villages and other Florida communities with robust real estate markets, one might not pay too much attention to the presence PIC has in our own government.

I believe that PIC supports some really worthwhile causes. While on the commission, I strongly supported the efforts of Landau and Younger to fix the broken town budget process. Hopefully my efforts furthered those efforts. I also feel that at times PIC represents the interests of a few, and that  detracts from their stature in our community. I also believe that PIC can serve as a cover for a small clique of residents with their private agenda. Wouldn't it be better to see a truly representative organization such as the Condo Fed weigh-in on community issues, after polling their members and reaching a broad based consensus.