Longboat Key's VIP Room

As I watched the commission workshop yesterday afternoon, I was once again made aware that sadly we live in a community where the Very Important People are granted unusual access to our political process and looked upon with favor. On the other hand run-of-the-mill residents have 3 minutes to address a group of commissioners who, many observers lament, look as though they could not care less about what is being presented to them. Unfortunately the dichotomy between the politically important and the rest of the residents has been a way-of-life in this community for quite a while. If you look at my web site - http://www.lbksite.com/ - you can see that I campaigned on this problem several years ago. Nothing has changed from then to now, except that the commission has become a homogeneous pro-development clique. If you are opposed to the Key Club expansion or against needless commercial over-development on the key, you are out of luck. There are no remaining commissioners who have not expressed support for the new and illegitimate vision plan and the Key Club expansion. The same can be said for the planning and zoning board. We have achieved homogeneity in government. We have also become embroiled in two litigations over expanded commercial land use championed by the commission and the planning and zoning board.

To be specific about Thursday's commission workshop, my comments center about that part of every regular commission meeting where there is an opportunity for the public to be heard. At this particular workshop there were perhaps ten or twelve residents attending who wanted to petition the commission to finally resolve the peacock over-population in the village that has been going on for years. Also in attendance was Murph Klauber and his daughter. Every one had followed the rules and submitted forms to the town clerk asking to address the commission.

Mr. Klauber was first to speak. Mr. Klauber and his daughter addressed the commission for more than 6 minutes without interruption from the mayor telling them they had exceeded the 3 minute rule. Mr. Klauber was petitioning the commissioners to prevent the partial reopening and requesting that the commissioners visit the Colony to examine the condition of the various units. You may recall that you the taxpayer paid Mr. Klauber over six and half million dollars a few years ago to settle a law suit brought on by the commission.  Upon completion of their presentation one commissioner immediately volunteered to be at the Colony at 9 AM the next day to meet with Mr. Klauber. The commissioner appeared quite eager to assist the Klaubers.

Now the dozen or so village residents had their chance to address the commission. They were there to beseech the commissioners to control the more than 50 to 150 peacocks that are allowed to roam freely in the village, mostly in a two block area of the community. It had been over a year since the commission promised to remove all but 12 peacocks. Today more than 50 birds remain with no indication that anything is going to be done about the problem any time soon. The village residents took time out of their day to petition the commissioners to do something about the peacock problem that results in incessant property damage, constant loud noise and peacock excrement which carries the danger of histoplasmosis which "can cause high fever, blood abnormalities, pneumonia and even death". Children in the neighborhood are forced to play in the equivalent of a barnyard. Peacock feces in constantly being tracked into resident's homes.

One commissioner suggested that any discussion of peacocks be postponed yet another month until the next commission workshop. I found this to be in stark contrast to one commissioner's willingness to be available the very next day at 9 AM sharp, in response to Mr. Klauber's request that the commission visit the Colony. No commissioners offered to visit the village. Each village resident who wished to speak was under a strict 3 minute rule unlike Mr. Klauber and his daughter.

I wish that things would change in our community and that our town government might become more responsive to its citizens. Instead we read week after week about our commissioner's grandiose plans to rapidly advance commercial interests on the island. I and others are unable to think of a single resident oriented action taken by the commission over the past year. Our community will have no opportunity to enhance Bay Front Park this year since the commission has exhausted our allowed chances to alter the comp plan helping the Key Club. It is a good thing the Key Club is paying for all the work the town is doing on their behalf.

The festering peacock problem in the village, that has a real and negative affect on several village residents, goes unnoticed and unattended by the commission and the town month after month.

Perhaps the village needs a Very Important Person to champion their causes at town hall.

Perhaps an island-wide homeowners organization might effectively counter the influence of VIPs in our town government.