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Re: Cell phone towers ugly but essential, editorial, Nov. 16.
As a Tarpon Springs city commissioner, I would like to give my personal response to your editorial about cell towers. I agree with your assessment that due to new federal regulations and other factors in our economy, the use of cell phones will dramatically increase and therefore the need for new cell towers will also become very important.
Yet your editorial left out some alternatives and also was just a little misleading about the Tarpon Springs City Commission decision on the latest cell tower vote.
My vote against the tower was not due to pressure from the citizens of Tarpon. As a matter of fact, there were only a handful of citizens involved in this latest request for a tower, vs. hundreds of protests last year. I personally agree with the need for new cell towers, but in my opinion this was not the right location.
Most people do not know that as a commission, we by law cannot at a public meeting even consider the possibility of adverse health effects of radio waves and other radiation stemming from cell towers when making our decision. But I can tell you in this letter that a new elementary school is being built a few hundred yards from the rejected location and that an existing day care is also extremely close. Perhaps another location may be more appropriate at this time.
We have beaches and parks and churches in our city where a cell tower that is disguised as a flagpole or a church steeple with bells would be much less conspicuous. I also presented the possibility of having several shorter towers placed in strategic locations that would provide the coverage needed by the cell companies. Even though that was feasible, it was rejected because of cost. What that means in plain English is that even though it can be done and would be an alternative way of solving the problem, it may not be profitable enough.
You also made it appear that our commission is not aware of the legalities of cell towers and that our own attorney was scolding us for our decision. What you did not report was the fact that right after the vote to disapprove this particular cell tower location, it was decided that city staff will investigate other locations in our city where these towers would be appropriate. This will come up in a future workshop session.
The commission of Tarpon Springs is well aware of the legal obligations imposed upon us by the state and federal regulations that we must allow some locations for these towers. Yet as a city commissioner I must do everything possible to find a win-win situation that would allow the cell tower companies, the city of Tarpon Springs and the citizens who demand more cell coverage to all have what they want and need.
I cannot speak for my fellow commissioners and this is my own opinion.
Re: Critic of airport plans ousted, story, Nov. 13.
Such egregious bullying by the Pinellas County Commission is unbecoming. This is the same county commission that ignored my neighbors when the county built the Omni project and connected 119th Street with 16th Avenue SW. At the time, they said they needed to champion the interests of unincorporated county residents over Largo residents. Whose interests are they championing now?
The County Commission maintains it must advocate the needs of unincorporated residents because these residents have no municipal government to turn to. How well is it now advocating for the interests of Feather Sound? How does resident Ava VanNahmen's championing of her neighborhood's interests make her any less capable as a member of the Parks and Recreation Board?
Yes, it's important for advisory board members to support their commissions whenever possible. However, you just can't agree with someone on every issue. This is especially true when a commission is acting contrary to the interests of one's neighbors. For the County Commission to unseat a board member for dissent isn't just vindictive, it is a shocking display of immaturity. It is the behavior of a bully.
Does Commissioner Ken Welch feel threatened by Ava VanNahmen? Is she doing a better job of representing Feather Sound's interests than he is? Apparently, she is prepared to stand by her guns and take the hit. Hopefully, she will fight back as well. Somebody has to say, "No, this is wrong."
Overall, the County Commission does a good job. Overall, Ken Welch is an excellent county commissioner. They must see to the needs of nearly 1-million people, about a quarter of whom have no municipal government. They are our elected officials. This bullying is unbecoming of them.
I have observed the fascination with "bobble heads" lately. At first, bobble heads were of various athletes in the spotlight. Lately, they have been of political figures. Now I note that the "bobble-head virus" has infected large corporations with "bobble-head" directors. It has even affected boards and communities that I serve on, in my community!
I am not a particular fan of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, but I liked a comment he made recently to a reporter about a memo he sent to his staff: "Are we supposed to cage our brain when we enter government service?" I think it is a fair question for all of us to ask ourselves when we are elected or appointed to boards or committees.