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MAUREEN BYRNE AHERNMadeira residents home in on the Board of Adjustment, whose decisions are final.
MADEIRA BEACH - This city is dealing with implementing a master plan, guiding redevelopment and replacing infrastructure, but those aren't the issues that concerned most of the residents who attended a candidates forum Monday afternoon.
They were more interested in the city's five-member Board of Adjustment, powerful and controversial in part because its decisions are final, with no opportunity for appeal to the City Commission. Anyone dissatisfied with the board's rulings must take his case to circuit court.
Some residents who spoke at City Hall during the hourlong forum hosted by the Madeira Beach Seniors Club said it was time to evaluate the Board of Adjustment.
Len Piotti, a candidate for the District 1 seat, told the audience that his personal experience with the board showed him how unresponsive the city is to residents.
"We all realize there is a need to do some assessment," Piotti said.
Piotti, 64, became involved in city politics after seeking a variance to turn his garage into a recreation room for his grandchildren, who live with him. The Board of Adjustment turned down Piotti and his wife, Angela. Because the city charter prevents the commission from hearing appeals, the Piottis sued the city to fight that decision.
Piotti lost his court appeal, but the board eventually granted him the variance he needed to convert his garage.
Piotti, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor last year, said Monday he wants to put the city "back on track."
"I'm trying to put people back in the process," he said, citing lack of citizen involvement in implementing the master plan and reviewing site plans.
Site plan approvals shouldn't be left in the hands of one person, Piotti said. "It tends to leave him open to a lot of influence," he said, referring to City Manager Jim Madden.
Ken Schwartz, a member of the Planning Commission, said Monday the panel elected not to review site plans anymore because it slowed down the process.
Others in the audience questioned Commissioner Doreen Moore, who faces Piotti for the District 1 seat, about a "conflict of interest."
Moore, 51, has a business and romantic relationship with Joe Jorgensen, chairman of the city's Board of Adjustment. The two operate a real estate business in Madeira Beach. Moore has voted on Jorgensen's appointment to the Board of Adjustment, which, among other things, reviews variances for development projects.
Moore said of her actions on the commission, "I've always felt they were above board and honest," adding that she will recuse herself from votes that could be perceived as a conflict of interest.
Moore said she is pleased with the direction the city has been heading in since she took office four years ago. "This has been a period of unprecedented progress in our city and I am happy to have been a part of it," she said Monday, citing Madeira Beach's visioning process, improvements in the John's Pass area, burial of utility lines on Pelican Lane, a new design for John's Pass Bridge and a debt-free city government.
John Wolbert, 71, who is running for the District 2 seat, said he doesn't like the direction the city has taken since he left the commission four years ago. "I'm back again because I've seen a lot of changes in our city that I really don't like," he said Monday.
If elected, Wolbert said he would consider establishing a labor relations committee, lowering the millage rate, and improving communication between the city and residents.
Jane Colson, a newcomer to city politics who is facing Wolbert for the District 2 seat, said Monday she would be willing to make some changes to the Board of Adjustment. "If it's what the citizens want, we need to take a look at it," she said.
As a commissioner, Colson said she would be a good listener and a problem-solver. "I want to deal with issues from a neighborhood standpoint," she said Monday, adding that some residents need to let go of their conflicts.
Colson said she thinks the master plan is heading in the right direction and that she is pleased with current development projects in the city.
Residents also will vote on six referendums Tuesday. Each deals with a change in the city charter, which is almost 30 years old and has outdated provisions and conflicting language, city officials say.