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Politics

Sparks fly among Tarpon city commissioners

By ROBIN STEIN
Published January 11, 2007

TARPON SPRINGS - Things couldn't be better.

There's a great new hire in the water and sewer department. Voters stopped the county's power grab. The city manager - who has been in the post for seven years - said plans are under way to make February "Celebrating Our City" month.

Small town democracy at its best.

Unless, of course, talk turns to the Chamber of Commerce's Business Assistance Program records.

Or the fisheries committee "workshop."

And it's probably best not to mention Wal-Mart casually at City Commission meetings.

These days, there seems to be few substantive topics that do not ignite a seething exchange of indignation and innuendo. Not that there's anything wrong, per se.

Yet, sparks flew throughout Tuesday's four-hour commission meeting, as the group slogged through a modest agenda.

In the closing comment period, Vice Mayor David Archie tried to lift spirits, saying the new year may diffuse the tension.

"Hopefully we can continue to look for opportunities to work together," Archie said.

Ellen Posivach then offered assurances that there are "ways of dealing with things without attacking individuals."

City commissions all over the country hire management consultants to improve their group dynamics, Posivach said. She has already brought in a team to work with her staff - not that there are any problems.

Yet a few hours earlier, the tone had been notably less conciliatory.

For example, take the proposed amendment that would expressly exempt the Chamber of Commerce from public records laws. A legal analysis by city attorneys determined that the $20,000 funding provided for the Business Assistance Partnership Program does not necessarily make their records available on demand to residents.

To Commissioner Peter Dalacos, the measure was an affront to residents' rights. To Archie, it was a minor change that promised to stop "frivolous requests" and baseless witch hunts.

An announcement about an upcoming "workshop" prompted another blistering exchange.

Dalacos was giving residents notice that the first workshop of the newly formed "working waterfronts committee" will be at 1 p.m. on Friday, when Posivach jumped in.

It is not a public "workshop," she said, and it was not clear why Dalacos had that impression because the term "workshop" had not been used in the month since the committee's inception. It is not a forum for the public to offer suggestions, but rather a work session for city and county staff and a few industry representatives, Posivach insisted.

She added the committee was purposely made up of staff to keep politics out of it and avoid having to worry about open meetings laws.

Archie followed up in agreement. A "workshop" does not necessarily imply that the public be included, he said.

There are enough opportunities for public input, he said.

[Last modified January 11, 2007, 07:34:53]