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Letter to the editor

City response to SOLV suit due soon

Save Our Little Village seeks a vote on petition items by Feb. 17.

By NICK JOHNSON, Times Staff Writer
Published December 30, 2007

St. Pete Beach was given an extension by a circuit judge in responding to the lawsuit brought by the political action group Save Our Little Village.

The city has until Thursday to file a response, and a hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 9.

The extension came after the City Commission was left scrambling to hire legal representation for the case after city attorney Timothy Driscoll tendered his resignation at a commission meeting this month.

The lawsuit was filed in response to the commission's refusal to put six petition items, including a comprehensive plan meant to spur development, on January ballots.

The city's charter gives residents the right to vote on any comprehensive plan changes.

"All we want is what the people were told we were going to have, and that's the right to vote," SOLV chairwoman Lorraine Huhn said.

The lawsuit seeks an election on the petition items by Feb. 17 because the city did not add the items to the January ballot. The city charter requires petition ordinances that are not adopted by the commission go before voters within 90 days.

Attorney Tom Reese has been hired to represent the city and commissioners temporarily.

Reese questioned the timing of the lawsuit.

"It was definitely prepared to be filed at a time when the city didn't have an attorney," Reese said.

William Pyle, the primary contributor to a rival political group, Citizens for Responsible Growth, has also filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit, stating that he would be adversely impacted if SOLV is allowed to interfere with the commission's deliberations.

Nick Johnson can be reached at nickjohnson@sptimes.com or 893-8361.

[Last modified December 29, 2007, 22:44:48]