Letters to the Editors

Commissioner owed an apology

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 23, 2000

Editors:

I noticed a familiar face absent from the forefront of the Lutz Fourth of July celebration: Our very own county commissioner, Jim Norman. Yes, Jim was walking among the crowd and shaking hands but he was absent from the parade. He was not judging the cakes, or assisting with the auction of the home-baked goodies. He was not a scheduled speaker for the dedication of the Lutz Train Depot either.

I did see Jim pulled from the audience at the last minute and eventually he took a place on the Depot platform. But why didn't Jim Norman have a prominent role like he has during previous Fourth of July celebrations?

Did the organizers purposely exclude the one commissioner who has consistently fought for this community? Jim Norman has always sided with the residents on rezonings, fought to get the volunteer fire department new fire trucks, strived for money to rehab the Lutz Senior Center and library, not to mention funding for Oscar Cooler Park, just to name a few.

Perhaps the organizers of the festivities were angry with Norman and the misunderstanding they appear to have over the County Commission's approval of the Lutz Community Plan. Perhaps they decided to take their unwarranted anger out on Norman. If that is true, it is too bad that so many ostensibly good people have ignored the truth.

The County Commission approved 99 percent of the Lutz Plan during their first public hearing. This was a significant accomplishment considering how contentious rezonings can be in Lutz and considering disparate groups are at odds with one another all the time. Unfortunately many residents did not understand that the only part the board did not approve related to a couple of intersections that already met the comprehensive plan criteria for commercial development. Norman, and several other commissioners, were concerned that eliminating the right to request a zoning hearing may violate individual property rights. The board approved all the other strategies and Norman followed with a motion to bring back that one questionable commercial strategy to the board as soon as possible.

The news stories included harsh criticisms from several people in Lutz. I later heard people in Lutz say Norman was not welcome to "our" Fourth of July celebration. At a subsequent hearing the County Commission clarified what the board had approved. They were transmitting virtually the entire plan to Tallahassee for approval, including most all of the sections regarding commercial strategies. They delayed approval of the one strategy related to these particular intersections. No big headlines corrected this misunderstanding.

It was a pity that our local commissioner, Jim Norman, did not lead the dedication of the train depot, or judge the cakes, or assist with the auction as he has for the last eight years. Norman has fought hard for our community and some day we will need his help again. One day we will want a new fire truck, or the park will need additional funding, or the train depot will need funds. What will Norman say when that time comes? If we excluded our local commissioner on purpose or if it were simply an inexcusable oversight, he deserves an apology.
-- Denise Lasher, Lutz

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