Martin BOCC Update:Trials, tribulations, alternate universes

Welcome to Martin County

Two Martin County commissioners and one former commissioner will face trials next year. This stems from the county’s civil lawsuit with Lake Point quarry and allegations that county commissioners destroyed or didn’t produce emails pertinent to the case.

Commissioner Ed Fielding and former Commissioner Anne Scott are facing two misdemeanor charges each. Their trial date is set for December 10th, 2018. I have no idea why this was set so far out.

Commissioner Sarah Heard faces a non-criminal infraction of failure of a public official to respond to a public-records request. Her trial date is set for February 19th. All three entered not-guilty pleas through their lawyers. Let’s repeat for Sarah. Non-criminal. One more time. Non-criminal. What’s up with you folks that keep on repeating it was criminal. Martin County has an alternative universe where people make up things and then repeat them over and over and expect us to believe it. I don’t know what to make of it. Perhaps its years of living with toxic algae eating away at their brains.

Or maybe its what honest locals tell me-greed.

On December 12, Rick Hartman, president of One Martin, along with Ted Astolfi, CEO of the Economic Council of Martin County spoke during public comment.

Specifically, Mr. Astolfi read a letter into the record requesting the resignation of Commissioner’s Heard and Fielding for their violation of the public trust. The letter was endorsed by the Economic Council of Martin County, along with the Palm City Chamber of Commerce, the Jensen Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Martin County Farm Bureau and One Martin.

Oh Boy!

The most egregious things go on around here. These are the same groups that refuse to look at our filthy dirty water, look at homelessness, look a food issues. They embrace sober homes and the importation of drug addicts. Get a bunch of stoned out people and they don’t care and don’t vote.

One Martin! Listen up!

We learned a long time about the grizzly underbelly of Martin County. The good old boys club. These folks are against our clean water and you have to ask yourself why. If they keep our economy down then they can buy land inexpensively and build what ever monstrosity they want. These are the greediest of the greediest. If you have another theory as to why these people who claim to be leaders hate our county please let me know.

Who could forget the Ron Rose/Chase Lurgio debacle that helped Doug Smith. I said it then and I’ll say it now. Ron took advantage of a teen age boy. Why is he still in charge at the JB Chamber? Is this behavior OK? Why in Martin County is taking advantage of a young boy ok? Will Doug Smith speak out about this?

Also this happened:

Martin County BOCC website disseminated a solicitation for contributions by the Chamber of Commerce PAC to try to replace two named commissioners during the next election. It’s so blatant.

Speaking of the MC BOCC, Ginny Sherlock outlined this before the meeting:

“The last meeting of the Martin County Board of County Commissioners during 2017 should be short and not-too-sweet on Tuesday. As citizen-advocates and fiscal conservatives Sarah Heard and Ed Fielding face continued scrutiny while the Doug Smith-Ed Ciampi-Harold Jenkins majority doubles down on the type of conduct that has generated unprecedented distrust of local government.

The agenda features requests to

– Transfer funds from the Halpatiokee park kayak center renovations budget to bail out financially ailing Sailfish Splash Waterpark;

– Approve a plat and revised site plan for the controversial Langford Landing property; and

– Literally pave paradise and put up a parking lot.

Agenda Item 8A2 requests approval of a proposal to demolish the old Jensen Beach Library building to create a parking lot in the Jensen Beach Community Redevelopment Area. Staff recommends Option #3 of five proposals for disposition of the County-owned building, ranging from selling it at the assessed value of $363,430.00 to renovating and repairing it at a cost of $260,190.00. The option of demolishing the building and creating a parking lot was chosen by the Jensen Beach Neighborhood Advisory Committee to provided needed parking in downtown Jensen Beach at a modest cost of $87,150.00 to $98,500.00.

Agenda Item 8A1 includes a request to transfer $175,000 from Halpatiokee Regional Park to the Sailfish Splash Waterpark’s fixed asset replacement budget.

It should come as no surprise that equipment and facilities at the six-year-old waterpark are in need of repair or replacement. What may be a surprise is that despite the touting of Sailfish Splash as a “success” by Commissioner Ed Ciampi and others who championed the project, the waterpark did not meet its budget projections during 2017 to fund the fixed asset replacement account. Sailfish Splash was supposed to generate enough revenue from high-priced admission tickets and concession sales to pay for itself. But staff blames Hurricanes Matthew and Irma, cold weather and thunderstorms for the budget shortfall and now wants to transfer money from Halpatiokee Regional Park that was supposed to pay for kayak center renovations. The transferred funds will be used to repair tile in the aquatic center pool, replace motors in recirculation pumps, paint party rooms, replace the sound system and repair or improve other assets at Sailfish Splash.

A request for approval of a plat and revised final site plan for the hugely unpopular Langford Landing project is Agenda Item 8C1.

The staff report recommends approval of the plat for the 60-home development and a revised site plan. It doesn’t mention outstanding code enforcement fines that resulted from unauthorized clearing of the property which prompted complaints from citizens. A settlement agreement was reached in secret meetings and discussions between the owner of the property and the County, but there is no indication that the property owner complied with the terms of the agreement. The revised final site plan is required to make the site plan consistent with work that was actually done on the property. In other words, rather than requiring the developer to comply with the approved plan, staff is asking the commission to revise the plan to reflect what the developer did on the property that was not authorized under the approved plan.

In other items on Tuesday’s agenda:

– Agenda Item 8A3 asks the BCC to re-priortize capital improvement projects. These projects were slated to move forward with proceeds from the failed 1% sales tax. A couple of fire stations and majority pet projects like the Jensen Beach Mooring Field will move forward. Other projects would be delayed for reassessment in Fiscal Year 2019.

– Item No. 6 in Agenda Item 8A1 – Office of Management and Budget requests – seeks approval of a plan to build three restrooms for the Martin County Golf Course at a cost of $574,022.00 – more than many residents’ homes are worth, including homes with three bathrooms.”

Thank you Ginny!

So maybe if you suck up to the BOCC they will build you a monstrosity that no one can afford to pay for. Then special punishment not allowing people to bring their own food but instead pay outrageous amounts of money for unhealthy food that does not even taste good. This along with allowing a bunch of teenagers to search thru your beach bag looking for food that might be smuggled in with the fervor of looking for bombs in our purses at the airport.

Basic economics. My kids drive here for the weekend and we go to the Splash Park-

2 adults, one senior, one four year old.

Adult (13-54) – $14.95

Child (1-12) – $12.95

Senior (55+) – $12.95

This does not include a comfortable chair.

So 54 dollars. Food at ten bucks a piece brings it up to 94 for a day.

For for 20 bucks I can drive to the west coast. I can swim in the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico for free. Bring my own lunch and bring something appropriate for my grandson.

This is the economics of Martin County. So all you people who represents the Chambers or the Economic Council did you ever study math?

We want to know more about the secret meetings between the BOCC and and the Langford Landings folks.

These people are so powerful they even got the street changed from is historic curve to a road that goes right into their land. I suppose a light will be next. We can’t get sewage here but these people get what ever they want. I can’t wait for them to move here! Just wait until they realize when their kids go to the park those parks are surrounded by drug rehabs. Perhaps even a pedophile or two! The river their house sits on is filled with grossness. Good luck with that!

Lastly $574,022.00 bathrooms. Seriously?

Have a great day! It’s time for new, fresh blood on our Commission in Martin County! Preferable people who understand reality.

Cyndi Lenz

Dec 19,2019