A citizen’s task force? More like a builder’s task force

Just as every single cost of building a home gets marked up and passed on to the buyer, so do impact fees – we know it. We are almost at the point of accepting it, because something has to be done about our county’s roads and infrastructure. We are years and millions of dollars behind and we are relegated to sitting by and watching our county self-destruct through flooding, over development, skirting the laws and permit requirements, filling in wetlands, DEP turning a blind eye, intimidation by the heavy hitters and more. When you have the whole picture, it is sickening.

This time around, the commissioners were set to vote on impact fees, and there was no builder in sight. Why? We expected to see the same scene as before – a room full of builders opposed to the impact fees. We didn’t see that, and it begs the question why.

We certainly wondered, until we saw the layout of the Citizens Land Development Code Task Force appointees. It would leave a sane person thinking it was an exchange of sorts. In other words, builders stay quiet on impact fees and the reward or receipt is getting several seats at the land development task force table.

Think it is impossible? Not in Santa Rosa County. Let’s count the campaign contribution dollars spent by builders to our current commissioners. We know that is standard practice, they all do it. Let’s count the number of trips builders or the builder’s associations have made with our commissioners in the name of economic development or in the name of a military coalition. Do you think they didn’t discuss these things on the trip? Do you think those relationships didn’t develop on those trips? Whether the answer is “yes” or “no,” the perception of it stinks.

When hour after hour of public forum has told the commissioners the builders are overbuilding and causing flooding. They tell about builders not adhering to permitting rules (clear cutting without permit). We won’t even talk about the shady dealings going on in Avalon Beach with those developers who are turning Mulat Bayou orange with the red clay brought in.  But our commissioners don’t want to hear about it. They roll their eyes during public forum as if to say, “here we go again.” If you don’t want to hear about it – fix it. Problem solved and nothing for people to talk about.

That, unfortunately, is not the way it works here. The almighty builders can do what they want – even decide what changes if any will be made to the land development code. They can pollute our rivers and bayous with hardly a dollar fine. They can fill in our precious wetlands. They can threaten the Well Field Protection area, and the county will let it happen. This is what begs the question why.

The commissioners, or Commissioner Wright rather, put together a task force to be ‘community led.’ In the resolution presented by the county, it resolves that the task force shall be named The Citizen’s Land Development Code Task Force and shall operate and function as a citizens advisory group. And yet it was filled with builders and engineers. And some of the ones who aren’t builders are known friends and associates of the builders chosen, creating a majority vote on the task force. Well done, commissioners. Well done. Other than Phillip Robbins from District 1 and Carmen Reynolds from District 4, please show us the ‘citizen’ portion of this group – where are the citizens?

Did you think no one would notice because you spoke so positively about it, applauding yourselves? “There has been no shortage of people wanting to volunteer for this effort.” Were you speaking about builders or citizens?

There is time before Feb. 24 to make this right. Put six experts and six citizens on the task force. For the experts, you should have only one representative from the builders. Do the right thing. Bring this back to the point where you started to make this about the community and about the citizens. Don’t let your influencers and campaign paybacks get in the way.

Amazing and great things can come from a community led task force – when it is truly community led. We will be watching.