BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners voted unanimously at the Sept. 5 meeting to modify the makeup of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board from a seven-member to a five-member board.
The five-member board will consist of commissioners only and act as a governing body. In contrast, the seven-member board included two CRA-area residents or business owners and only made recommendations for the commission to decide.
“We have one vacancy and probably will have another one,” City Attorney Ricinda Perry said, introducing the topic at a commission meeting.
The vacancies Perry referred to are resident David Bell, who resigned from the CRA in March, and Ed Chiles, former owner of Beach House Restaurant. Chiles has been absent with excuse from meetings for the past several months.
“Initially the CRA was a five-member board, then we went to a seven-member board, then five, then seven again. Right now, we are looking at these vacancies. My question is do you still want the two alternates, or do you want it to go back to a five-member board?” Perry asked the commissioners.
Perry said the CRA is going into a little bit of a lull as projects are being completed.
“We’re catching up on all the work we’ve done, we’re putting money back into the coffers. Our focus right now is primarily any emergency situations that Chief (John) Cosby as public works director brings to us,” she said. “There’s not a lot of major projects coming forward.”
As a practical matter, Perry said the monthly Wednesday morning CRA meetings could be held on the same night as the Thursday commission meetings.
“The CRA would have to have its own agenda,” she said. “You could have your CRA meeting first, adjourn that meeting and then have the commission meeting.”
“I think it’s an important discussion,” Mayor John Chappie said. “Manatee County does their CRA meetings first and then go back into their regular session.”
Commissioner Ralph Cole, who also serves as CRA chair, said he recommended going back to a five-member board.
“I’ve been commissioner long enough that I’ve seen it both ways and I think we should go back to five,” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said.
Commissioner Deborah Scaccianoce raised concerns about non-participation by businesspeople if the board returns to five members.
“At the CRA meetings I’ve been to, it’s pretty much only been us,” Scaccianoce said. “Mr. Chiles hasn’t been here and it’s probably been because he sold his business. I don’t know what the role is because I’ve never had a businessperson present for a CRA meeting. How does that impact the businesses if they’re not a part of it?”
Cole pointed out everyone on the board is subject to the Sunshine Law.
“Everything has to be discussed at a public meeting,” Cole said. “You can’t approach the mayor as a businessperson and talk to him about something you want voted on.”
“If you’re on the same board you can’t talk,” Chappie said.
“It’s easy for someone to trip up on Sunshine Law and public records retention,” Perry said. “It’s a very challenging thing.”
“I think Sunshine is a deterrent and it also ties their hands,” Scaccianoce said. “I think we would have trouble getting seven.”
Vosburgh noted that all the commissioners now or in the past have been business owners.
Chappie read the motion to approve a resolution to modify the makeup of the seven-member CRA board to a five-member CRA board.
Scaccianoce made the motion. It was seconded by Vosburgh and passed unanimously.
