Have input on the Pine Island Plan? Your time to be heard is Monday.
To the editor:
An ingrained quality of Americans is to distrust their government, any government. You might as well get a tattoo. Why? Our government leaders really don’t care about us. Tuesday, June 25, Lee County gave us a perfect civic lesson in these two American truths.
Social media and talk radio was alive with rumor about a Lee County “public information meeting” that was so clandestinely “advertised” you would think it was for a speakeasy. The meager notice promised a presentation on the outcome of the Lee County Commissioners’ mandate to amend every law from the Matlacha overlay to the Ten Commandments. From Buckingham to Bokeelia we went wild warning our neighbors on the digital tin can telephone of anything from the arrival of data centers to stocking the Caloosahatchee with mermaids.
So of course, there was a standing room only crowd. No agenda, no identification of speakers, no Commissioners, and no questions please. The air fairly dripped with mutiny, as armored and armed Sheriff’s deputies lined the walls. Two I think. I got out my Johhny Tremain tri-corner. After a truly heartfelt remembrance of Dolly Parton, things started as bad as I thought they could. A member of the Community Development staff, who probably drew the shortest straw, said something like “We don’t really have to have this meeting, but we thought it would be a good idea.” Several of us exchanged looks, wondering whether our homes were already gone. Perhaps they would serve cake after the meeting.
Slowly, the bureaucrats charged with amending all the rules we hold so dear walked us through a PowerPoint. I just knew somewhere the Pine Island Community Plan – won with blood, sweat and tears – would just disappear. I live in Matlacha. Every commissioner just loves Matlacha, like a weekend hooker. Would Matlacha bridge collapse into the polluted Matlacha Pass? While the head honchos of Community Development hid at the back of the room, things appeared to get better. The young ones in front said trust us, the changes are really only administrative. The sun will rise.
A timid citizen asked, “Where can we see the actual changes?” Oh, responded a helpful voice, “They are on our website.” “What website?” “Oh, the Community Development website.” Aha, one of my daily social media stops. How considerate. I dropped a question card into the box as I left asking why they didn’t tell us that in the first place. I didn’t sign my name. Relax, I can just take my time and read through hundreds of pages of the Lee Plan and the County Development Code, noting the strike outs, the additions, and the red staff notes in the margin.
But wait. The MC forgot to show the last slide. The Lee County Commissioners are having a public meeting on Aug. 31 (Yes, that’s Monday) for public input, and then another council get together, probably on Sep. 16, for a final meeting and “transmittal” of the amendments to the Governor.
Now my BS meter went off the charts. “What are they hiding?” said another citizen. “Yeah,” said another. A voice behind me said, “They want to rush it through before Amanda Cochran gets sworn in.” Heading to my car, someone took me aside and introduced me to Elliott Taylor who is running against Cecil Pendergrass.
Throw the bums out. I’ll be up all night reading.
J. Michael Hannon
Matlacha