City of Fort Pierce Minutes of a Regular Meeting

Regular Postponed Meeting February 22, 2011
in North Carolina last week and there was a trial on television
where there were ten people who were coming to Florida in a big
van, going from one pain clinic to another, and they would come
back with literally thousands of oxycontin pills. This had been
going on for some time. This is a big deal. It is really
putting a black eye on the State of Florida. Maybe they can
stop it in St. Lucie County.
Mr. David Carlin, Interim Director of Planning, said it is going
to be some time before they really fully understand some of the
recent legislative changes that have been implemented. The City
Attorney's office, the Police Department, and Planning Staff
will be working together over the next few weeks and months if
needed to digest exactly what the State has mandated and how
that would be codified in their Land Development Regulations, if
that is the most appropriate place to put the proper controls.
Mayor Benton declared a Public Hearing on Ordinance No. L-209 in
session and asked if anybody in the audience wished to be heard.
Seeing no one and hearing no one wishing to be heard, Mayor
Benton declared the Public Hearing closed.
Commissioner Becht said this is an Emergency Ordinance. Do they
need to put any findings of fact into the record? Or is the
record Staff has presented to them sufficient?
City Attorney Schwerer said the record is sufficient. But it
would not hurt to emphasize that the primary reason this is
being presented tonight for emergency purposes is the fact that
this is an area which the State promised regulation, promised
solutions to the problem, and promised it would assist the local
governments in the protection of the public health, safety, and
welfare. He thinks the State did its part by adopting, for the
most part, good legislation. However, what has happened
recently with the turn of events in Tallahassee is a moratorium
so to speak on the implementation of many of the portions of the
legislation that was passed, so that the State is unable to set
up the database and is unable to do a number of the activities
that were in the legislation. The City was counting on that
happening on a timely fashion; and since it did not, this
ordinance is before the Commission for emergency purposes
because of the disarray in Tallahassee over the state of
regulation which they have preempted to themselves. This
ordinance is done on an emergency basis because of that fact.
He believes Staff would echo those same concerns, he saw a
report in his package.
Commissioner Becht said yes, it is a good presentation. He just
didn't know if they needed to articulate it out loud. He would
ask that someone monitor this. It has a sunset of one year or
when the State acts. So if someone could make sure that it
doesn't lapse without it being brought back to the Commission in
time for it to be extended again if necessary.
Motion was made by Commissioner Becht, seconded by Commissioner
Perona, that Ordinance No. L-209 be passed as an Emergency
Ordinance.
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City of Fort Pierce Minutes of a Regular Meeting held on February 22, 2011
Copyright © 2011 City of Fort Pierce Florida