Below are the news briefs from the Leon County Commission meeting that took place on October 11, 2022.
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One of the first agenda items the commission heard was the first and only public hearing on approving the Cawthon Multi-Family site development for northeast Tallahassee. As Tallahassee Reports previously reported, an apartment complex is going in adjacent to the current Publix development at Bannerman Road and Bull Headley Road.
Public comments noted environmental concerns related to Lake Iamonia, traffic concerns for Bannerman Road, and in general, how things like the community and schools are not prepared to handle a higher population density.
Commissioner Brian Welch said that he is confident that the “development review has gone through the county’s processes, they are extensive, they are thorough, Barry Wilcox and his staff, and our staff, they make sure the developers are held accountable to what they are entitled to.”
Commissioner Kristin Dozier said that despite the northeast not historically having apartment complexes, she insinuated that a larger conversation needs to be had regarding growth in the historically residential northeast when housing in Leon County is strained.
Commission Chairman Bill Proctor deferred to Welch’s leadership to possibly develop a new revised management plan for Lake Iamonia.
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The commissioners considered an agenda item entitled “Overview of Local Ordinances that Require Rent Increase Notification to Certain Residential Tenants, and that Allow Such Tenants to be Released from their Residential Leases, Without Penalty, in Certain Circumstances.”
The bulk of the conversation centered around Commission Chairman Proctor asking “Is it right, fair, … for renters to receive notice within 60 days, or 30 days, or 15 days, if rent increases will occur at the expiration of their lease agreement. That’s the question. Y’all looking at stuff that ain’t got nothing to do with the question. Isn’t this question about notice if you’re going up on rent?”
It was noted during the conversation that according to Florida TaxWatch, rent in Leon County has gone up 15 percent in recent years. Proctor continued his comments by saying:
“What we have to give is an opinion about the number of days for notice if we believe the landlord should give tenants. And you’re right, Commissioner Minor, folks done got jacked up all over the city and ever since President Biden told folks they didn’t have to… or suspend their rent payment, landlords across America have come back with a vengeance because they were under some communist regime that they were told ‘You can’t get your money. And it’s been hell to pay ever since President Biden did this.”
Proctor then said maybe the commission needs to have a conversation about rent control.
In the end, the commission approved a motion to research demographic information into who is dealing with the gravest rent increases in Leon County.
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During the public hearing portion, numerous citizens from the Fort Braden community expressed their opposition to renaming the Fort Braden Community Center after the recently passed Commissioner Jimbo Jackson. The citizens expressed their deep appreciation and friendship for Jackson and for his service to the community at Fort Braden School and on the commission board, but they felt, given the history of the community and the community center, for it to remain as is.
The commission, after the comments from the citizens, said they could put a pause on a new sign at the Community Center with Jackson’s name on it until District 2 has an elected representative on the board after the November election.
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The full meeting can be viewed here.
Leon County Commission Meeting Briefs: October 11, 2022 added by Grant Holcomb on
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Mr Lyle
Your juvenile transference attempt is laughable. Even you know that a public official should be professional in a public meeting. I think you have a problem with Proctor being legitimately called out and you cannot legitimately defend his action. Speaking slang in a public meeting is not a colloquial endearment it is demeaning.
@ Nicholas… So, in summary… you have an axe to grind with Commissioner Proctor… got it
Mr Edward Lyle
Rather than taking the off ramp and conceding regarding the importance of speaking properly at a public meeting you go into a protracted, out of the way, and nonsensical reasoning that makes no sense to condone it.
May I remind you that the commissioner represents the district that is the poorest district, has the lowest performing schools, has the highest rate of food insecurity, and the highest crime rate. On that reason alone the commissioner should make an effort to perform his duties in the most professional way possible. Using slang in a public meeting is disrespectful to the process and does not seem to help his district.
Look, they had the Florida Division of Historic Resources director write a letter “rescinding” the findings of historian, Johnathan Lammers report to the Tallahassee Historical society. They had the guy whose job it is to protect Florida’s historic resources write a letter saying it was OK to tear down one of Leon county’s most historic structures (to build a Publix). The fix is in, it’s been in, and it ain’t going away.
P.S. The director of the Division of Historic Resources is now gone… and the beat goes on.
@ Nicholas… a lesson in land use and developer agreements I don’t need. However, I do appreciate the effort. I think you may have missed my point, but it’s moot at this juncture.
I’m not a huge Proctor fan, but I have no problem with him expressing his position in an real and passionate way. We have far too many people in office today that “act” like store-bought politicians and spew feckless banality and platitudes. In my opinion, we need a lot more in-your-face honesty out of our elected officials. The woke Nazis, cancel culture, and fear of mean tweets have put us in the mess we’re in today. The days of the scripted manchurian candidates and stepford wives mentality will hopefully soon come to an end, if we are to save what’s left of this Great Republic. I’ll take reality over perception any day.
Mr Edward Lyle
When a developer develops a site there is mitigation, or if they mess something up they have to repair it, put in buffers and make the site in adherence to environmental and aesthetic aspects among many other requirements and regulations. It appears that the county is saying that they want the developers to follow the rules and that they will see that they do, while also being fair. To me that is a win win for all.
When you’re a public official you need to act like one (not using slang) – especially, in a public meeting. It is a matter of professionalism and respect.
I hope this offers some clarification.
@ Nicholas… Sorry, but I do not see any reference to the environment in his statement. But I am curious what he feels that the developers are “entitled” to do when held accountable for what they are required to do. Get my point now?
And apparently you don’t care for people of color using “slang”, or is it that you don’t understand it… racist much?
When it comes to Schools, I have always said, build them where you want to Community to grow. For some reason, our Commissioners and School Board seem to never look beyond 2 or 3 Years into the Future when it comes to Growth when they should be looking 10 to 20 Years ahead. If they had been paying attention, they would be building a new Elementary and Jr. High School in that area by now. If you want the Southside to grow, double the size of the Woodville Elementary School and build a Jr. High School a little farther down or down Springhill along with a High School. I think we need a Jr. High School out by Lake Jackson as well.
“Fist of all… “Commissioner Brian Welch said… Barry Wilcox and his staff, and our staff, they make sure the developers are held accountable to what they are entitled to.”
“ummmm… what? Can someone make sense of that statement for me please.”
He was referring to protecting the environment which is what Commissioners are supposed to do.
Commissioner Proctor should be called out regarding his slang which is inappropriate.
If the commission is hell-bent on putting apartments in the Northeast there are a lot of options that would be less controversial than this site.
But it’s not really about the site, is it? It’s about the Benjamins, and THEY want apartments at this site….
Just a couple of things… if I may..
Fist of all… “Commissioner Brian Welch said… Barry Wilcox and his staff, and our staff, they make sure the developers are held accountable to what they are entitled to.”
… ummmm… what? Can someone make sense of that statement for me please.
Secondly… although a bit disjointed, Commissioner Proctor assigning blame for the tenant/landlord challenges to the current Dementia Patient Resident and his foolish China Bio-Weapon Scamdemic policies… is dead-nuts-on. I’ve yet to hear any of these so-called “fiscal stewards” demand an audit of the millions upon millions upon millions of tax dollars Leon received to help deal with the Resident’s manufactured problems. And what does researching the “… demographic information into who is dealing with the gravest rent increases…” have to do with anything. Unless you intended to go with race-based rent control, or more taxpayer subsidies to the irresponsible and unwilling-to-work demographic..