Development in Everglades Agricultural Reserve? Summer Meeting Scheduled

Fire Ant of the New Times thinks that its all about the money and ties political contributions to whether Commissioners will weaken rules for the Ag Reserve. This is far too simplistic a take on the conversation that happened Tuesday at the County Commission meeting. This is a complicated issue that involves many stakeholders and that is why the idea of a roundtable discussion after 13 years of implementing what the voters approved is timely. This is not a payback for campaign contributions on the part of developers' interests. Click title for link.

New Times will be interested to see which side coughs up new campaign contributions between now and the summer roundtable.

As previously reported, just months ago Schmier & Feuring and its principals, as well as its advocate Land Design South, donated $3,500 to Commissioner Steven Abrams' campaign. Commissioner Mary Lou Berger had previously taken $1,250 from LDS and its principal, Bob Bentz.

Additionally, in her 2012 campaign, Berger took more than $2,400 from Urban Design Kilday Studios and its principals, while developer attorney Mark Perry, who also spoke yesterday, has, over the years, given $750 to Commissioner Shelley Vana's campaigns.

By the way, I have never heard it referred to as the Everglades Agricultural Reserve. If you click here, this is what the county considers the Everglades Agricultural Reserve. That is the area west of this area and includes land from Martin to Broward County to Hendry County - essentially the entire western half of Palm Beach County. The area in question is much smaller.