Venice council member ponders why she was excluded from a Bay Indies permit meeting

Messrs. Lavallee, Clinch, Applegate, Pachota, Boldt et al,

Reliable sources reported that a meeting was held one week ago, Friday, October 26th, 2024 at 6:00pm at Bay Indies Mobile Home Park, a large park with over 1400 units, to discuss FEMA requirements and Building Permitting.   City Management in attendance included City Manager Ed Lavallee, Assistant City Manager James Clinch, Building Permit Department Head Derek Applegate, as well as Mayor Nick Pachota and Vice Mayor Jim Boldt.

Over 200 persons attended the hour and a half meeting.

It was not until 36 hours ago that I learned of this meeting.   Since then I have pondered what response can even be made.

The citizens have asked again and again to be heard, to have a seat at the table.  Now we find that even those supposedly at the table, City Council itself, are not in the loop.

How can this be?

Given the number of senior officials involved it would be ingenuous to think that this was a mere oversight. In fact, I spoke to Assistant City Manager Clinch in his office not three hours before the meeting and nothing was even mentioned.

By phone, email and personal visit and at the last City Council meeting I have advocated for those affected by Hurricane Milton.  As a resident of a 55+ Community that was directly affected, I have “skin in the game”.  Our excellent Maintenance Supervisor lives in Bay Indies.  I would have welcomed the opportunity to meet the Bay Indies residents, show my support and offer whatever assistance I could.  This was not afforded to me.

It is heartbreaking to realize that even in a time of calamity in which lives are forever changed, that senior members of the City Manager’s office and the Mayor’s office are given to cavalier and dismissive behavior toward Citizens and City Council alike.

Joan Farrell

Venice City Council, Seat 1