Our View

Members of the Longboat Key Kiwanis Club were buzzing at their breakfast tables last week. No, it actually was more like the loud hum that comes from a troubled power line.

They were sizzling over the Longboat Key Town Commission’s decision the previous day to shelve a March referendum on whether to finance the replacement of power poles with underground power lines on Gulf of Mexico Drive.

“They can’t stick with a decision,” huffed one Kiwanian. “

Yes, it wasn’t the first time. After voting 7-0 in favor of the referendum on first reading a month ago, the commission reversed — all because of a tiny, tiny, but vocal minority of opponents in the commission chambers. Commissioner Lynn Larson says her colleagues caved to 0.05% of the town’s registered voters.

The Villagers.

With Commissioner Pat Zunz, a Longbeach Village resident, as spokeswoman, the message to commissioners was clear. If the Town Commission’s referendum included a bond issue only for underground power lines along Gulf of Mexico Drive and not the town’s individual neighborhood streets as well, the Villagers would kill the referendum.

What’s more, it also became clear that wasn’t the Villagers’ only concern. Some Villagers expect the cost of their underground power lines to be subsidized by all Longboat Key taxpayers — even the residents of Bay Isles, who already have underground utility lines.

So the commissioners buckled. They killed the March referendum and ordered the town staff to research how much it would cost to finance installation town-wide. There’s no telling when, if ever, the issue will be put on a ballot — possibly May 2015, possibly November 2015, maybe March 2016.

Some exasperated proponents of doing only Gulf of Mexico Drive now think the matter will die altogether.

What went wrong
Instead of speculating, let’s ask: 1) What went wrong? and 2) How best to proceed?

It would be pointless and accomplish little to point fingers or blame on why things went south on the referendum. But if you think about why people resist or reject change and out-of-the-ordinary suggestions, they typically do it out of fear or ignorance, not knowing the benefits. As we all know, when you approach anyone with an idea, you should imagine these words branded on his forehead: “What’s in it for me?”
In this instance, it seems apparent Villagers (and probably most Longboaters) did not know enough about the consequences of a referendum that addressed only underground utility lines on Gulf of Mexico Drive. Think, too, how often things go wrong when communication is not optimal. In hindsight, you can make the argument that this issue needed the same kind of communication that occurred when Longboaters voted in 2008 on two charter amendments — one to allow the construction of 200 tourism units, the other to allow non-conforming buildings to be built back to existing densities in the event they are destroyed. For those changes, former Vice Mayor David Brenner, the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce and others conducted presentations all over the Key educating voters before the referendum. The amendments passed overwhelmingly.

In this instance, however, there was a sense of urgency. Florida Power & Light Co. was prepared in late spring to determine a schedule for installing new, hurricane-resistant utility poles on Gulf of Mexico Drive. That’s when a grassroots effort quickly assembled and persuaded commissioners to favor underground utility lines on Gulf of Mexico Drive.

It seemed that time mattered. Do it now, especially while borrowing and construction costs are low, compared to what they will be. What’s more, a deadline loomed if the bond issue were to go on the March 2015 ballot.

So you could understand commissioners’ inclination to vote quickly.

They should have stuck with their initial 7-0 vote on first reading.

In spite of Villagers’ threats, there would have been three months for the town and underground-utility proponents to make their case in public forums — all during the height of season. That would have included providing information about utility lines for individual neighborhoods and streets.

Then, voters could have decided — up or down.

Education, communication

Now what?

Focus on going forward.

Much to the proponents’ chagrin, it looks as though this issue will not come before the commission again until February or March, based on comments from Town Manager David Bullock,

When it does, town commissioners will find themselves in the difficult position of resolving whether to ask voters to approve:

1) A bond issue to install underground utility lines only on Gulf of Mexico Drive, leaving the side streets up to individual neighborhoods and homeowner associations;

2) Two questions: A bond issue to install underground utility lines on Gulf of Mexico Drive; and a second one to cover the cost of installing the underground lines in all of the Key’s neighborhoods.

3) A third option: The most expensive bond issue to pay for underground lines islandwide. But there’s a complicated second part to this question. Who should pay for the side streets — all taxpayers, even the Bay Isles residents and others who already have paid for underground lines?

Common sense says no one should be subsidized. Indeed, the fairest method would be to fund underground lines only for Gulf of Mexico Drive, a cost borne by all Longboat taxpayers, now and in the future, and then let every neighborhood decide for itself. Some commissioners and others say letting neighborhoods fend for themselves would become a fiasco, with some streets’ residents never agreeing to install underground utilities and a patchwork of utility poles up and down the Key.

They underestimate the power of incentives and property values. Indeed, imagine the Realtor showing Longboat homes to a prospective buyer. Which streets will carry more value and appeal — those with power poles or those without?

It would have been nice to be moving forward on underground utility lines on Gulf of Mexico Drive now. But longtime Longboaters know town government seldom moves quickly. It’s not the end of the world. At this point, the future of electricity on Longboat Key will hinge on two factors: education and communication. Plan how now.

Board Member's Job: Don't Meddle
Good luck to Mary Cantrell, recently elected to the other school board — Manatee County School Board. She defeated incumbent Julie Aranibar.

Cantrell, 71, is the former director of the Manatee Technical Institute and for all intents and purposes a life-long educator.

She brings a wealth of hands-on experience to the Manatee board.

But this is concerning: Cantrell recently told the East County Observer that she hopes to establish a closer working relationship with the district’s principals and teachers, while also promoting collaboration between teachers and the district. She would like to see meetings between teachers and the district administration to hear what teachers want to teach their students.

All that is admirable. But we hope Cantrell reminds herself of a school board member’s role — that of a policymaker who oversees and provides guidance to the district superintendent. Too often, it’s difficult for elected officials to resist the urge to meddle where they shouldn’t.