Mark Hawkins appointed to Planning Commission

In a four to one vote, the Sarasota County commissioners appointed Mark Hawkins of the Charter Review Board to fill a vacancy on the Planning Commission.

The vacancy left by Michael Moran, who filed to run for the 2016 County Commission race in District 1, received eight applicants. At the Wednesday commission meeting, Commissioner Alan Maio spoke first to nominate Hawkins.

Commissioner Charles Hines nominated Andrew Stutlz, a Venice resident and vice president of Halfacre Construction , and Commissioner Paul Caragiulo nominated Kevin Cooper, the vice president of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.

The first round of votes dropped Cooper from appointment; Caragiulo said he would wait to support Cooper in two other upcoming Planning Commission vacancies.

“We had a really solid applicant pool,” Caragiulo said.

Hawkins will step down from his position on the Charter Review Board.

“Charter is less active,” he said. “Planning Commission is a step up in activity for me.”

Hawkins said he didn’t go into the Charter Review Board with an agenda, and doesn’t have one for the Planning Commission, either.

“I just want to do the best I can to represent the community,” he said.

Hawkins owns Hawk’s Nest Construction Inc., which he said in the Planning Commission application has given him experience working with complex building codes and complying with land-use and zoning regulations.

During his term on the board, which will run through January 2016, Hawkins will be immersed into the discussions and debates on the county’s comprehensive plan update. He said he looks forward to tackling it and talking about it—but his appointment was still sinking in.

“You don’t know if you’re going to be appointed until you’re appointed,” he said.

Commissioner Christine Robinson supported Hawkins during the vote, but had some reservations about the tilt of geographical representation on the planning commission.

“I have to express some concern about South County representation on the board at the moment,” she said. “It’s not the only qualification by any means, but it’s very top-heavy at the moment… the conversation is brewing down south on that issue."