Downtown Master Plan Committee kicks off with procurement debate

Introductions were the primary order of the day as the city of Sarasota’s 13-member Downtown Master Plan Update Committee held its opening session on Tuesday. 

Following the requisite briefing on the complexities of Florida’s Sunshine Law, city-selected facilitator Tammy Vrana took over, leading the group through introductions, allowing one minute each to describe their credentials and their interest in the process.

The members are:

Howard Davis, chairman: Trained as an architect and planner, he is an attorney and real estate developer in Sarasota with experience in similar master plans. “I've been very much involved in public affairs, and in fact directly involved in moving this process along, I hope a little bit faster than it might have otherwise.” 

Bill Waddill, vice chairman: A certified planner and landscape architect with Kimley-Horn specializing in multidisciplinary public and private projects. He paused his career to spend six years as the CEO of the Bay Park Conservancy, which is responsible for building and operating The Bay. 

Chris Voelker: Owner of two downtown restaurants, she is also a member and past chair of the Downtown Improvement District Board of Directors, which is responsible for allocating overlay tax district revenues paid by property owners to enhance the downtown area.

Elena Paul: A newer resident of the city, she moved to Sarasota approximately 18 months ago as the first general counsel at Ringling College of Art and Design. She is an attorney who has spent her career working with arts and cultural organizations.

Erin DeFazio: The program director of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, she was a central figure in the city’s recent adoption of a transfer of development rights ordinance that allows owners of historic buildings to monetize their property by selling height and density rights to other property owners. 

Jamie Still: A Sarasota resident since 2013 who has lived downtown since 2015, she is the current vice president of the Downtown Sarasota Condominium Association, president of Sarasota Contemporary Dance and secretary of Urbanite Theater. She also owns a small business on the edge of downtown.

Jenn Stutler: A city resident since 2000, she holds a degree in building construction, has worked for construction companies and started her own business 14 years ago. Her projects include working with nonprofits — including The Bay — and private developers.

Ken Shelin: A former city commissioner, former member of the Planning Board and of other advisory boards, he moved to Sarasota 35 years ago and has lived in downtown since 2000. 

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Melissa Laughlin: A “consultant to the consultants,” specializing in growth strategy and execution, she once spent two years in Johannesburg, South Africa, helping to develop a city master plan.

Richard Russell: The general director of Sarasota Opera and resident since 2005, he led the development of a 30-unit apartment complex in the Rosemary district where the Opera houses artists, and for the use by other nonprofits when available. He is also the chairman of Visit Sarasota County. He first came to Sarasota 36 years ago as a singer with the Sarasota Opera.

Sarah Lyons: An architect who owns her own practice specializing in commercial, institutional and public projects, she was previously director of a large practice that worked institutional, educational and public projects across Florida.

Tiffany Nisbet: A Sarasota native, she is a real estate agent who grew up as her father managed Bird Key Yacht Club. “I think I've been here longer than anybody else I've heard so far … so I got to witness the city change over the years, both good and bad,” she said.

Will Luera: A 10-year Sarasota resident, he has been a professional improviser, actor and director for 27 years. A native of Chicago, he describes himself as a strong advocate and ally of the Latino community who formerly served on the board of the Latino Cultural Center and sits on the board of Miss Sarasota Softball.

The meeting wasn’t all collegial. Following the introductions and the elections of Davis and Waddill came a debate over committee participation in the procurement process of a project consultant. 

Theresa Webb, a senior procurement consultant with Civic Initiatives serving as the city’s interim purchasing manager, after explaining how the Sunshine Law affects the procurement process, said only one committee member is allowed to directly participate in the “invitation to negotiate” process as it is a staff-level, and not a committee-level, process.

That didn’t set well with Davis, who, along with Waddill, challenged the interpretation of the statute. Other members asked if a representative of the City Attorney’s office may attend the next meeting on to provide further clarification.

“If it's truly only possible under the applicable laws for one person to be on the committee, then so be it, but I want to make sure that we've kept open minds in this process and explored the possibility of greater participation than just one member,” Davis said. “If that can't work, then have that be explained to us and we'll move on from there, but I think we need to get past that threshold.”