MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

 

 

August 28, 2008

 

 

The Board of County Commissioners Brevard County, Florida, met in special session on August 28, 2008, at 9:09 a.m. in the Government Center Commission Room, Building C, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, Florida.  Present were:  Chairman Truman Scarborough, Commissioners Chuck Nelson, Helen Voltz, Mary Bolin, and Jackie Colon, County Manager Peggy Busacca, and County Attorney Scott Knox.

 

 

The Invocation was given by Assistant Pastor Pete Balchunis, Journey Church, Melbourne, Florida.

 

Commissioner Mary Bolin led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Chairman Scarborough stated the Board is doing things a little bit differently today; the reason is the Board needs to dispose of the Valkaria issue is Valkaria Airport Manager Steve Borowski needs to catch a flight out of Orlando today; after the Valkaria issue is completed, the Board will go into Reports and Resolutions; and then the Board will come back at 1:00 p.m. with the Regular Agenda. 

 

Bernadette Knudson stated she is present to support keeping the VAAB as it is; it is an avenue for the residents, a lot of them which would like to have been here today, but due to the time and being in the middle of the business day, a lot of them could not attend; but her neighbors and she feels it is a way for them to have their voice heard on the Airport issues.  She stated she lives in a section where she is directly affected by the Airport; the planes fly over her house and pastures all of the time; and she has had issues with the planes.  She advised her steer got spooked by a helicopter and it cost her family a lot of money; but she was able to go to the VAAB meeting and tell the people what happened and tried to get help in recovering that steer.  She noted it is a way for the citizens to have input on the helicopter schools and other flight schools; their feeling in Malabar is that they would like to keep the Airport a small recreational airport where a father can teach his son how to fly; and in this residential area people are proud of their homes and it is zoned Rural Residential to Agricultural.  She advised a lot of people have horses, special interests in gardening, they are outside people, and the do not like to have these intrusions over their head all of the time.  She stated it is a way for the citizens to voice to the VAAB and Steve Borowski.  She stated she has been thinking a lot about the Airport; she would like to see the County consider turning the Airport over to Grant-Valkaria; Grant-Valkaria is doing an excellent job in running the Town; and to have the Valkaria Airport turned over to Grant-Valkaria as a municipal airport would be wonderful thing. She stated all of the community could embrace it, and with the money and support they could get from the County Commissioners, it would make an excellent Airport. 

Commissioner Voltz stated there are no schools that will ever be at Valkaria Airport as that is not in the Master Plan; she does not think that the Town of Grant-Valkaria would want this headache; any issues that she may have brought to Grant-Valkaria has never been brought to the Board; and inquired what Ms. Knutson feels the purpose as being.  Ms. Knutson responded when they had the issues of Silver State Helicopters flying non-stop over their houses, the community jammed the Port Malabar Library, and they were heard.  She advised Commissioner Voltz heard them too as she came to the Town and told the people it was going to be resolved; and it is a sounding board.  Commissioner Voltz advised the Board did do something.  Ms. Knudson stated that was a way for the community to sound off and get their feelings out, and that is what they want the VAAB to continue as.

 

Joe Griffin, Airport Director with the City of Sebastian, stated he came today in support of the elimination of Valkaria Airport Advisory Board; Sebastian went through something very similar except in reverse about nine months ago; it was an initiative in the City of Sebastian to establish an advisory board for the airport at Sebastian; and that was soundly defeated.  He advised by way of context, the Sebastian Airport and Valkaria Airport are very similar; and similarly situated as to use, users, size, and they are both land grant public use airports.  He stated when the initiative came forward to the City of Sebastian City Council, who is the sponsor of the Sebastian Municipal Airport, the Council realized two important things; airport advisory board’s for airports the size of Valkaria and Sebastian really become the repository for the protagonists of the airport who tend to obfuscate slowdown, delay, and stop positive growth at a public-use facility; they also realized that the City Council is the ultimate airport authority; and they are in effect an advisory board on steroids.  He advised everything that happens at that airport gets an up or down vote from that City Council; and it sits in the same position as the Board does for Valkaria.  He noted if any airport manager in the State of the Florida was asked privately what airport advisory board’s do, and it is not about making the airport managers jobs more difficult, it is about delaying positive things for a taxpayer-owned facility; he would advise the Board to do the same thing that the City of Sebastian did; and he is very proud of his Council for doing that, not because it makes his life easier, but because it is responsive to the taxpayer.  He suggested the Board eliminate the VAAB, and to do the right thing, exert leadership, and let Mr. Borowski do his job and manage an airport.

 

Chairman Scarborough advised this meeting was originally going to occur on Tuesday when the storm came through; when the meeting was moved to this date, there was already an advertisement of a Value Adjustment Board meeting at 10:30 a.m.; the Board will be taking a break at 10:30 a.m.; but the Board will have all morning to hear the comments.

 

Ken Rivard stated as a past board member of the VAAB he would like to make the following observations; the Board of County Commissioners have the authority to appoint the board members to the VAAB; it appears the reason everyone is here today was created by the Commissioners, not the citizens of the aviation community and
Brevard County; they as citizens can only give the Board advice; and those in the aviation community say airport boards need to be made up of pro-aviation individuals or the problems addressed today will be here tomorrow.  He stated there are serious problems with the TICO Airport with this practice; and there is a mess there right now.  He stated as a past VAAB board member he has endured the nasty looks and sharp comments from certain individuals who tried to stop at nothing to slow down anything positive at board meetings; the Board may remember the VAAB was kicked out of the Palm Bay Library; he is a board member of the Merritt Island Library and he kind of jokes about that; one board member threatened to take hostile action against helicopters at that meeting; and that may still be under investigation.  He stated he was one of the board members who advised past Commissioner Ron Pritchard that there was no current Master Plan for the Valkaria Airport; there was letters in the file from Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the FAA stating that Valkaria needed to get its house in order or it would not get money to build anything there; and consequently Brevard County lost a lot of government money to build things at the Valkaria Airport.  He stated FIT was hired to do a Master Plan; the cost was a bargain for the County; they are presently doing two master plans at TICO and they are approximately $200,000; and the one for Valkaria was only $70,000.  He stated the Master Plan was completely approved by the Board of County Commissioners; but there are a few individuals that have done everything they can to stop or slow down the Airport, and are still at it.  He stated the Board promotes economic development; and inquired if the Board should spend time and effort to take advantage of State and Federal dollars available to Valkaria and other County airports as such action would benefit all of Brevard County, the aviation community included.  He advised Brevard County has an exceptional Manager at the Airport; later on today he is going to get an award from FDOT as Outstanding Airport Manager of the Year, which says a lot; he has done more with less money than anyone else has done in the past ten years; and it has come with great personal sacrifice because of the constant attacks of a few disgruntled individuals, not only to Mr. Borowski but to other County employees.  He stated these people are doing an excellent job in a professional manner but in a very unprofessional environment.  He stated the Valkaria Airport is a County airport for the promotional benefit of aviation; the advisory board has been somewhat beneficial; but it is a sounding board for several individuals who would prefer to have the Airport closed.  He advised neither the board members, Airport management, or public should be subjected to name calling and other verbal abuse that occurs at each meeting; the Airport has a small budget, approximately $800,000; and inquired why does it have to have an advisory board.  He noted there are many entities in Brevard County with million dollar budgets and they do not have advisory boards.  He recommended to the Board to dissolve the VAAB. 

 

John Lanahan stated he is a pilot and aircraft owner based out of the Merritt Island Airport.  He stated in as much as the Master Plan for Valkaria Airport is complete and approved, and as the County that has an Airport Manager of Steve Borowski who is top notch, he suggested that since the VAAB is only advisory that it has outlived its usefulness and should be abolished.

 

Robert Heckman stated he is a retired FAA inspector pilot.  He stated everyone asks him what is going on with the VAAB.  He stated the FAA does not use advisory boards.  He advised the Valkaria Airport is safe; his own airplane is there; and the advisory board should not be used as a criticism-type of thing.  He stated the VAAB should not be used as a mechanism for complaints; most airports do not use advisory boards; and the Board has heard the same thing from previous speakers.  He stated the VAAB should be abolished.    

 

Jill Liles stated she supports the abolishment of the VAAB; as a board member of the Melbourne Area Pilots Association, its first and foremost concern for airports is safety in the air and safety on the ground; and it formed, as a pilots organization, to foster safety and knowledge or to encourage staff of local airports to have efficient, well running airport operations.  She stated thanks to the level-headed County employees, especially Mr. Borowski, the Airport is running very well; the Master Plan is being followed to bring safety issues online with the FAA rules and regulations; and many of the Commissioners have visited the Airport over the last few years and seen the wonderful changes that have happened.  She advised the hangars are well on their way, and the 2009 Airfest plans are being made, which will bring enthusiasm again this year for pilots, local community, and especially for children who have had so many positive remarks about learning about aviation, seeing airplanes, getting into airplanes, and having opportunities for things they would never get to do.  She noted Mr. Borowski, or whoever is the manager does not make decisions in a vacuum; he reports to the County Manager and the County Commission; there is definitely accountability for his actions as well as his decisions; and there is plenty of accountability with the FAA and FDOT.  She stated the necessity of a volunteer board with no authority is counterproductive; and it is especially counterproductive for a board to have members who object to the mission of the airport, which is to fly aircraft.  She stated those who like to see the Valkaria Airport cease operations are fortunately not many; but those few people are vocal and willing to spend the Board’s time, and most importantly the taxpayer’s money, to help curtail flight operations at this small, jewel airport in Brevard County.  She stated unfortunately it appears that there are pointed members of the VAAB who take these actions are part of his or her daily life; abolishing the VAAB will not stop these actions as they have been going on for years and are likely to continue going on for more years; but it will remove a layer of dysfunctional bureaucracy.  She noted at present the VAAB does not ad value to the Commission; it is being ill-served; and it is time to abolish this poorly working advisory board and allow the County employees to carry out the Master Plan and properly run the Airport.  She advised the Town of Grant-Valkaria will provide the residents a voice for quality of life issues, both pro and con, about the surrounding area; and further reiterated her belief that the VAAB should be abolished to allow the County employees, the surrounding Town of Grant-Valkaria, and the Board of County Commissioners to keep the Airport on the right path.

 

Pat Poole stated she is present because Valkaria and Valkaria Airport are very dear to her heart; she has lived in Brevard County since 1989; but this is still a very important, special Airport that Brevard County is lucky to have.  She stated in World War II the
Government wanted the property where the Airport is for a place for their planes; the government took the property and paid the owner $5 an acre for the property; after the War was over it was given back to Brevard County; and that is where it is now.  Ms. Poole stated it cannot be progressive as it can without Airport Manager Steve Borowski; the County does not know how lucky it is to have Mr. Borowski; she has known him since he was three years old; and she was his Kindergarten teacher.  She advised she and Mr. Borowski have been friends throughout many years; her husband and she were two of the oldest people invited to his 50^th birthday party; and they had a grand time.  She inquired how many people can retire at 45 years old from an aviation place in California; stated he came back to Melbourne, Florida where he began, where his mother lives, and a place that he loves; and he was getting bored as at that age it is hard to retire.  She stated a lot of things have transpired through the years, but most of all know that when the County has an advisory committee that is not really there to be helpful but more to be antagonistic because a person does not want airplanes around; but the Airport was there before most of those houses were even built; and if a person does not like airplanes he or she should not buy a house near an airport.  She advised the Valkaria Airport is important to so many people; it is a learning place; it is where young people can go with their families and learn how to fly; it is a recreational place; and it needs to stay.  She stated the Master Plan has been approved as are the rules and regulations; it has been improved so much since Mr. Borowski has been the Manager; it will continue because he cares; and he does not do anything halfway.  She stated she is sorry there has to be a committee that is not really progressive and looking at what it can do; she suggested the Board dissolve the VAAB; stated when a board is not longer effective it does more damage than good; and that is what is happening.  She advised people in the neighborhood, because of all of the problems coming up at the meetings, are getting afraid to come to the meetings and that is no good.  She stated it is up to the County to make sure the Valkaria Airport goes on; and it does not need a committee that is not working towards the benefit of the Airport.

 

Judy Irvine stated her husband Art is the President of the Valkaria Aviation Association; and he asked her to speak on his behalf as he is unable to arrive to the meeting on time to speak personally.  She requested that the VAAB be dissolved.  She stated many will point to changes that have recently came about that make the advisory board unnecessary, redundant, or counterproductive; the board, going back 15 plus years, has never been anything other than an excuse by the County Commission to avoid its responsibilities of managing something it wanted nothing to do with; and this advisory board has not been an effective substitute for respecting State and Federal safety standards or serving the needs of the aviation community with sensitivity to the legitimate concerns of the surrounding communities.  She advised she and her husband challenge the Board to do one of two things, enthusiastically assume the full responsibility of managing the Airport it cannot close, or to place the Airport into the hands of an independent authority.  She advised rightly or wrongly, Tuesday’s primary voters appear to be angry with anyone connected with this County Commission and its failure to make the tough decisions.

 

Frank Gallagher stated under the Valkaria Airport Advisory Board under Commissioner Pritchard and Commissioner Nelson; and he expressed his appreciation to them for giving him the opportunity.  He advised he is from Connecticut, he moved to Florida five years ago, and in Connecticut he also served on two airport aviation advisory boards.  He noted he wanted to see the VAAB abolished; and he wants to give reasons why it should be done.  He advised advisory boards are obsolete; as far as he knows, no other exists in the State of Florida; and what has happened with larger entities they have gone to aviation airport authorities, such as Melbourne.  He stated this particular board has a 20-year history of failure, and by both the FAA and FDOT admission it has been a derelict facility; it has not been serving the Board as it designed.  He stated it is not doing the work of the County Commissioners; it has really become a forum to slander County employees; he finds the meeting extremely embarrassing at this point; the democratic process is biased; and the Board needs to protect its employees from the type of abuse they have been receiving at the recent meetings.  He advised his experience having only been in Brevard County for five years is all issues that go before the VAAB also come before the Board of County Commissioners; he cannot think of one issue that has not been addressed in front of the Commissioners that was not discussed at the VAAB; and the Board of County Commissioners is doing the direct work of the VAAB.  He stated the Commission has wisely chosen Mr. Borowski as its Manager; he keeps it individually and as a group totally informed of the issues; and he does the same thing with the public.  He stated he has had the ability to watch Mr. Borowski; he is very responsive to any type of complaints or questions, and takes the time and has the patience to keep the public informed; and the County is in good hands with Mr. Borowski as the Airport Manager.  He requested the Board consider abolishing the VAAB.

Russell Minton stated he is a ten-year resident of Brevard County; he came to Brevard County as a retired surgeon having been able to successfully run the board of surgery and be the director of a department of surgery in New York; and he came to the County as a licensed pilot, Tuskegee Airman, and one who has been renting hangars for over 20 years.  He advised when he came to his present home in Viera he was approached by a gentleman who asked him if he would be interested in sitting upon an airport advisory board to be made up of people who had aviation knowledge and their purpose was to advise the Commissioners on aviation information that it was otherwise not privy to; he thought it sounded like a great idea; he would love to be so employed; and he was appointed through the Board of County Commissioners.  He stated that gentleman was wrong, and in his ten years of sitting on the VAAB he came to the conclusion it is the Board of County Commissioners fault that the VAAB does not work; the Board is not interested in appointing people to give it aviation information; the Commission is interested in creating a sounding board for the local people who are anti-airport to voice their displeasures and screen the Board of County Commissioners from putting up with it here in this building instead.  He noted the first meeting he attended as a newly appointed VAAB member, there was a brand new chairman, he was a local pilot, and he had a computer, which had a desktop publishing device in it; he, thinking he was serving all of them, printed up a stack of agendas for the day; he had used one of the logos in his computer to put at the top as a letterhead, it was an airplane, a commercial airliner;
and the meeting was brought to a screeching halt by a rabid, frothing-mouth individual waving the letter claiming it showed what the Valkaria Airport people want to make a commercial airport out of Valkaria.  Dr. Minton advised it has been like that ever since; and the purpose of the VAAB is not being served.  He stated at one point he was involved in the election of the chairman of the VAAB; he was in a dead heat with an anti-airport person; and there were four or five ballots and it was still deadlocked.  He stated the chairman asked if the anti-airport person would like to make a little speech and perhaps change the opinion of some of the voters; the anti-airport person said he thought of all the people on the VAAB, the one who is most opposed to his way of thinking, is Dr. Minton; he was asked then if he had anything to say; and he told them, based on the previous statement, all he can say is to congratulate him as he has done his job very well.  He stated a lot of these people who are on the VAAB do not understand that being the chairman is only supposed to be to run the meeting, and not to use his or her point of view to hobble the other side; what is needed is to run a meeting according to Robert’s Rules of Order; and it does not matter if a person is pro or anti, the meeting should still run smoothly.  He stated the only time he has sat on the VAAB and the meetings have run smoothly has been when pro-airport people have been the chair; and when anti-airport people are chairing, that is when there have been people standing up and spitting in the faces of other people; and speaking scandalously about people like Steve Borowski, who is the Airport Manager and has been awarded a Best Airport Manager in Florida award, in spite of all of the scurrilous things that have been said about him.  He stated he has been listening for ten years to the same misinformation presented to the Commission; for instance, they cannot accept any FAA grants because the grant assurances would hobble Valkaria; that is not true; but the Board of County Commissioners have believed it for years.  He advised there is no such thing as a recreational airport; airports need to be kept in good condition; they have had people from the anti-airport side of the VAAB come and try to destroy resurfacing of the runway when it was flying up into chunks of stone and destroying the propellers on the planes; and the anti-airport people thought it was a growth factor.  He stated when the FAA said there were two runways that intersect, there are trees growing up in the center, it is obstructing the vision of one side to the other, it is unsafe, and the trees have to be cut down.  He advised people showed up from the anti-airport side and tried to established a bird sanctuary for Scrub Jays in the middle of an airport; and fortunately the Audubon Society, who was called in by them, said they are Scrub Jays, they like short trees, and to cut the trees down.  He stated there have been so many times he has had to sit upon his thumbs and try to be, like his grandmother and great-grandmother brought him up, polite in public; and he is tired of biting his tongue.  He stated there are only two ways for the Airport to continue to exist; either the Board must go back to looking at the definition of advisory and only have people who can advise the Board about aviation things on the VAAB, or abolish the VAAB and have a pool of airport knowledgeable people somewhere on the side that the Commission can get its information from.

 

Francis Herr stated he is a pilot and began about five years ago flying out of Valkaria Airport.  He stated a few years ago the VAAB was established as there was no Master
Plan; the Airport Layout Plan inside of that was insufficient; and the Airport Layout Plan
is primarily for safety reasons to keep the Airport safe.  Mr. Herr stated there was at the time no VAAB support for any of the safety issues; and things happened or did not happen based upon the ability of the then managers to either make them happen or to walk away from those and let safety issues languish, which is really what happened.  He advised previous managers to Mr. Borowski have been place holders; and they have been ineffective, they may have been able to maintain a budget but they have done nothing for the resource that is Valkaria Airport, which is a County resource.  He noted there has been a lot of animosity between sides; it is not getting better; and the VAAB is kerosene on a fire making it worse.  He stated the Board of County Commissioners approved a Comprehensive Master Plan; it is a 20-year Plan; it has specific items that can be done if that Plan is managed as a Master Plan it is all the Board needs; and the Department needs to have the ability to meet its budget and not constantly redirected because of VAAB input.  He commented that the Airport Layout Plan is there for safety; those items are in the Master Plan to be provided by FAA or FDOT at a very much reduced cost over what the County would have to do because of the Master Plan being there; and the VAAB has gone to the lengths of arguing against already negotiated contracts.  He stated the Mosquito Control contract, which was based on fair market value, and the VAAB at its most recent meeting tried to interfere with and lower the amount of money that Mosquito Control would pay versus fair market value; it is bad for the County and the Airport; and it should be fair market value as FAA wants and needs it to be.  He stated the Commission has heard that Mr. Borowski was selected by the Florida Department of Transportation, over 133 airports in Florida, including Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa, etc., as the Airport Manager of the Year; and for those who would say that he does not have the credentials and is not a credible Manager, the Board should understand what those people’s true slant on life is.  He remarked that three years ago the Experimental Aviation Association, Chapter 1288, which is at Valkaria Airport, put together an essay contest to see who in the public school system could express the most interest in aviation so he or she could go to a two-week Black Pilot Association sponsored course in Texas, which cost $1,900, and in that two weeks learn more about flying; a young man from Brevard County won; in a two-week period he learned the ground school basics and he soloed in ten hours in that two weeks; and that is a big accomplishment.  He read a letter from Jason Panzarino, as follows:  “My name is Jason Panzarino and I have been flying for many years.  I received my private pilot’s license when I was 17 with help from a scholarship offered by Valkaria Airport EAA Chapter 1288.  I am unable to attend this meeting because I’m attending school in Gainesville at the University of Florida on full scholarship.  It is here that I will be pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering.  With all of dealings with the Airport I have found the pilots and staff are most respectful and helpful.  They have done a great deal in helping me to get where I am today, and I cannot thank them enough.  As a resident of Brevard County I have been anxious to see improvements done to the Airport and was excited to hear that a new Master Plan was recently approved.  Unfortunately, the Plan is not being carried out.  It seems to me that the Airport Manager’s staff and local aviators are doing all they can to put the Plan into action, but they are having trouble with the Valkaria Airport Advisory Board.  Why is the very board that was set in place to
help represent the Airport completely against implementing changes that are so
necessary to the safety of this Airport?  I believe that the VAAB is more concerned with the opinions of the people of Grant-Valkaria than those of the County as a whole.  After first hearing about some of those problems I was very interested in attending one of the Commission sanctioned meetings.  With a heavy academic schedule I found this to be very difficult.  After hearing about the way that the meetings were conducted, and how rudely some of the County employees were being treated, my parents and I decided that it would best not to go.  The VAAB does not seem to be acting in a professional manner nor are they very productive in doing what is best for the Airport.  Overall it seems as if the VAAB has proven to be unnecessary.  Some of the members of the board are clearly anti-aviation and their remarks do not seem to have the solid knowledge based on aviation at all.  With a new Master Plan intact I do not see a need for the VAAB.  Allow the Airport officials to follow the new Plan.  As a frequent user of the Valkaria Airport I believe the changes outlined in the Master Plan are crucial to the safety of general aviation and that they will only be carried out once the board has been disbanded.”  Mr. Herr thanked the Board of County Commissioners for its time; and advised he is very proud to know Jason. 

 

Trudie Infantini stated she is present to recommend the disbanding of the Valkaria Airport Advisory Board; the reason she makes this request is because she attended the last board meeting; she was embarrassed and powerless as she sat and watch board members speak in a condescending manner to the Airport Manager; no County employee deserves to be treated that way; and it would be a liability to the County if this allowed to go on.  She advised the Airport can be an excellent economic resource; ways are constantly being looked for to improve and grow the County in positive ways; the Airport can provide that exact venue; people will not go to an Airport that provides a lot of resistance; and people will go to an Airport that provides support.  She noted the Airport currently has a Master Plan in place, and she does not know why County staff cannot provide the necessary oversight to run the Airport without having the VAAB.  She stated County employees deserve the protection of the Board of County Commissioners and not abuse from VAAB members; the public should be able to voice their concerns to their Commissioner; and she does not think the VAAB should be in place in longer.

 

Walter Eisenmann stated he does not have much to add to Dr. Minton’s testimony; and he requested the Commission abandon the VAAB.  He stated he does not think with a Master Plan in place, an advisory board is needed anymore. 

 

Dan Faden stated the Commission felt that the VAAB was important enough or have enough merit to be restructured, and through a Resolution on September 25, 2007 it gave representation to Grant-Valkaria, Malabar, and one each Commissioner representative.  He advised the new VAAB has only met twice; they met on March 24, 2008 and July 29, 2008; he understands the question is if the VAAB is dysfunctional; but all of the issues that have come before the VAAB have moved forward.  He stated the budget did go to a three, three tie, and he will explain that in a moment, but it was still moving forward; the policy and procedures will come back before the Commission; the
Mosquito Control Lease was sent forward with unanimous approval; and the minutes
were not finished, but the last issue was the rates and charges, which came to the Commission with full approval.  He inquired where has the VAAB really failed; stated the VAAB has not set these agenda items as staff set the agenda items; and there is discussion that goes on but it is in a public forum.  Mr. Faden advised the July 29, 2008 meeting was very long; the agenda was too large; it should have been the budget and the rates and charges only; and those are the things that were in the Master Plan that needed to be brought forward to the Commission to make a decision on its budget.  He remarked the regulations should not have been on that agenda as it should have been on a separate meeting; Mr. Borowski and Mr. Richardson worked on those for quite a long time; it was the first time it was brought before the VAAB publicly; they were reviewed in the Sunshine, lessons were learned, and there was grammatical and spelling things; and the VAAB should have gone to staff and gotten those corrected ahead of time.  He stated the meat of those rules and regulations should have been done in the Sunshine; it took quite a few hours and there was a lot of input; but that is what government in the Sunshine is.  He stated if the Commission read the minutes it saw that all of the VAAB members supported the budget; the VAAB disagreed on the Capital Improvement Plan; he questioned the use of FAA funding; the items that were brought forward to be funded with FAA money were funded with FDOT money in the Master Plan; and the FAA money did not come about for another year.  He stated he has concerns with some of the FAA money; he has looked at some of the requirements of the AIP when an entity accepts FAA money; there are obligations; but there are certain things such as the commercialization, which will be accelerated by the economic non-discrimination clause that will make available to the Airport all types and classes of aeronautical activities, including commercial activities that should be offered at public airports.  He stated the right for individuals to build hangars is one of the guarantees; and it would be detrimental to the overall charter or plan of Grant-Valkaria.  He advised he represents the Town of Grant-Valkaria on the VAAB.  He stated he appreciates Ms. Barrett working so hard to get the Commissioners the minutes; if the Board reads the minutes it does not support the picture presented to it on August 5^th; there was definitely intense questioning; but by reading the minutes the Board can see they were valid questions.  He stated anything regarding disrespect in his opinion has come out of the public and directed at the VAAB or staff, not from the VAAB towards the staff.  He stated the statement is there is a Master Plan so therefore the VAAB is not needed; he considers it a fallacy; and the true value of the VAAB is that it acts as a filter for the Commission for the implementation of the Master Plan.  He noted never once has the accepted Master Plan been questioned by the current VAAB; it has been accepted; there were policies in question; but when he asked Mr. Borowski why glide slope lights and relays at the end of the runways were safety.  He stated that was the end of the conversation; no one contested that and no one has tried to contest the current Master Plan that is in place; and it has been accepted by the community.  He stated the process allows the public and Board input on the finished product after it goes before the VAAB.  He stated what the VAAB does is a conduit; it may not always agree on the end result; the opportunity is given for input; and that makes the Commission’s job easier.  He stated some of the name calling and accusations have tarnished the process; they have
not came from the VAAB members but from the public; and issues need to be dealt with
not name calling.  He stated dissolving the VAAB is not the answer; if the Commission allows the VAAB to continue he asks that the Commission allows it to do its work; and reiterated his hope the Commissioners will allow the VAAB to continue its quarterly meetings and to address the issues that it has been tasked to do.            

 

Commissioner Colon stated there are certain responsibilities when a person is the chairman; when she was the Chairman of the Board, the buck stopped there; as a matter of fact, as a chairperson there is a certain degree of responsibility that falls to make sure that abuse to County staff is unacceptable.  She stated as Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners she did not allow the public to do that; the ones who run for office is the Commissioners, which makes it fair game; but it does not include abusing staff.  She advised the Board has been told time-and-time again that this was happening; when the public also comes up and does that it is its responsibility to not allow that; and at that point the meeting gets out-of-control.  She stated she read the minutes; she is going to allow the rest of the public to speak; but it is important to make sure as one Commissioner to say that an advisory board is exactly that.  She inquired how Mr. Faden feels a meeting should be ran, and if that type of abuse is allowed from the public to any board member or staff; with Mr. Faden responding he agrees 100 percent that it should not happen.  Mr. Faden stated he would reference back to the minutes that he sent forward on public comment at the March 24^th meeting; he did respond every time people got out-of-hand; people did get off course a little bit and Mr. Borowski protested; and he did handle that.  He stated if Commissioner Colon read the minutes she would see there was nothing in there where he did not respond; and he asked the people that did do that to address the issues and the VAAB only.  Commissioner Colon stated it is important as the Chairman to make sure that those meetings are ran smoothly and that he does not allow one VAAB member to particularly monopolize the meeting; when she read the minutes it sent a message of exactly who was allowed to speak for how long and who is actually monopolizing those meetings; and it is a very difficult job to be the chairman.  Mr. Faden advised he only has chaired two meetings.  He stated Ms. Walters had a lot of comments on the rules and regulations where she does monopolize the meeting; that was brought forward that she had comments on the rules and regulations; the VAAB agreed to put them all on the table; and it was not just monopolizing on an issue but on her comments on those rules and regulations.  He stated he did allow that to go on because those were comments on all sections of that report.  He stated of the two meetings he did chair, the one he does not believe that anyone monopolized anything, and the other meeting the VAAB wanted to hear everything on that particular issue. 

 

Commissioner Voltz stated VAAB members need to do their homework; if it means meeting with staff, staff is always available; and the Commission has its questions answered long ahead of time before the Board meetings so that they go very smoothly.  He stated Mr. Borowski asked Mr. Faden to get things under control at that meeting; and things should have not gotten to that point where Mr. Borowski had to ask him to do something.  Mr. Faden advised that was in a very quick sequence, it was not after the
statements were made, it was when the statements started to turn, and he immediately jumped into it. 

 

Commissioner Voltz stated two of her staff members were present and told her it was a horrible meeting; and inquired from Ms. Infantini’s perspective how the meeting was ran as a chairman.  Commissioner Nelson stated he does not think it is appropriate.  Chairman Scarborough stated he has always allowed great discretion on the questions he or she asks as he does not know the end results of where he or she is headed with questions.  Commissioner Voltz inquired from Ms. Infantini’s perspective, sitting out in the audience as an unbiased person, how she saw the meeting as being ran; with Ms. Infantini responding the tone of the meeting was extremely condescending in all respects that she watched; stated she was there for about three hours; nothing productive was being accomplished; and she saw people speaking condescendingly to one another on the VAAB and talking down to the Airport Manager.  Ms. Infantini stated Mr. Borowski is a County employee; and employees should never be spoken to that way.

 

Vic Archibald stated he supports the abolishment of the VAAB; all it is doing at this point is breeding hatred, distrust, and a lot of anger; and reiterated the VAAB needs to be done away with.  He advised all those issues the VAAB deals with should be dealt with by the Board of County Commissioners.  He stated the Master Plan has been approved; and it is time to move forward.  He stated the VAAB is an advisory board; but it has become a means for those who oppose the progression of the Airport to voice their opinion, hold up the Master Plan, and progress. 

 

Barbara Lasher stated she is a pilot, plane owner, and friend of Valkaria Airport.  She stated she is sure the Board has been inundated with information about the last three VAAB meetings, including several messages from her; and two weeks ago she sent each Commissioner an email in which she urged them to listen to Mrs. Barrett’s tape recording of the last VAAB meeting as opposed of reading the sanitized minutes so the Board could hear for itself just how disrespectful and dysfunctional the VAAB has become.  She stated the Board needs to hear for itself how its appointees are representing it.  She advised a Florida Airports Economic Impact Study during the year of 2000 found that the Valkaria Airport had a direct economic impact of $454,800 in the community; assuming a conservative three percent growth per year, that equates to $576,000 currently; that is money spent in Grant-Valkaria and Brevard County; and that is not a bad return from a facility that is self-supporting.  She noted the Board voted to accept the Master Plan; that Plan is the roadmap for administrating, maintaining, and improving Valkaria Airport; there are also updated rules and regulations; and there is a rates and charges adjustment plan.  She stated Brevard County has an Airport Manager who was voted the Professional Airport Manager of the Year in the State of Florida; all of this is the tools needed to effectively manage an airport; and there is no longer any reason for the VAAB to exist.  She urged the Board to terminate the VAAB.

 

Kristin Whaley stated she wishes the Board would disband the VAAB.  She stated from her research, the VAAB has been refreshed two times in its existence because things have gotten out-of-hand.  She stated the same people have always caused the problems; some of those people would harass the Airport Manager, not just Mr.
Borowski; they would harass FBO’s that were legally operating at the Airport; and they would harass individuals at the Airport and at VAAB meetings.  She stated this has gone one for a long time. She stated it has been a fully-functioning airport since it was opened by the Air Force; it has never stopped functioning; it has always had two open runways to spite other activities that have gone on; and the County has had excellent managers that the Board has put in place.  She stated all of the Valkaria Airport Managers, past and present, deserve Airport Manager of the Year for putting up with all of the stuff they did.  She stated Valkaria Airport is a low-budget self-sustaining department that has an advisory board; it is the only department with its budget that is both self-sustaining and has to answer to an advisory board; and look at what good that has done.  She stated it has left the runways in disarray; FAA had to come in and tell them to cut down trees; and the advisory board forgot to advise the Commission the rules of the FAI that said that runways had to be kept up and that certain safety measures were needed for the Airport to run properly.  She explained the FDOT rules say that these things need to be done.  She stated there are some that have come before the Commission today against the Airport; whether there is a VAAB or not, those people always show up at the Board of County Commissioners meetings; and he or she go to the VAAB meetings and come here and voice his or her opinion against the Airport.  She advised some here today have told the Commission that the VAAB is the only place that their voice can be heard; there are town councils; the town councils purpose is to be a mediator; Grant-Valkaria has chosen to be a town; the Town has taken on some responsibilities to its citizens; and one of those responsibilities is to address its issues within the Town.  She stated being that there has been slanderous remarks by certain members of the community in Grant-Valkaria, what better way for a credible person to come before it than if he or she is actually on the Town Council and can truly represent the members of Grant-Valkaria.  She stated the town council’s need to come before the Commission if there is truly this big of a problem.  She advised that many people today have taken personal time to come before the Commission; many people are missing work so he or she can voice displeasure with the VAAB; she has noticed in her five years that the majority of people who come before the Commission and come to the VAAB meetings are pro-airport; and inquired if so many people think the VAAB is their voice and that the VAAB has to exist for them to be heard why are they not at the meetings.  She stated the pilots care enough and those who love the Airport care enough to take their time.

 

Commissioner Colon stated Ms. Whaley’s recommendation is to do away with the VAAB and the residents of Grant-Valkaria should go to their town council regarding any concerns affecting them.  Ms. Whaley responded the residents always have the right to write, call, or email the Commissioners; but she is just saying if the residents came through the town councils there would not be this acquisition of fallacy that some of the residents have come with. 

 

The meeting recessed at 10:26 a.m. and reconvened at 10:54 a.m.

 

 

Commissioner Voltz stated her office nominated Steve Borowski for Aviation Professional of the Year; and there were so many people who were in the running for this.  She read the plaque, “The Florida Department of Transportation 2008 Aviation Professional of the Year presented to Steve Borowski in recognition of his professional achievements in recognition of his professional achievements in airport management and outstanding contributions to the Florida Aviation Community.”  She stated it is signed by William Ashbaker, State Aviation Manager and Secretary of the Department of Transportation Stephanie Kopelousos.

 

Commissioner Colon stated she is not surprised at all that Steve Borowski received the award; she has spoken to friends throughout the State and he is held in upmost respect throughout the State; and the Board is extremely proud that he is Airport Manager.  She stated Mr. Borowski is admired by her and her staff; he is a professional man; and this award is very much deserved by a man who has really gone above and beyond.  She stated it has taken tremendous strength to overcome the horrible things that he has endured that no one should have to endure.  She advised the community knows who Steve is, the community respects and admires him, and she is very excited that Mr. Borowski is receiving it as it is well deserved.

 

Steve Borowski stated he appreciates the award from the State of Florida; it means a lot to him; since he has gotten involved in airport management in Florida, he has met fantastic people in the Florida Department of Transportation and the FAA that have bent over backwards to get him up-to-speed on a million different things; and Florida has the best FDOT that there is.  He stated the amount of dollars that the FDOT gets, not just in aviation but on the transportation side, is amazing compared to other states; it is fortunate that the State has FIT and Embry Riddle; they are both affecting aviation not only in the United States but across the entire world; the majority of the people getting involved in these colleges are coming out of Florida; and it is amazing to get outside of the County and get together with people who are in charge of 20 airports.  He explained that he loves the award, but the State of Florida has helped him out with pushing the Valkaria Airport in the right direction.

 

 

 

Del Yonts, Mayor of Town of Grant-Valkaria, stated he wants to speak in favor of the VAAB continuing; it provides an important conduit between the pilots, residents, and the Airport officials; it is not pro-airport and anti-airport; there are different concerns that the pilots and residents have; but it is not against the Airport being there.  He stated people just want an airport that is compatible with the residents around it; that is what the residents need to hear, what is happening at the airport and what are the plans for the Airport; and that is what the VAAB provides.  He stated there is a Master Plan; this is the third or fourth Master Plan; things change as time goes on and things need to be added to that Plan; and that is what the VAAB can provide.  He stated the VAAB meet quarterly instead of monthly; they have few meetings; but it is enough to keep everyone informed
of what is happening and what they will be doing.  Mayor Yonts advised the Master Plan in place right now, compared to the last Plan, it is not exactly the same; it will not be implemented exactly as it is as the needs of the Airport will change; there will be things that will change that they will want something different than is on the Master Plan; and that is a way for the residents to understand what those things are and be involved.  He stated there has been a couple of controversial meetings; he was on the VAAB for a long time; there was a couple of controversial meetings while he was there and he was chair for some of those; it is a very emotional thing for both sides; the Commission needs to understand that it hears of how the residents attack the staff or the VAAB; but it is not hearing about how the pilots attack the residents or the VAAB.  He stated there have been copies of letters sent to the Council attacking the Council in everything it did.  He stated staff should not have to put up with attacks but neither should the residents; unfortunately it has been going both ways; he does not know the solution; it is an emotional thing for both sides; and inquired if the Commission disbands the VAAB how do the residents keep informed.  He stated pilots will keep informed because they have the EAA and other organizations; the Town Council of Grant-Valkaria are not really informed; the Council’s way of finding out is by sending Dan Faden to the VAAB meetings and he tells the Town what happened; and his concern would be where is that information for the residents.  He stated the controversial have gone on for years; and he does not know if that would go away if the VAAB is kept.  He stated he was present at the last meeting at the library when two of the VAAB members got into a heated discussion; his opinion was that it was inappropriate on both sides; one of those two was not reappointed but the other one was; and he was shocked that either person was reappointed back on the VAAB.  He reiterated it is a place for the residents to come together and work out some of the issues.

 

Commissioner Colon stated one of the biggest issues of Grant-Valkaria was to always make sure that there was a Council that would protect the residents; she heard several times from residents of Grant-Valkaria that they feel comfortable being able to come to the Town to share concerns; that is probably one of the things that is going to be key; and if there are folks who have concerns over what is affecting them he or she will go to the Town or City.  She stated the advisory boards have given the Board tremendous feedback; the VAAB was needed more than ever during the Master Plan; and she wants to thank the VAAB members who were present at the Master Plan discussions.  She stated residents are saying if he or she does need to voice they will go to the Grant-Valkaria Council.  She stated the Town Council will be even more of a reflection of the community regarding any issues that are going to be affecting them.

 

Mr. Yonts stated if the Board opts to disband the VAAB he would like to have some manner that something is worked out that the Town of Grant-Valkaria is kept up to speed on those things that are going to occur over there.  Commissioner Colon stated there is a difference between informing the Town and also expecting to think that the residents are looking for its approval.  Mr. Yonts stated the Town wants to at least know what is happening; if the Town does not agree with something it has the option to come before the County Commission; but it does not mean the Commission will listen to the Town.

 

Commissioner Voltz stated every time there has been an agenda item on the Valkaria Airport, everyone in the community knows; the residents spread the word that something is coming up on the agenda; if the Town wants to know what is going on, it may want to create some sort of an advisory board so it will hear the complaints; the board could meet more often than once a quarter; if there are issues the Town can talk to Mr. Borowski about it; and if it cannot be resolved at that point, it can come before the Commission.  Mr. Yonts stated the Town has just instituted where it has the two Town Administrators working together; it is going to get a joint workshop together; and there are a lot of common things between Grant-Valkaria and Malabar so they are trying to get the Councils together.

 

Commissioner Bolin state the Board will always listen to the Town of Grant-Valkaria; and as the Board does to any taxpayer, group, or municipality who wants to bring something forward to the Board. 

 

Stephen Bowman stated he is a Palm Bay resident, pilot, and Valkaria Airport tenant.  He advised he would like to see the VAAB go away; he attended the last meeting and thought a lot of time was wasted on things that just should not have been done; the attitude of some of the people was wrong; and those people should have been asked to leave the meeting.  He stated he likes the way Joe Griffin, Jill Liles, and Trudie Infantini presented themselves; and he agrees that people should not be treated like that.  He stated the airport issues have been around a long time; the VAAB has seen the wisdom to try to get things going and moving; and with the help of Mr. Borowski the Master Plan has been put in place.  He stated he has watched staff at the meetings, and he is happy with the way they act, proceed, and know what they are doing; and if they do not know what they are doing they find out how to do it.  He stated there has been plenty opposition and there will always be opposition to things; those people will be heard; the advisory board is not providing any additional support to that; and direction-wise the Commission will be making the decisions anyway. 

 

Don Darby thanked Chairman Scarborough for the opportunity to serve on the VAAB.  He stated there has been an attempt to make the past meeting as an example; it puzzles him what that example would be; no one is afraid to come to the meetings; the meetings are very active and contentious; but he does not see the meeting having been like some of the speakers said.  He advised Mr. Faden did a good job in keeping the meeting going; everyone learned something and how it can be better; and it is unfair to dump that on his shoulders as he did the best he could to keep things in line.  He stated the legendary library meeting was chaired by Mr. Zonka; and inquired if he has the entire responsibility of what happened there.  He noted there was a lot of stress and tedious details at the meeting.  He stated Ms. Walters did say she had a lot of very tedious detail; and it was decided to get it on the record.  He stated he does not think Ms. Barrett sanitized the minutes; that is not her job; and it would be unprofessional.  He commented that this is primarily a politically motivated action; there are those who would want the VAAB to be a rubber stamp; he was instructed by other members of the VAAB and aviation enthusiasts that it is his duty to represent District 1 only; and he does not
listen to that.  Mr. Darby stated he has also been told that it is his duty to represent the interest of the Airport only; and he does not think that is his duty or the duty of the VAAB either.  He stated he sees the duty of the VAAB and him individually to recommend what is best for the County, which includes the residents, pilots, and everyone involved; and to be kind of a watchdog group to take a look what is going on if the Master Plan is being executed properly.  He stated at a time when citizens are generally asking for more involvement and more insight into what is going on in County Government, he does not think it would be a good move if the Commission decided to disband the VAAB; and people want more of that and not less.  He advised one issue is that the VAAB meetings are held in the evenings, not everyone came attend; and he urges the Board to keep the VAAB and keep that method of feedback into decisions.  He stated his statement, views, and decisions are his own.

 

Matt Smith stated he is a new resident of Malabar; one of the reasons he chose to build the home where he did was because he is only three miles from the Airport; and he admits some bias there.  He advised to spite the fact that the Airport was a fairly rundown place for many years there has been hope with the Master Plan that it was going to develop into a reasonable airport.  He stated he attended a number of the input meetings for the development of the Master Plan and there seems to be a parallel universe; some people perceived it as totally dysfunctional; in this parallel universe the meeting was quite reasonable, well ran, and well managed; but he was in the first group.  He noted the problems with the VAAB is not just the last two meetings, it is a long history of providing a forum for gorilla efforts to stop any development, improvement, normal safety, and maintenance for the Airport; with a lot of effort the Master Plan was developed and approved; and the County has the mechanism in place with Mr. Borowski reporting to the County Manager and the County Manager to the Board making sure the Master Plan is being followed.  He stated there can be a mechanism for the residents to express their views through their town council; the council can meet with Mr. Borowski, staff, and the Board if there are issues; and that would buffer the people that need to do the work from simply having to put up with the gorilla warfare tactics from some people who are incredibly anti-airport.  He stated the last meeting should have been a two or three-hour meeting instead of a six-hour meeting is simply an attempt to grind people down so they could not put up with it and want to leave; that is typical what observed during the input process for the development of the Master Plan; it the same cast of characters over and over who are involved; it is not simply inviting public input; but it is a forum for aggressively, hardcore people who are against the reasonable development of the Airport.  He urged the Board to disband the VAAB as it has a long history of really not being very productive, not helping manage the Airport, and develop a new way for the citizens of the Town to have a mechanism for their voices to be heard. 

 

Janis Walters stated there is a difference between abusing staff and confronting them with hard questions or an unpleasant or inconvenient truth; speaking of attacks, she has far more to complain of than staff from the years of suffering roofing nail damage to her car tires and her feet, to hate mail and name calling, to the hyperbole and mischaracterizations voiced in this room both today and on August 5^th; but that is part of
the job she accepted with her appointment to the VAAB.  She stated Valkaria Airport is not a private business where anything goes as long as there are results and the shareholders are happy; it is a government entity and its business must be conducted openly and in the public eye; that is part of the job the Airport Manager accepted; the Manager does sometimes get questions that he cannot or does not want to answer; but one would think that is his problem to resolve.  She advised either the VAAB can ask those questions or the Board can; if the Board does not ask the hard questions it is not doing its job; if the VAAB does not ask the questions it is not doing its job; and inquired if the Board wants to have Valkaria Airport issues coming back to it two and three times to get all of the answers it needs to make an informed decision or does it want the VAAB to do the heavy lifting for it so the Board would only have to hear the issue once.  She stated it is a mistake to have an Airport Manager who does not appreciate the process of open Government; it is a mistake to have an Airport Manager who is also a tenant and a member of the local aviation special interest group; and it is a mistake to allow some VAAB members to believe that their job is to advocate for the Airport unless it is truly the Board’s intent to appoint an aviation lobby group to advise it.  She stated if the VAAB and the other aviation enthusiasts expect the VAAB to act as a lobbying group for aviation interests, of course they will complain about people like her; and in her opinion that is what is wrong with the VAAB and dissolving will not remove the cause of the problem.  She stated it has been suggested that since there is a Master Plan the VAAB is not needed; first of all, County staff is not adhering to the Master Plan and there have been several deviations and undocumented alterations already; the ALP has not been revised to depict the redesign of the fuel facility as constructed; and the new hangar building has been changed without any review or approval from the Board from the planned and approved twenty-nested T-hangars to something that includes two oversized hangars.  She noted the VAAB is also tasked with review of the Airport’s budget, rules, lease documents, and any other issues the Board decides to let the VAAB deal with before coming before it.  She stated it is a mistake to accept without question whatever staff throws in front of the Board, especially if they cannot explain, justify, or defend their proposals in a calm rational manner; the VAAB can work out the kinks or the Board can do it; either way the Board will hear from her and people like her; and the only difference will be the venue and the frequency.  She stated if the Board wants to solve the VAAB’s problems, address the source; clarify the role of the VAAB as the Board’s preview panel representing the County’s interest and not as an aviation advocacy group; remind staff as to their obligations and responsibilities to the Board and to its advisory board’s as part of government in the Sunshine offering documentation, explanation, and justification for their proposals; not to conceal, distort, or withhold information to prejudice a desired outcome; and to get proper approval to deviate from standard procedure or original plans and not proceeding as if it were staff’s own Airport and no one else’s business.  She advised anything that cannot stand up to scrutiny in the public eye is probably improper and should not be tolerated.  She stated a good idea is a good idea whatever the circumstances; and only a bad idea needs to be disguised.  She noted open discussion in the public with full disclosure is how Governmental business is supposed to be done in the State of Florida; disbanding the VAAB resolves
none of the underlying problems; and it is simply turning a blind eye to the sources of those problems and robbing the Commission of a valuable resource for examining and refining agenda items and gathering public input.

 

Commissioner Bolin stated she wants to explore Ms. Walters’ statement regarding the Commissioners accepting what the staff presents to it.  Ms. Walters stated she said it was a mistake to do so.  Commissioner Bolin stated staff would be jumping up and down if that was the case as all five of the Commissioners drill the Department Heads who present something that it will make a decision on; it is thoroughly investigated; and staff would smile if they thought the Board was not going to do its job thoroughly.  Ms. Walters stated her point was the Board should not be surprised should the VAAB attempt to do the same.

 

Curt Lorenc stated he agrees with everything Ms. Walters told the Board and he thought she did an excellent job in presenting it.  He advised the meeting was interrupted and the audience was told that Mr. Borowski had to catch a plane; another issue was discussed; and Mr. Borowski is still present.  He stated he heard a lot of speakers who spoke about the VAAB meeting of July 29^th; he thought it was an ordinary meeting; he has not heard any specifics; and airport issues are contentious.  He stated he has the videotape of that meeting, which he is going to distribute to the Board; and it was a calm meeting and there was not that much going on.  He stated Ms. Whaley complained about rude comments towards staff; he heard Mr. Darby address this item; a person cannot say that those minutes were not reflecting of the meeting and that was rude to staff; and Ms. Barrett does an excellent job on the minutes.  He stated he was disappointed with Ms. Whaley’s comments.  He stated this is being done for political purposes to make the VAAB disappear; during the Master Plan it was all pilots, or almost all pilots; the residents did not come before the Commission to complain asking for the VAAB to be disbanded; and the residents accepted it.  He noted the VAAB was reconstituted and it is more balanced now; the votes are closer to tie and there is more discussion; the agenda issues are thoroughly discussed; and that is the way it is supposed to be done.  He stated he sees this as trying to make that balanced board go away for political purposes.  He stated there have been other issues where they were trying to limit discussion and participation.  He stated the VAAB discussed and voted on moving the meetings to Viera; it was rejected unanimously; staff on its own made the decision to move the meetings to Viera; and that was a move to limit discussion.  He stated the pilot were collecting signatures to do away with the VAAB at the Airfest; there were advisory board members who tried to bring an issue on the Lease; these issues are something that are supposed to be discussed; and staff stopped the issue from every being put on the agenda.  He stated for over two years they have been trying to bring this issue forward; there are planes at Valkaria Airport without leases; and there are no receipts for the planes and their payment.  He advised when he did a public records request he got no receipts.  He stated the VAAB voted in September to bring last year’s budget back at the next meeting; staff never brought the budget back; staff is suppose to do what the VAAB says; there are many issues where they do not want to see the discussion; this move to make the advisory board to go away is to limit
the amount of discussion on issues; and staff is trying to bring these issues to the Commissioners while these Commissioners are still in term to pass as much as possible.  He requested the Board keep the VAAB in effect.      

 

Commissioner Colon stated her example is time and time again folks come and get on that microphone and say stuff to the Board and she hopes the Board realizes that there is untruth being told to it; the way to figure out if that is true or not is to ask the folks that are being accused of doing things that they should not be doing; and that has to be done in the Sunshine.  She stated anyone who says anything in this microphone to be prepared to be questioned because the credibility of the individual is at stake; and when County staff has been accused of something that is not true it is an example of why folks are angry of what the Board of County Commissioners allowing.  She suggested keeping a tally of the things that are being said; she is surprised that Ms. Barrett was mentioned and it was said what a wonderful job that she is doing, when time and time again it has been said that she does a terrible job by certain folks; and it has been told that Ms. Barrett does not call folks and send information to the Board on time. 

 

*Chairman Scarborough’s absence was noted at this time.

 

Norman Allen stated the Board heard it all; he is in favor of eliminating the advisory board; he is not going to beat a dead horse; the decision is the Board’s; and restructuring the VAAB would prove nothing and there would be the same arguments that have been going on for 20 years.

 

Milo Zonka stated a couple of speakers ago a gentleman said two things that were true in the entire time that he spoke; the first was when he said my name is; and the second one was when he said it was an ordinary meeting that was held a couple of weeks ago.  He stated it was an ordinary meeting for the Valkaria Airport Advisory Board, it is all about meetings; they have a history of interesting meetings; his first meeting was a meeting that never was a meeting; the VAAB met and decided not to meet; and that was his first meeting.  He stated then there was the library meeting and he did chair that meeting; it was one of the worst nights of his life; it was one of those meetings where people had to get it out and say their livelihood, home, and sense of self is being violated by all of the helicopters flying over their house; he wishes the meeting would have been earlier as it had built up so long; the VAAB only meets quarterly; and it was an awful meeting from the public’s perspective and how they dealt with the VAAB, an awful meeting on how the VAAB dealt with itself, and there were many fallouts from that.  He advised then there was the six-hour meeting, which he only did four hours of; and he did make the motion to hear out that entire issue from beginning to end.  He stated the Master Plan has been waiting since 1958 the day the Board of County Commissioners took that Airport as ownership; one of the things he is most proud of is the Master Plan; it was a compromise; no one was happy with that Plan; everyone had preconceptions as to what should happen at the Airport; a very balanced Plan was put together; and now the Plan itself will be constantly under attack.  He stated he cannot imagine there is any
sense of surprise that people are present at the meeting asking the Board to undo what it did; the Board sent that crew and asked it to come up with something; and inquired what did the Board think would happen.  Mr. Zonka stated it is the same thing that has been happening for the past 20 years; it is the same two percent every time; and it will always be the same two percent.  He advised the issues are not going to go away whether the VAAB is there or not; the people will not go away; look at the people, including himself, who in the middle of the workday are present at the Board meeting about whatever their passion may be; and reiterated the people are not going away.  He stated as a City Councilman he takes his job very seriously; his job is to go out there and put himself on the line for his residents and hear every issue they have; and if he cannot fix it he calls the Board of County Commissioners.  He stated Transportation Engineering Director John Denninghoff is the bomb; transportation is a bit of an issue in Palm Bay; he has dealt with Mr. Denninghoff and many other staff members; each one are absolute professionals; but his job is to come to the Board and work through the issues and serve his residents as they are the County’s residents also.  He stated Grant-Valkaria residents stood up and said they want local control; they want to talk about the issues; zoning and traffic around the Airport are big issues; all of those issues are vested with the Town of Grant-Valkaria; and all of those issues are integral to Valkaria Airport.  He noted most of the Town Council has had some experience on the VAAB; that body is having a single-issue meeting to discuss the Valkaria Airfest; to say the Council knows nothing about the Airport is disingenuous at best; and this is an issue about public input.  He stated the blood battle is served at the VAAB meetings; everyone here is as reasonable as he or she have been in their entire lives as they are on camera; it makes all the difference; and people do act differently.  He requested the Board take the VAAB apart; it has no achievement to look back at; the Master Plan was over and above everything the VAAB has ever done; and if you take that out, there are no achievements of the VAAB.  He stated the Board should send the Airport Manager to discuss the budget with the residents in a workshop, send him down there once a quarter to update the residents on things, and make sure that those lines of communication are open.  He stated he can speak bluntly because he already worked at his last VAAB meeting because it does not serve his purpose anymore; he is proud of his accomplishments on the VAAB but his time is better spent; and nothing was accomplished at that meeting that could not been accomplished in same way that was respectful of County staff and respectful of what the ultimate goals are and to take all of the interests and bring them in line.  He thanked the Board for the opportunity to serve on the VAAB; stated he will be submitting his resignation as he can work better outside the process if the Board insists on there still being one; and he does think the County has been disserved.  He urged the Board to disband the VAAB and set up a process where there is formal communication.

 

*Chairman Scarborough’s presence was noted at this time.

 

Commissioner Nelson stated the truth is the Master Plan was approved by the Board of County Commissioners, so there is full support of the Master Plan.  Mr. Zilo stated that is with modifications that the Board made.  Commissioner Nelson stated one of the things contained in the Master Plan says, “The key issues with broad common support are, the
Airport should remain a community recreational airport.”  He stated the Board heard earlier in testimony that it was in violation of FAA Rules that it was not consistent; he is not sure what the truth is; it is what the Plan says; and reiterated that is what the Board heard today.  He stated the Plan said there was broad support that the Airport should be accessible and friendly to the community and that transparency and public involvement should be included in the planning process.  He inquired if there is broad public support how does that transparency continue and take away one of the vehicles that has been used for that purpose; with Mr. Zonka responding there are issues regarding the access to the Airport, but there is a lot of access to everything out there; the Board may not be able to say no to what kind of things are put on the block down the street but it can be made not conducive; that is the goal of this body and the goal of the VAAB through the Master Plan process; and there are no restrictions to taking FAA grants that do not already exist other than United States steel must be used and Veteran’s must be given hiring preference.  Commissioner Nelson stated the Board has never dealt with what those conditions are; and the Board has never made the decision one way or another on that issue because it never has actually been presented to it at least since he has been on the Board.  County Manager Peggy Busacca advised it was discussed several years ago.  Mr. Zonka stated looking at the planning process for the Master Plan, to look at the flow of that of how the sequence of events worked out; in the very beginning there were huge meetings; there were a lot of people trying to figure out what was going on; and people saw that whichever side it was not accurate.  He stated everyone is intelligent enough to know the players and biases and make up their own minds.  He spoke with a lady who was campaigned in that area; the people she talked to who lived in the area knew all of the issues, knew where to find the answers, and knew that there was a lot of mistruths out there; and those people did not feel he or she was well-represented by some of the people who were most vocal and some of the people the Board heard today.  He stated he serves on the Metropolitan Planning Organization; he does not think the Commissioners have appointed anyone to that board that are a fan of dirt roads; he serves on the Investment Committee and the Board did not appoint anyone on there that thinks $200 million should be tucked under a mattress; and inquired why do the residents have the board that it has. 

 

Commissioner Nelson stated there are advisory board’s where there are opposing views; Brevard Marine Advisory Council where there are members of Save the Manatee Club sitting with folks who are from Citizens for Florida Waterways; and there are probably no greater two different ends of the scale than that.  Mr. Zonka stated the MPO is a great example, there are people from the north who want a road in the north and people from the south who want a road in the south, but ultimately there is a common ground and that is what is missing with the VAAB.  Commissioner Nelson stated maybe there is hope that can be achieved.  Commissioner Nelson stated he would hate to see Mr. Zonka leave the VAAB; he brings a level of understand and intelligence to it that serves well; and he hopes Mr. Zonka will reconsider leaving the board.  Mr. Zonka stated the Commission has used his time and expertise with the way it has played out.  He stated he has great affinity for County staff; and the Board has an unbelievable staff.

 

Commissioner Voltz stated according to Mr. Borowski, there is no such thing as a recreational airport; what the community wants is that they do not want it to become commercial; they want it to be local pilots who build and fly their planes out of Valkaria; and while it is in the Master Plan it is not what it is meant to be.  Mr. Borowski stated the FAA recognizes it as a general aviation airport or it is a commercial part 139 airport like Melbourne.  Commissioner Voltz stated the Board wants to make sure that the Airport does not grow. 

 

Commissioner Nelson stated he understands what Commissioner Voltz is saying but it is still in the Master Plan; and if that was always the case, it was a little bit misleading to have included that statement.  Commissioner Voltz stated it was put in for the residents so they know it will not be a huge commercial airport.  Commissioner Nelson stated his point was that it shows how confusion can happen among the different parties as to what it is supposed to be.    

 

Mike Whaley stated he has been watching the proceedings in Valkaria for quite a while now; the VAAB is the biggest obstacle to the success of the Airport; he looked at all of the appointment letters for the past several years; there has been different commissioners and members on the VAAB; and it has always been a venue for the anti-airport people to maneuver about and make things look bad for the Airport.  He stated on July 25, 1995 Mark Cannon came in and said in the two years since he had the fuel concession, the neighborhood association told more lies about him that he had time to deal with; those lies were based on incorrect data; and a few members of the association, which he believes is Curt and Janice, have consistently put out inflammatory rhetoric based on distortions, half truths, and outright lies with regard to Valkaria Airport; and they vow to close the Airport and their tactics are to obstruct and delay the Airport improvement process.  He stated Mr. Lorenc spoke at that meeting and it was the same stuff he does now.  He stated Mary Jo Fadden spoke against lights, expansion, and opening Runway 927.  He advised Janice Walters spoke in 1995 of how she went to the Airport Manager who said there was nothing he can do and knows nothing about aviation.  He stated Mr. Yonts was living in Northeast Palm Bay at the time; he said he was on the VAAB for the last Master Plan and that the people were mislead and he supported closing the runways; in October 1995 Mr. Darby said that the neighbors do not want Airport growth even under the guise of improvements and maintenance, no one needs it, and only a special group wants it; and Mr. Darby said he had changed from a potential Airport ally into a determined adversary.  He stated he wants to point out it is the same people with the same points of view since at least 1995; many of these people have been on and off of the VAAB ever since; and that illustrates it is not just contentious it is a few small people not representing the community who are causing the problems.  He noted the VAAB is supposed to serve and advise the Commission; that is the one thing that it absolutely cannot do; when pilots are in the majority they tended to be even more demonized by the people who do not like the Airport; and when it goes the other way there is a lot of problems and the pilots do not like it.  He stated when they had the little Valkaria Bob, the cartoon airplane, Ms. Walters
broke into tears and accused the pilots of committing felonies against her all over the cartoon airplane; and if they cannot get past that regarding a logo or a cartoon it make a person wonder.  He stated Mr. Borowski is a very likeable and upstanding guy.  He stated the VAAB is a toxic environment and embarrassing to the Board of County Commissioners.  He stated it is silly to have an advisory board that does not advise; it exposes the Commission to liability; and inquired what happens if the Board get sued.

 

Tommy Redmond stated it has been his honor to sit on a County board since 1992; and he also had the privilege of five County Commissioners appointing him over the years.  He stated it was weird when he was appointed to this board because prior to making a meeting he was already getting telephone calls; people were asking him why he was on this board as he does not live in Valkaria; he loves Brevard County; and it affects the entire County since it is a County board.  He advised fairness and respect has always meant something to him; Mr. Borowski and Mr. Richardson have been under attack; and these people are your employees and they deserve better.  He stated the sole purpose of the VAAB is to inform the Commission; the Commission has the final decision; these people have given their all and they get beat up; and it is not a good environment.  He stated he arrived at 6:10 p.m. and he did not get up until midnight.  He stated the VAAB is dysfunctional; it is a board that cannot limit attacks on the County employees; and he runs a hotel and nobody attacks his employees.  He stated he spent six hours at a meeting allowing people to have the opportunity to speak.  He stated the attacks and the words are what it is; it is not just a disagreement as it is a bold face accusation; besides the attack on employees he does feel sorry for the pilots and the residents; and the residents need a vehicle that is better than the VAAB.  He stated there is a liaison from the Town of Grant-Valkaria who was supposed to go back and share the information; at the last meeting the representative said he did not do that; there was meeting that took place with the Mayor of Town of Grant-Valkaria where there were updates given; and yet he said he was not aware of it.  He stated he made a motion that at least the minutes and the agenda need to be given to them so everyone is in the loop.  He advised as a former New York City cop he knows disrespect when he sees it and disrespect is going on right now.

 

Chairman Scarborough stated it is now past noon; he thinks he would like to hear the reports as if they were part of the 1:00 p.m. meeting; and this item should be completed before the lunch break.

 

Commissioner Voltz stated she remembers in 1996 one of the first big meetings she had was Valkaria Airport; the meeting went to 1:00 a.m.; and nothing has changed since then.   She inquired if the issues discussed last month at the meeting were ever brought before the Board of County Commissioners; with Assistant County Manager Mel Scott responding those have not come to the Board yet.  Commissioner Voltz inquired if they are going to come before the Board; with Mr. Scott responding affirmatively.  She stated there has been much discussion on both sides of the issue; when the Master Plan was done it was her intension to do away with the VAAB then; and at that time she had the pilots asking that she not do away with the VAAB but to just change the makeup of the
VAAB.  She inquired how many times problems with Valkaria issues has come before the Board of County Commissioners; with Mr. Scott responding staff is a conduit that receives public information; stated staff gets the emails, oversees the running of the meetings, and Steve Borowski is in his group; and staff understands daily the events that transpire that relate to the Airport.

 

Commissioner Voltz further inquired how many times has it come before the Board about the problems at Valkaria Airport; with County Manager Peggy Busacca responding from her perspective more times than she can count.  Commissioner Voltz stated there has been talk about open Government and discussion needing to happen at the VAAB meetings; if the Board of County Commissioners talked about all of the issues that have been discussed in briefings here in meetings the Commissioners would be here for a week before a meeting could actually be had; each individual Commissioner talk about a lot of things long before the meetings ever take place; and that is the type of thing that needs to happen before and advisory board meeting.  She stated the Commissioners have open Government but they get all of their information ahead of time.  Commissioner Voltz stated someone said that the Master Plan was not being followed; and inquired if staff is aware of any of that; with Mr. Scott responding no.  Commissioner Voltz inquired about the meeting held in Viera; with Mr. Scott responding there was a meeting held in the library, and it was his call as he felt it was important to have the next meeting in Viera to change the venue and atmosphere.  Mr. Scott stated staff wanted to bring the issue to the VAAB formally; they wanted it to be on mutual ground to discuss where it was going to meet moving forward; and that was accomplished at that meeting. 

 

Chairman Scarborough stated he would like to restrict the discussion to if it wise to continue to have the VAAB; and he does not want to get into the he said she said; and that will add to the complexity, which will require additional information and continuation of the meeting.  Commissioner Voltz stated for her what is best is for Grant-Valkaria and Malabar is to have a joint committee that works on things.

 

Commissioner Bolin stated she has listened to people, her advisors, and her appointees on the VAAB regarding the issue; and since the Master Plan is complete that there is no reason to have the advisory board, and she will vote to disband it.

 

Commissioner Nelson stated he probably has the most experience of anyone dealing with advisory boards and they are not all easy; he had the Pier Committee in Titusville, and the South Beaches Community Park Committee; and at the South Beaches Park Committee there had to be a deputy at the meetings for a park design.  He advised it is not unusual and sometimes there are strong feelings about an issue.  He noted Dan Faden mentioned that maybe this agenda had too much stuff on it, and he would tend to agree with that because those were three big issues to deal with, the Budget, R-Cap, and the rules and regulations; that is a lot for any board to undertake at one meeting; and he would have thought it might be more appropriate to spread that out a little bit.  He stated he heard a speaker mention and describe some of the folks as disgruntled citizens and that person is considered a disgruntled person on his board; Ken and
he have had this discussion; Ken does a great job of bulldogging TICO, and he has told him that; but on that board he is considered to be a disgruntled pilot by other board members, which is an irony.  He stated it is perception because Ken has bird-dogged TICO, has brought forward discussion, questioned rules and regulations, and that is what sometimes members do, and that is a good thing.  He stated if all members think alike, there is no reason to have a board at that point as there is no reason for a board; there needs to be honest and open discussion; and he would be concerned that the Commission is talking about doing away with an advisory board that plays that role.  He stated if that is going to happen, there needs to be a list of all of the advisory boards to get rid of because at one point in Parks and Recreation there were over 40 advisory boards; he could have gotten rid of 30 of them and never cared, but the Commission felt strong enough that those were important.  He stated he does not condone personal attacks on staff; he has been on the receiving end of those; and that is absolutely inappropriate and it has to stop.  He commented on staff’s responsibility to provide information and give its professional opinion; staff should be respected for doing that; but the Commission should not cut out the public’s ability to comment.  He stated his first meeting was Valkaria the same as Commissioner Voltz; and they were looking for permission to arrest former County Commissioners who were walking on Valkaria Airport.  Commissioner Voltz stated not to arrest them.  Commissioner Nelson stated it was the powers to have them arrested for trespassing.  Commissioner Voltz stated they needed to be.  Commissioner Nelson advised he is hesitant to arrest former County Commissioners.  He stated there are contentious groups; the VAAB has the potential of being worked through; the members just need to recognize the Commission will not accept personal attacks; and if that continues, he will make the motion to disband.  He stated the VAAB members need the opportunity to straighten it out and have those discussions, so he will not support disbanding at this time.

 

Commissioner Colon stated this came before the Board at its last meeting, citizens who were very upset of how that meeting had occurred; at that point there was a Commissioner who was ready to get rid of that board right there on the spot; she felt it was not appropriate and needed to have every single VAAB member notified that it would be put on the agenda and he or she would have the opportunity to be present for the discussion; and that is the type of respect the Commission owes every advisory board member under the leadership of Brevard County.  She stated when the Board considers doing away with an advisory board it better have all of the facts; there are advisory boards all throughout the community; and those people’s time are very valuable as it is a volunteered position.  She advised one of the things that was mentioned was honest, open discussion; and she has been sitting on the Board for eight years and five years in the City of Palm Bay; one of the things that bothers her is when folks come up and make certain comments that comes across as actually being facts; those people act very calm and try to come across very professional; but the second the Commission asks questions and begins making sure the statements were based on fact, it finds out that those folks time and time again have come before the Board with untruth.  She noted lately there are people who take out ads against people that are completely untrue; and she knows first-hand what that feels like.  She stated what bothers her most
is the personal attacks.  Commissioner Colon stated that Commissioner Nelson said if he was notified that it happened he would do something about it; when he appointed Janice Walters this Board tried to warn him and told him what was going to happen; it was made perfectly clear what was going to happen; and when a Commissioner appoints an individual to sit as his or her representative, that person represents the Commissioner.  She noted she also made it clear that the other Commissioners did not have the power to tell Commissioner Nelson who he could appoint; he has the right to appoint who he feels is appropriate to sit on that board; and she reiterated she does not have the right to tell him who he can pick.  She advised the only thing the Board did do is to tell him that he was asking for trouble.  She stated Commissioner Nelson is a former County employee and he knows of what was done to anyone that questions anything that Janice Walters or Curt Lorenc does; it happened with Code Enforcement when Mr. Lorenc had problems with Code Enforcement issues he came after the Director viciously with personal attacks; and it is horrible what she has seen that has been done to the County employees time and time again.  She advised when she chaired the Board she did not allow it; and the second something was mentioned it better have been the facts.  She stated shame on the Board of County Commissioners for allowing it because it did not protect its employees.  She advised there is a history of Curt Lorenc and Janice Walters complaining against the Airport Manager; no matter what is done it is not good enough for them; and everyone sitting in this room knows it.  She commented on how disappointed she was when certain people who she had appointed to that advisory board sat there when Mr. Borowski was treated horribly; someone called an employee a felon; and she is an elected official and she is fair game.  She noted this is the kind of abuse the Board has allowed time and time again.  She stated the Town of Grant-Valkaria has a mayor and a city council where the citizens now have an opportunity that anything that affects them they are able to go before the Town; the Commission has allowed things to go on for a very long time; just like Dr. Minton she was taught to be professional but she has learned that when people say lies and they try to tarnish an individual who is respected in the community; and that should not be allowed.  She stated for the Board of County Commissioners to allow this to continue would be an injustice; it sends the wrong message to the community; it sends the wrong message to the employees; and any Commissioner that has experienced it first-hand should know that it is not how to do business.  She stated she supports not having the VAAB any longer as the citizens from Grant-Valkaria have their city council; she will make sure there is full direction that staff gives plenty of notice to the Grant-Valkaria Council of what the County is doing; and to make it perfectly clear that it is not for approval but for information purposes only. 

 

Motion by Commissioner Bolin, seconded by Commissioner Voltz, to direct staff to disband the Valkaria Airport Advisory Board (VAAB), including any actions necessary to accomplish the disbanding.

 

 

Chairman Scarborough stated this may come as a shock, but there are dysfunctional things in North Brevard as well; he could say some things about the Parks and Recreation boards; the unique thing about the Valkaria issue is that even though there is

the Valkaria Airport Authority it is still coming before the Board; if the Board disbanded
certain board’s in North Brevard there would be whole meetings dealing with certain park issues; and staff has been called many things by various people.  Chairman Scarborough stated the nice thing the VAAB has been able to do is have community discussion.  He advised he was having lunch one day a while back and the waitress asked him what happened with the Valkaria issue as she could not stay up and see the end of the meeting; and if the VAAB is disbanded the Board will lose a lot of entertainment and the ratings will suffer.  He suggested a compromise by suspending the VAAB until the new Commission is seated; he feels he should not make the decision of whether to keep or not to keep it; but if there is not anything further in the interim he would like to hear from the cities where there is a means to have the communication within those forums.  He stated that is where he would like to go with it rather than today just saying the VAAB is gone; and three of the current Commissioners will not be here.  He stated it looks like there is a split vote and there will be three new Commissioners coming in; there should be no more VAAB meetings; and look at working with the cities to a greater extent to provide the public forum; but let the new Commission decide whether or not to continue with the VAAB.  He suggested to not abolish the VAAB but move in a direction of only suspending it, and let it occur at a later time.

 

Commissioner Colon stated there were discussions during the budget that she agreed the current Board should let the future Board take some action as it really affects some very serious issues; with this issue it would be terrible to give this to a new Commission that may not have a clue of the history and kind of individuals being discussed; it would be extremely irresponsible to pass it to a group who does not have a clue when the current Commissioners have been sitting here for years knowing exactly what has been going on, and yet allowing it to continue; and inquired if the Board wants to put the new Commission through all of this again.  She stated the Board is qualified to decide at this particular point, based on all the facts, to make that decision.  She advised she will support the motion to disband the VAAB.  She advised there are only two individuals who she is referring to; she has the utmost respect for the Mayor, Mr. Faden, Mr. Redmond, Milo Zonka, Dr. Minton who have sat on this board; and she does not want it to be a reflection at all of the wonderful people who have given their time.  She noted she is only talking about individuals who have come before the Commission time and time again and would have sent staff on wild goose chases if it would have allowed it.

 

Commissioner Voltz stated she does not want to put this problem on another Commission.  She advised the Towns of Grant-Valkaria and Malabar need to get together, form a committee of some sort, and let that committee report to those board’s and let someone from there contact the Commission if further discussion is needed.

 

Commissioner Bolin stated through the almost two years that Commissioner Nelson and she have been on the Commission, they have gained a lot of knowledge from the other Commissioners knowledge; the new Town of Grant-Valkaria that can be a communication avenue for the residents; any of the citizens can come before the Commission either at a Board meeting or to Commissioner directly; and the
communications would be there.  Commissioner Bolin stated to not disband the VAAB and have it hovering item for the new Commissioners is not a good move.  She stated as new Commissioners come on board, in the future it can be readdressed.

 

Chairman Scarborough stated Commissioner Voltz’s further comments are to look to Grant-Valkaria and Malabar to create some type of forum.  Commissioner Voltz stated if the Towns want to do something she wants to leave it up to them to decide.

 

Commissioner Colon stated she does not want to do anything different than what the Board does for other cities, to send information to other communities regarding things that may be affecting them.

 

Commissioner Nelson stated he disagrees as staff is sent to cities all of the time to respond to questions; that is not really the case; and the Board is giving a direction that it will not send staff as opposed to what it would typically do.

 

Commissioner Voltz stated she does not want to subject staff to this stuff all over again; if the cities want to put together a committee or whatever that is up to them; but she does not want County staff to be subjected to anything.

 

Commissioner Colon stated when the citizens go to the Town of Grant-Valkaria and shares their concerns, at that point the Town can come before the Commission or send a letter; but they would need to be dealing directly with the Commission from here on.

 

Chairman Scarborough called for a vote on the motion.  Motion carried and ordered; Commissioner Scarborough and Commissioner Nelson voted nay.

 

 

Assistant County Attorney Morris Richardson stated he has a technical follow-up to carry out the Board’s direction to disband; there is currently a Resolution, which the Board can dissolve currently, but the Ordinance says that the Board shall establish an advisory board; it would be brought back in the future; and to advertise the Ordinance.  Commissioner Voltz inquired if she needs to make a motion; with Chairman Scarborough advising he thinks that is the intent of the motion.

 

 

 

Upon motion and vote, the meeting adjourned at 12:43 p.m.

 

 

 

ATTEST:                                                        

                                                                         _________________________________

                                                                        TRUMAN SCARBOROUGH, CHAIRMAN

                                                                         BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

                                                                         BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

___________________

SCOTT ELLIS, CLERK

 

     (S E A L)