County delays decision on referendum
By SUZETTE PORTER
Article published on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008  |
CLEARWATER – The need to advertise new ballot language delayed the decision on placing a referendum to revise the county’s charter on the Nov. 4 ballot.
The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 5 to continue the agenda item to the Aug. 19 board meeting due to changes made since the public meeting was advertised.
One change was revised ballot language, which Assistant County Attorney Dennis Long has promised to work on until it was as “clear as an azure blue sky.”
While Commissioner Susan Latvala and a couple of audience members said the language was still a bit vague, most all agreed it was much improved over the original version.
The biggest change to the ordinance was the addition of required voter approval for licenses or leases for more than 10 years on the county’s environmental lands.
Interim County Administrator Fred Marquis said he met with people with concerns over the proposed charter change to come up with the new restrictions for leases and licenses.
The charter amendment would require voter approval to sell, license or lease county land designated as environmental consisting of more than one acre. Voter approval also would be required to remove land of more than one acre from the list.
The commissioners also voted to delay a decision of a companion ordinance that specifies the 19 areas currently listed as environmental until Aug. 19.
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Article published on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008
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