Politics Is Personal — An Opinion

By Chip Ross
Fernandina Beach City Commissioner
January 6, 2019

Fernandina Beach City Commissioner Chip Ross

Small town politics, by nature, seems to get very personal from time to time. With commission members’ personalities and backgrounds as diverse as our citizenry, there will always be friction. Yet despite our differences, I am proud to serve on a City Commission that is in agreement on most things placed on a City meeting agenda.  When we do disagree, we tend to express our objections, then simply settle it with a vote.  We tend to not hold grudges.  We try to pick up the pieces of our often-wounded egos and move City work forward. We try to meet the needs of the citizenry in whatever shape or form seems to work for each of us.  Despite our diversity, I believe what holds us together is the oath we took to do what was in the best interest of Fernandina Beach.

Recently a fellow City Commissioner appeared to be disturbed that I had met with others outside the City government about subjects involving the City without the other Commissioners’ express knowledge and permission.  Not only did I have my “fingers in a lot of pots”, but I was asked to keep “my nose out of City business”.

Our local City government is a representative democracy.  Our City Citizen Surveys show that the City has a large portion of citizens who tend to be “involved” (above the national average). I tend to represent that group.  I hope I never discourage, nor prohibit, citizens or other interested parties from seeking information or sharing it.  

However, the Commission needs to admit that there are roadblocks to a free flow of information between Commissioners.  To enhance public transparency, the Florida Sunshine laws prohibit Commissioners from having any discussion between themselves about City business unless it is at a public meeting. If we all relayed information from hours of emails and discussions with various agencies and groups at City meetings, meetings would last for days.  All Commissioners choose what to share due to time constraints at public meetings.  

To make matters more complicated, information shared with staff (with the City Manager’s permission) cannot be shared with other commissioners.  Staff could then be accused of being conduits in violation of the Sunshine Laws.  As a result, staff members are sometimes left without key information.

It is also important to note that the City Charter has no prohibition or limits on how a Commissioner interacts with anyone not employed by the City.  Getting things done often takes a multitude of interested and affected parties coming together to hopefully arrive at a shared vision. That often means understanding the different needs and wants of multiple parties. The public needs to understand that as a single City Commissioner I have little capacity to make anyone do anything. But what I can do is meet with various parties to try to craft solutions and compromises.  Those solutions may get to the Commission as a resolution, a vote, or a piece of legislation.

Though members of this City Commission have very different leadership styles, I applaud how they have managed to utilize each member’s diverse skills.  This Commission created a Conservation Fund, passed a conservation plan (that has now been mimicked by Nassau County).  They have purchased conservation land and created a plan to purchase more.    They adopted in-depth rules and regulations for the use of beach parking and beach use. They created and funded the Beach Patrol. No longer does the City receive calls about overflowing trash cans with the new beach trash plan.  And despite overwhelming permitting issues, the marina will soon be open for business.  And as evidence of this commission’s commitment to the marina, it stepped up to the plate to borrow millions to fill the shortfall as FEMA has not met its funding obligation for the marina.

As a Commissioner, though I may be a little “different”, I believe I need to take the time, and put effort into, finding new solutions to our most persistent problems. For me, getting into the weeds is a good way to understand the challenges that prevent a project from going forward. From experience, it generally reduces the risk of surprise and failure.   No one is ever going to find all the pitfalls, but I believe the public appreciates this Commission’s willingness to move forward on a number of fronts to tackle some of the longest festering issues that have continued to confront the City of Fernandina Beach.

Despite our diversity, this entire Commission’s willingness to step outside the box of “but that’s the way we have always done it” should be applauded by the public.  We all took the oath to do what is in the best interest of Fernandina Beach.  May we all begin the New Year with that goal in mind to make it another successful year for our City.

 

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Dennis Doyle
Dennis Doyle (@guest_56395)
4 years ago

Thank you commissioner A very honest assessment of a difficult job

John Tonetti
John Tonetti (@guest_56397)
4 years ago

I support Commissioner Ross’s approach

Jack Knocke
Jack Knocke (@guest_56399)
4 years ago

I applaud all of the commissioners for getting out to meet citizens and attend meetings to understand the interests, concerns and issues. Chip has always one of the most responsive to my outreach – even though we do not agree on all issues.

Sunshine laws do put a damper on transparent and often communication between commissioners and even with city staff – I didn’t know about the staff restrictions previously. I guess that our city manager could be doing a better job of helping communication in these areas.

Thanks to all of our city commissioners for their service.

Christopher Cherry
Christopher Cherry (@guest_56401)
4 years ago

Commissioner Ross is certainly accurate that he tends to represent the “involved.” What he doesn’t seem to appreciate is those he tends to agree with are generally involved in trying to remake our community in the image of wherever they came from.

As he mentions, we generally agree. When we don’t, we debate the various viewpoints – which can be passionate debate – and then we vote. We may not like the outcome, but we’re supposed to accept the result and move on with our lives. It’s how the process has worked for over 200 years.

These modern-day carpetbaggers are generally unhappy that while a majority of the “involved”, they actually constitute a minority within our Representative Democracy. They have little actual power to enact their will, so they seek to do so by other means: judicially, administratively, or if necessary they’ll shout insults, leave threatening notes, file lawsuits and harass us into contrition.

Dr. Ross likes to plead innocence; he’s just trying to help things along. Streamline the meetings. Facilitate communication. It all sounds reasonable enough – but it’s whitewash. If he can’t get what he and his cohort want, he’ll line it up outside the process so the rest of the commissioners are hamstrung long before the meeting begins.

He and his cohort are bullies. They see the rest of us as backwards philistines, unwilling or unable to comprehend the greater good they seek to serve. We either need to get with the program or get out of their way. In my opinion, anything that is *in* their way is probably a good thing – no matter how inconvenient it may be for us all.

Thomas Morris
Thomas Morris (@guest_56407)
4 years ago

I support Commissioner Ross, he seems to not mind taking time out to listen to the people in the community.