Winter Springs Commissioner Don Gilmore’s campaign flyer touted that he would preserve “environmentally sensitive lands such as the Black Hammock.”    If this is true why did he vote to allow the City of Winter Springs attorney to file a lawsuit against Seminole County regarding the county’s referendum to protect rural lands from over development? 

            There is yet another  wolf in sheep’s clothing lurking on City Hall dais.   The ONLY thing Gilmore, as an incompetent who ran for office, was to vote against preserving is the City’s unending march into the Black Hammock, not the land that is in it.    He had LIED in his campaign literature !   Gilmore had already voted to bring more town homes into Winter Springs; he is on record as a supporter of high density residential zoning ---- and development.   

            In case nobody has figure out the connection of the Cities of Winter Springs, and Longwood joining in the fight against the "Protection of the Rural Lands" County Amendment,  Sunday's Sentinel points out the fact that these are the ONLY two cities in the County who oppose it !   It's easy to figure out !    Not only does it impede Winter Springs' vicious annexation ambitions into the rural/wetland areas ----- BUT ---

            The City Manager of Longwood, when he lost his lost job, became the protégé of the City Manager of Winter Springs, Ronnie McLemore, who took him on at TAXPAYER'S EXPENSE until he could find another job.    McLemore said that would ONLY be for six months, but it lasted for over one and one-half years.     The taxpayers of Winter Springs paid a handsome salary to John Drago ----- while he sought another job.

            Meanwhile, Drago was in charge of the ambitious drives that McLemore brought with him from South Florida to annex anything in HIS WAY, and Mayor Bush, on their drive to concrete the once beautiful rural lands of Winter Springs.    He built the "phony" towncenter with it's FALSE second story buildings, and OVER EXTENDED water and sewerage services, at taxpayers' expense into County Rural areas and wet-lands. 

The  citizens  of  Winter  Springs  have  been  sucker  AGAIN ---

THEY  paid  for  the  FULL  PAGE  ad !

                        Once again, City Manager Ron McLemore, and City Attorney Anthony Garganese used the black cloak of an emergency special meeting to address one suspicious agenda item.    And then, without being on the agenda, they had the commission vote to send citizens’ tax dollars into court for another lawsuit.     (PFGG knows this type of agenda maneuvering by the city manager is very much supported by the mayor and full city commission.)   

            Why did this one agenda item need an emergency special meeting, and why couldn’t it wait until the regular commission on October 11, 2004? In the annexation game, time is of the essence.    And, the City’s time is running out.

            The special commission meeting of October 4, 2004 addressed the “voluntary annexation” of 4 acres of land in the Black Hammock.     The sole property owner “asking” for the annexation is already ordering up choice zoning on the city’s a la carte zoning menu.    This property owner has ordered up from the zoning menu one low density residential zoning, with some greenbacks on the side, and for the commission to cook it up fast.    

            Why doesn’t the City Commission or staff ever say “Sorry, we are out of 5 houses per acre and 12 town homes per acre, but we do have one house per 5 acres to offer?”     What’s with giving one property owner more property rights over the 30,000 taxpayers who have had their rights slowly taken away by City codes and ordinances?

             What is even more deplorable than what happened at this special meeting is the fact that it lasted all of 13 minutes.     How much thinking, discussion, and debate can happen among four commissioners in 13 minutes?   You would think much more than 13 minutes.    Unless these commissioners already knew what to expect before they came in the door.    And, isn’t it interesting that Mayor Bush and Commissioner Michael Blake were absent from the meeting, but still the remaining commissioners voted to send your tax dollars to court in 13 minutes time?    

            Chances are very good that the city manager primed all commissioners what to expect prior to the meeting.    Of course, Commissioner Blake, who doesn’t like political dynamite, knew to stay away.    Why?     First, he knew it would pass without his vote.    Second, Blake doesn’t want his constituents to know he doesn’t give a rat’s (lower extremities) about the Black Hammock, but cares more about the “Blake Hammock” of home rule powers, dense zoning, and despicable greed at the expense of everything else.

            As you will see, Gilmore isn’t for the Black Hammock either regardless of what his political campaign flyer says.     If you are one of those citizens who need to see proof that Commissioner Gilmore (and his fellow commissioners) voted to send your tax dollars to court over development of the Black Hammock, read the approved minutes of the October 4, 2004 special commission meeting (excerpt below for your convenience).    

            The minutes are sketchy and leave a lot out, but that is the way City Manager McLemore likes his minutes of his undercover meetings with his puppet commission.     You want to hear exactly what happened and to be amazed, go to City Hall to order the audio tape of this meeting.

 

In related City business, Attorney Garganese spoke of Seminole County’s proposed Charter Amendment and stated, “I think the Commission needs to decide this evening, formally, whether it wants to challenge that Charter Amendment.”

 “MAKE A MOTION THAT WE FILE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST THE COUNTY WITH THEIR AMENDMENT. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER McLeod. SECONDED BY DEPUTY MAYOR MILLER. DISCUSSION.

COMMISSIONER SALLY McGinnis ADDED, “I HAVE THE UTMOST CONFIDENCE IN OUR ATTORNEY, IN THIS PROCESS. I THINK WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE ANTHONY [GARGANESE].” (Isn't that sweet - she should have to pay him?   He rakes in over a quarter of a million dollars as just the city attorney -- plus additional fees! )

VOTE:

COMMISSIONER McLeod: AYE

DEPUTY MAYOR MILLER: AYE

COMMISSIONER McGinnis: AYE

COMMISSIONER GILMORE: AYE

MOTION CARRIED.

 

            From the above you can see not only do you have four commissioners who voted to send your tax dollars to court, you have Commissioner McGinnis playing cheerleader for the City Attorney Anthony Garganese.    This attorney has made a ton of money from Winter Springs' taxpayers.     What you don’t see above is the fact that Commissioner David McLeod (multi-millionaire beneficiary of town center zoning) was not present in person, but by telephone.    Without McLeod’s telephone call, there would not have been a quorum of the commission to hold this meeting.     That alone shows you how desperate the City Manager and Attorney wanted to have this meeting to fast track another Black Hammock annexation and to get its lawsuit filed before the November 2^nd referendum.

            ( What is never in the records is that the Winter Springs Attorney usually winds up hiring other attorneys to try his case.    All he does is collect his fees, and share additional moneys with his TRIAL ATTORNEY cohorts!   A license to steal !     The suit against the citizens of Winter Springs only cost about $225,000.     The new suit will cost probably more. )

            

 Postscript:

            The citizens passed Seminole County’s referendum on November 2^nd, but don’t expect the City of Winter Springs to withdraw its lawsuit against the county.    The first court date is set for November 16^th.  The City Manager Ron McLemore and City Commission are incensed that the county commission has put this issue of zoning to a referendum vote.    They will spend city taxpayers’ last dime to get its way.   

            The City Commission, lead by the nose by City Manager McLemore, has long stifled its citizens on the issue of Black Hammock annexations by not allowing Winter Springs citizens to vote whether or not they want the City to expand beyond its current borders and what type of zoning is appropriate for rural lands.    

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