INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Indian River Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday directed County Attorney Dylan Reingold to “look into” the question of whether Save The Indian Lagoon Estuary Now, Inc. (STIRLEN) somehow violates the state’s Sunshine Laws.
The action, instigated by Commissioner Bob Solari, seemed odd because the “Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Law was enacted in 1967 [to] establish a basic right of access to most meetings of . . . state and local governmental agencies or authorities,” according to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Because STIRLEN is a private not-for-profit corporation, the law would seem to have no bearing on the group’s meetings or other activities. In addition, STIRLEN’s upcoming Jan. 16 workshop seeking solutions to the lagoon’s ecological woes will be an open, recorded meeting the press and public are invited to attend.
Scott Stradley, a member of the non-profit’s board of directors, explained the distinction to Solari, pointing out the group intentionally took a form not subject to the Sunshine Law so that scientists who participate in the workshop would be able to talk one-on-one or in small groups without having to post notice of formal meetings.
The Sunshine Laws prohibit government officials, such as Solari and the other commissioners, from talking over government matters with other government officials in secret so as to avoid corruption. STIRLEN is a private group that receives no government money and exercises no government power, so the safeguard doesn’t extend to it or other privately-funded non-profits in the county.
Commissioner Wesley Davis made it clear he does not think the Sunshine Law has any bearing on STIRLEN.
“I don’t think we should be chasing after these groups using taxpayer money,” he said.
Solari said that because County Commissioner Tim Zorc is a member of STIRLEN’s board and because STIRLEN plans to present its conclusions to the commission and ask for action he thinks there might be a Sunshine Law violation.
Davis noted he is on the board of 4-H and other 501(c)3 non-profits like STIRLEN that present ideas and requests to the commission and that the county attorney has never been asked to make any rulings in regard to those groups or their requests.
“Our workshop plans to consider canal reversal as a possible long-term solution,” said marine contractor Jeffrey Meade, the third member of STIRLEN’s board along with ZORC and Stradley.
“We will be happy to cooperate with the county attorney and provide any information he needs, if the board thinks that is necessary,” Stradley said. “Our only purpose is to try and heal the lagoon.”
