INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Board of County Commissioners wants to make it very clear to decision makers that the public deserves a voice in the matter of the proposed issuance of $1.75 billion in bonds to finance the All Aboard Florida project.
Commissioner Bob Solari, who acted as Chairman on Tuesday due to the excused absence of Commissioner Wesley Davis, added the item to his commissioner’s matters, during which the Board directed County Attorney Dylan Reingold to draft a letter to the Florida Development Finance Corporation demanding a “level playing field” for the public to participate in the process.
This would echo the sentiment of a letter written by the Martin County Attorney, Solari said, but he wanted Indian River’s letter to come directly from the Board of County Commissioners.
Solari said the fact that details regarding FDFC proceedings have come to light via AAF representatives before they have been made public by the FDFC indicates that AAF and its well-funded legal apparatus have an inside pipeline into what, where and when the FDFC plans to take action.
That, Solari said, gives AAF officials an unfair advantage over members of the general public or government entities wanting to actively oppose the issuance of the “private activity bonds” that would be backed by taxpayer dollars.
Solari said the public deserves three things:
1. At least 30 days public notice before the next hearing.
2. A convenient location so people can attend.
3. Adequate opportunity to speak.
Commissioner Joe Flescher made the motion to direct Reingold to draft the document and it passed unanimously.
Earlier this year, the FDFC held a meeting in a Tallahassee hotel in which none of the members of the Board of the group actually attended in person. They phoned in, leaving only the FDFC staff there to face the roomful of mostly angry elected officials, attorneys and members of the public.
The FDFC was scheduled to hold its hearing on June 10 after giving nine days’ notice that the group would meet in Orlando in a rented hotel meeting space.
That meeting has been cancelled. Upon news of the hearing cancellation, Reingold put out the following statement to the local press:
“It has come to my attention that the Florida Development Finance Corporation has postponed the June 10th meeting and that the new date of the hearing is to be determined later. I hope that the Florida Development Finance Corporation uses this additional time to address the significant defects raised in the CARE FL, Martin County and Indian River County letter submitted to the Florida Development Finance Corporation earlier this week.
“Indian River County still expects for All Aboard Florida and the Florida Development Finance Corporation to be transparent with the public and the citizens of the Treasure Coast about why the meeting was once again cancelled and All Aboard Florida’s plans for financing the project.
“Finally, I look to the Florida Development Finance Corporation to provide sufficient notice of the new hearing date and to provide sufficient time at that hearing for all parties to present their positions on the proposed All Aboard Florida project,” Reingold wrote on June 5.
Indian River County has filed suit to try to stop the bonds from being issued. There was a hearing on the suit on May 29, but Reingold reported back that the judge did not rule that day.
As the process wears on, it was noted that AAF is running out of time on its July 1 deadline regarding the initial bond offering.
