Citizens Gave the Answers at Manatee County Commissioners' "We're Listening" Session

PALMETTO -- The BCC held a ”We’re Listening“ dialogue with county citizens yesterday. The people of Manatee County are mostly concerned with the lack of jobs (no surprise there) but what astonished the crowd and the board was the suggestion that in order to achieve that goal – the county needs to be going green.

The dialogue was a chance for citizens to bring forth concerns to the commission and make them aware of what they feel are important issues facing the area. The board members listened as each person who signed up gave a two-minute presentation. Perhaps they should implement this practice more than once a year, because some of citizens’ ideas seemed to leave an impression on the commission.

Several people urged the board to adopt greener incentives. Their suggestions could help the county save money by simply using more efficient light bulbs and creating jobs with inicitives like the Property Assessed Clean Energy Bill or PACE.

Mike Evans of Eco-Smart Inc, an environmentally-aware construction company, made a speech about the amount of money that could be saved simply by replacing road lights with induction lighting. So efficient, is the illumination that it can reduce energy use by up to 60 percent. Fixtures have the option of dimming to 50 percent power, then instantly coming back up when motion is detected. He argued that municipalities and schools can spend limited funds on more sustainable efforts than the constant consumption of costly power.

”On my recent trip to Europe and Turkey I realized that those countries are way ahead of us (environmentally),“ said Commissioner Bustle. ”I was really impressed by the night time LED’s in Shanghais. At night, the displays were powerful -- they certainly are the wave of the future.“

The Commissioners weren’t as informed of the PACE program as residents, but said that after the meeting today, they would be looking into it. The Federal program is designed to be city-backed and uses property tax increases to finance energy efficient house improvements over a 20-year-period. The process prevents the homeowner from having to pay up front or take out a home equity loan (which banks are reluctant to approve anyway) regardless of credit history.

”Bringing the PACE program to Manatee County would make older houses more appealing to buyers and augment the home improvement/construction industry job market,“ said Rex James, the V.P. of marketing development for Solar Direct. ”Right now, we only get business from higher-end homes. This program would benefit the lower income bracket. Just getting the refit (new windows, insulation and lighting) can reduce home utility bills by 50 percent. It can be condensed even further by installing a solar panel.“

The program has been in the news lately when the FHFA allowed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to take punitive actions against homeowners who live in communities and participate in PACE financing. The Agency sees PACE programs as affecting mortgage valuations and offering too much risk for lenders.

FHFA urged state and local governments to reconsider the programs and continues to call for a pause. In a recent statement (pdf) they said that while such programs minimize credit risk for investors, they alter traditional lending priorities. The state also questions ”whether the home improvements actually produce meaningful reductions in energy consumption.“

While the previous programs will uphold the construction industry, there is still a need for business variety.

James Humphrey, chief operating officer of the Roskamp Institute in Sarasota, told commissioners that there needs to be more initiatives to keep educated college students from seeking job opportunities elsewhere in order to better diversify county employment.

”Through education programs we should be able to capture local talent that could help develop a skilled workforce to attract businesses in the biotech industry. These jobs offer a prestigious position with increased income. If students (from local high schools and colleges) can be oriented with it early on, it could enhance the job market,“ he said.

Some others argued that more development will promote businesses, jobs and tourism. Neal Communities stated that they employed 754 people since last year. Pat Neal clarified, by saying that while a substantial amount of residents are employed in sales and on the golf courses, construction opportunities are subject to variation.

”This is a retirement community,“ said Pat Neal of Neal Communities. ”People don’t come to work... they come to retire.“

People may migrate to Manatee County to retire, however, workers are the ones providing them with healthcare, trimming their landscaping, selling them groceries and plumbing their clogs. Without jobs and the available services they create, there is no incentive for the elderly to come down and little demand for new housing.

If you were not able to attend the meeting and have a question or suggestion you'd like to presend via email contact barbara.tyler@mymanatee.org. Or contact any of the commissioners individually.