Fly on the Wall, Edition No. 5

Here we go again, as the Fly buzzes around town and sees what's up.

Who are we, what are we?

Clark Kent became Superman by running into a phone booth and achieving the transformation, but the County Commission has a simpler way.

With the rap of a gavel, it can become the Manatee County Community Redevelopment Agency, the Manatee County Port Authority or the Manatee County Civic Center Authority. Each of those boards, as well as the County Commission, has a different chairman so sometimes things can get a tad confusing at meetings.

So on Tuesday, the commissioners got a bit crossed up while debating an agenda item regarding Port Manatee, and for a moment it seemed like they didn't know whether they were the Port Authority or the County Commission.

He looked at me!

You can ask the Fly's mother what sibling rivalry is like, or you can just watch the County Commission try to make a decision when community organizations go at it.

At Tuesday's meeting (where there was a court reporter) it was the people vs. the country club over a cell tower; and then for a double feature, the pro- and anti-dredging folks.

Except that the Fly's brother with whom he had intense rivalry is now a pal, but I don't think these folks will be having barbecues at each other's homes any time soon.

The new arrivals

When the Fly moved to Florida in 1986, he heard that the new people were ruining the state. That's actually been a complaint since the Seminoles first met the Spaniards, though.

But at Tuesday's Commission meeting, a development sounded like paradise, but then "they" arrived. The younger people. The ones with the unreasonable boats who want to steal the American and Florida Dreams. The Fly's idea of simply banning everyone under 55 from Florida didn't fly, especially since the Fly would be exiled to Georgia for a few years.

Well, there's a few people who might like that idea.

Worst of the Web

There's an award called he "Webby," which has no credibility with most people, but I have always preferred the worst Web sites. So which government sites really just don't do it for me?

I have to say that the Bradenton Central Community Redevelopment Agency's site has to be the champion in the area. When you finally find the list of meetings, the minutes are more than a year out of date. Agendas? Come on. Get real.

I like the title bar, too, over the CCRA Board page: "CCRA Board Baord Meetings."

One of the hazards of having a Web site is the need to keep it up to date and spell things right. In this area, the Bradenton CCRA really needs some major help.

He looked at me! Redux

The Bradenton City Council found itself caught between two businesses Wednesday night when the folks leasing Smoothie King and Smitty's finally got their day (or, rather, night) before the Council.

The lawyers went at it, then the regular people, and then the Council had to decide what to do.

Best line goes to Gene Gallo for calling them "hens."

There was a group from Manatee Technical Institute at the meeting for an award, and the Fly considered them the smartest group ever. When the public hearing on the Smoothie King drive-through began, they made their escape. The Fly envied them.

That's all for this week.