Local Government Commissioners Approve Ordinance to Clean-up County

BRADENTON — Manatee Commissioners claim the county's new property code ordinance will make the region more presentable and increase property value by keeping all of the residents' unsightly habits from being seen. Citizens say commissioners are reaching too far and in the wrong place if they want to get a handle on what is making the county look bad.

At Thursday's Land Use Meeting, commissioners spent more than three hours haggling over how and where someone could hang their clothes, or put their boat, canoe or kayak.

For two hours, citizens challenged statements such as: there has to be an approved water system; there has to be an approved electrical system; a boat is a restricted vehicle and can't be in the driveway or front yard; and, any clothes line is prohibited in the front yard. 

Staff couldn't answer whether these rules applied to a farm, ranch or resident property, and they didn't describe what 'proper maintenance' really means or if these rules pertain to sidewalks, curbs or buildings owned by the county. 

Staff couldn't answer if a boat is allowed when it is the vehicle by which the property owners makes their living (work trucks are allowed). To not allow such exception, might challenge one's right to make a living.

Under the ordinance, one couldn't build an antique car in the garage or leave an RV's fan plugged in to control mold. 

What the commissioners did mention was the extreme offenders, and in response to that, Glen Gibellina said, "You are making everyone pay for the fault of a few." 

Gibellina objected to boats being referenced as 'restricted vehicles', as well as prohibiting someone from working on their car in their driveway, and only on a cement driveway.

Manatee County Attorney Maureen Sikora suggested that she and staff tweak a few of the complaints from the ordinance at lunch. But when the commission reconvened after lunch, all that had changed was that there could be gravel instead of cement under the car, a clothesline in the front yard (only if it wasn't possible to locate it anywhere else), only emergency repairs on cars, and agricultural property was excluded from the ordinance.

County attorney Bill Clague said the ordinance would be forced to change when the revised Land Development Code is enacted, which questions why the commission was so eager to approve it in the first place (Clague also advised that they're currently not sure how the ordinance would change once the new LDC is enacted).

Arguments seemed to be kept alive by each of the commissioners' pet peeves: Robin DiSabatino has an affliction to boats in the driveway; Charles Smith claims there is no way he will support the ordinance if a clothes line is allowed in the front yard. All claim the county needs a new ordinance, yet claim there are no changes from the old ordinance, to the new one.

After hours of getting nowhere, the commission voted 4 to 3 to approve the ordinance, with Bustle, Whitmore and Baugh dissenting. 

(Correction: It was originally stated that Commissioner Benac dissented along with Bustle and Whitmore; the article has been updated to reflect that it was Bustle, Whitmore and Baugh who dissented.)