RYDER RUDD RESIGNS FROM CITY COMMISSION
CITES LAW THAT FORBIDS CITY OFFICIALS FROM LOBBYING – AND HIS DAY JOB IS WORKING AS A LOBBYIST
Ryder Rudd at the meeting.
By WILLIAM SNOWDEN Editor
Ryder Rudd was supposed to be sworn-in on Thursday as a St. Marks City Commissioner. Instead, he submitted his resignation. As he explained to the standing-room only crowd at City Hall on Thursday, Rudd explained that a recent state constitutional amendment intended to prohibit legislators from lobbying had the unintended consequence of not allowing him to take office as a city commissioner – or else stop his job as a lobbyist. Rudd noted there is a pending lawsuit in federal court in south Florida challenging the law, and hoped there would be a decision in a couple of months. He added that he was committed to serving his community.
City Attorney Ron Mowrey swears in new city commissioners Paula Bell and Dan Alberts last week.
After that, the sitting city commission took up a motion from Commissioner Richard Chichetti to appoint Gail Gilman to fill the seat left vacant by Rudd’s resignation, and it was seconded by Commissioner Steve Remke. That drew murmurs of concern from the crowd, and resident Ronnie Day called out that there should be a special election. City Attorney Ron Mowrey responded that there was no provision in the city charter for a special election, instead it specified the city commission shall fill vacancies. If not done within 10 days, it would go to the governor to make an appointment. Commissioner Paul Sheddan said he didn’t know why the agenda had been set as it had – he expected the two new commissioners to be sworn-in and then take up the appointment. (The meeting was Gilman’s and Chichetti’s last as city commissioners. Paula Bell and Dan Alberts were elected to fill the seats and took the oath of office later in the meeting.) When the matter was called for a vote, it failed on a tie 2-2, with Gilman and Chichetti voting for it and Sheddan and Remke voting against. Remke commented that he didn’t “see why we can’t wait a week.” After Bell and Alberts were sworn in and took their seats at the dais, the city commission voted to set a special meeting for this Thursday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m. at City Hall to appoint someone to fill Rudd’s seat. As part of the reorganization, Sheddan was chosen to serve as Mayor of St. Marks, and Remke was selected as Treasurer.
In other matters:
• Businessman David McQuary spoke to city commissioners about a proposal to build an RV Park on some 68 acres of property on Port Leon Drive. He appeared to be looking for an expression of support from the board, but was told he needed to follow the city’s procedures for submitting development projects. McQuary expressed frustration that it wasn’t clear what the city’s process is. Commissioner Remke gave him a several-page printout of the steps to take.
• Remke said he wanted the city to come out in opposition to the state’s proposal to remove islands of dredge along the St. Marks River as part of a salt marsh restoration project. State environmental officials held a workshop to get public input a couple of months ago, and most of the people who spoke on it were outraged by it, seeing it as a huge waste of money. At the St. Marks meeting, Chuck Shields noted that most of the dredged material was taken from the river 60 years ago, from 1961 to ‘63. “Mother Nature has done its job on what its gonna do” with the material, Shields said. Billy Bishop suggested that local businesses also be allowed to sign on the the city’s letter of opposition as well.