Politics Is Personal -- An Opinion

By Chip Ross

Fernandina Beach City Commissioner

January 6, 2019

Fernandina Beach City Commissioner Chip Ross

Small town politics, by nature, seems to get very personal from time to time. With commission members’ personalities and backgrounds as diverse as our citizenry, there will always be friction. Yet despite our differences, I am proud to serve on a City Commission that is in agreement on most things placed on a City meeting agenda.  When we do disagree, we tend to express our objections, then simply settle it with a vote.  We tend to not hold grudges.  We try to pick up the pieces of our often-wounded egos and move City work forward. We try to meet the needs of the citizenry in whatever shape or form seems to work for each of us.  Despite our diversity, I believe what holds us together is the oath we took to do what was in the best interest of Fernandina Beach.

Recently a fellow City Commissioner appeared to be disturbed that I had met with others outside the City government about subjects involving the City without the other Commissioners’ express knowledge and permission.  Not only did I have my “fingers in a lot of pots”, but I was asked to keep “my nose out of City business”.

Our local City government is a representative democracy.  Our City Citizen Surveys show that the City has a large portion of citizens who tend to be “involved” (above the national average). I tend to represent that group.  I hope I never discourage, nor prohibit, citizens or other interested parties from seeking information or sharing it.  

However, the Commission needs to admit that there are roadblocks to a free flow of information between Commissioners.  To enhance public transparency, the Florida Sunshine laws prohibit Commissioners from having any discussion between themselves about City business unless it is at a public meeting. If we all relayed information from hours of emails and discussions with various agencies and groups at City meetings, meetings would last for days.  All Commissioners choose what to share due to time constraints at public meetings.  

To make matters more complicated, information shared with staff (with the City Manager’s permission) cannot be shared with other commissioners.  Staff could then be accused of being conduits in violation of the Sunshine Laws.  As a result, staff members are sometimes left without key information.

It is also important to note that the City Charter has no prohibition or limits on how a Commissioner interacts with anyone not employed by the City.  Getting things done often takes a multitude of interested and affected parties coming together to hopefully arrive at a shared vision. That often means understanding the different needs and wants of multiple parties. The public needs to understand that as a single City Commissioner I have little capacity to make anyone do anything. But what I can do is meet with various parties to try to craft solutions and compromises.  Those solutions may get to the Commission as a resolution, a vote, or a piece of legislation.

Though members of this City Commission have very different leadership styles, I applaud how they have managed to utilize each member’s diverse skills.  This Commission created a Conservation Fund, passed a conservation plan (that has now been mimicked by Nassau County).  They have purchased conservation land and created a plan to purchase more.    They adopted in-depth rules and regulations for the use of beach parking and beach use. They created and funded the Beach Patrol. No longer does the City receive calls about overflowing trash cans with the new beach trash plan.  And despite overwhelming permitting issues, the marina will soon be open for business.  And as evidence of this commission’s commitment to the marina, it stepped up to the plate to borrow millions to fill the shortfall as FEMA has not met its funding obligation for the marina.

As a Commissioner, though I may be a little “different”, I believe I need to take the time, and put effort into, finding new solutions to our most persistent problems. For me, getting into the weeds is a good way to understand the challenges that prevent a project from going forward. From experience, it generally reduces the risk of surprise and failure.   No one is ever going to find all the pitfalls, but I believe the public appreciates this Commission’s willingness to move forward on a number of fronts to tackle some of the longest festering issues that have continued to confront the City of Fernandina Beach.

Despite our diversity, this entire Commission’s willingness to step outside the box of “but that’s the way we have always done it” should be applauded by the public.  We all took the oath to do what is in the best interest of Fernandina Beach.  May we all begin the New Year with that goal in mind to make it another successful year for our City.