During this past week’s Amenity Authority Committee meeting, a vote rendered by committee on a motion to fund golf cart path striping in Community Development District 4 ended in deadlock, and District 4 supervisor Rich Lambrecht asserts that a mistake was made.
During Friday’s District 4 board meeting, Lambrecht indicated that a stipulation in the 2008 class action settlement agreement between residents and The Village Center Community Development District (VCCDD), The Villages of Lake-Sumter, Inc., and developer H. Gary Morse specified that the VCCDD representative on the AAC had to vote with the majority of AAC members on matters of golf cart paths. The exact paragraph Lambrecht referred to reads as follows:
“Golf/Recreation Trails: Since the operation and maintenance of golf cart paths, recreational trails, multi-modal transportation trails and tunnels is an issue that directly affects the residents of the Village Center Community Development District Service Area and does not directly affect the Village Center Community Development District, then the Village Center Community Development District agrees to vote with the majority as it comes before the Amenity Authority. Further, the Village Center Community Development District agrees to implement such decision of the Amenity Authority on such matter.”
The 3-3 vote featured AAC vice chair Jo Weber, and representatives Carl Bell and Rich Lambrecht in favor of the motion, and representatives Ann Forrester and committee chairman John Wilcox opposed. The third opponent of the motion was VCCDD board member Gary Moyer. The vote without Moyer would have been 3-2 in favor of the motion.
Moyer deadlocked the vote at 3-3, essentially killing the motion. Lambrecht asserts that had the stipulation from the settlement been honored during the vote, Moyer would have voted in favor of the motion, passing it by a vote of 4-2.
“Per the settlement agreement, the representative of the [VCCDD] is obligated to cast his vote with the majority. So, instead of 3-3, that vote should have been 4-2. I think you’ll agree with me [Ms. Tutt],” said Lambrecht during Friday’s District 4 board meeting.
“I’m not agreeing to anything…that’s your issue…I’m not commenting” said District Manager Janet Tutt in response to Lambrecht’s assertions.
“I also recall that statement that you just read, Mr. Lambrecht, because I was on the RAC when we made the transition. I remember that provision in the settlement agreement….so I concur with your conclusions,” added chairman Don Deakin. Deakin asked that the striping issue be kept on district 4’s agenda for next month’s meeting.
Lambrecht indicated that he will bring his findings to the AAC during their next meeting. The AAC next meets on March 12, 2014.