A Community Development District 8 supervisor has proposed a plan to improve outreach to residents, but at the same time doesn’t want to see supervisors speaking to the media.
CDD 8 Supervisor Dennis Hayes suggested that the five supervisors be at a mail station for an hour or two one day per month. Each would be at a different postal station and the availability would be advertised so it would not be in violation of the state’s Sunshine Law. The program would be tested on a trial basis for about three months and then evaluated.
“It would be an opportunity to ask residents, ‘Do you have anything on your minds?’” Hayes said.
At the same time, Hayes suggested that supervisors take a pledge not to talk to the media.
He said that the board has wrestled with hot topics, including the proposed striping on the multi-modal paths, which drew plenty of public interest.
He said that when supervisors were quoted about their feelings on the matter it was problematic.
“Now it’s out to the world. The residents interpret that to be the board’s position,” Hayes said. “We need to have discussions of the board here, not out there.”
CDD 8 Chairman Sal Torname warned they would be, “Walking a fine line.”
“If we are stating facts to the press or the residents, I don’t see a big issue,” he said.
Hayes ultimately withdrew the call for the pledge.