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Overhaul Of Port Richey Charter Planned

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By KLINT LOWRY | The Suncoast News

Published: September 6, 2008

PORT RICHEY - The overture to what could be a hot issue for months to come made its debut Aug. 27, when the City Council voted to establish a committee to review the city charter and make amendment recommendations.

Immediately, the project's potential for controversy revealed itself. The vote was 3-2, with Councilmen Phil Abts, Perry Bean and Mark Hashim for the formation of the committee and Mayor Richard Rober and Councilman Steven O'Neill opposed.

After voting to establish the committee, the council decided to take a month to consider how to proceed with selecting committee members and see who might be interested in serving.

The pre-vote discussion was more harmonious than the vote would suggest. There was a general consensus that a need exists to review the charter, last amended in 1994.

"It's almost 14 years, the environment's changed," City Manager Richard Reade said as he presented the resolution to establish a charter review committee.

The charter review committee will consist of seven voting members. The charter states that only people who live in the city can be on the committee.

There will be no limit, though, to the number of people who may participate in the committee's activities.

The committee will have free reign to review the entire charter for up to one year, with the possibility of an extension if necessary. Part of their task will be to look at charters of other municipalities to find templates for areas in Port Richey's charter committee members think need changing.

The committee will be obliged to meet at least monthly, and all meetings will be open and otherwise comply with Florida's Government-in-the-Sunshine laws.

When it has finished their job, the committee will present its recommendations to the City Council. Once the amended charter passes muster with the council, it will be presented to the public for a referendum vote.

The first hurdle in the charter review will be selecting the committee, O'Neill said. Within seconds, he was proven right by the differing opinions as to how the committee should be formed.

"I certainly would agree there are a lot of our codes that need to be looked at and amended; there is a lot of ambiguity to them," Rober said. "I would also think there are some items in our charter that are long overdue for correction or amendment."

Rober, however, thought council would be best suited to do the job, already being familiar with the charter and some of its weak points. . And if the public has any thoughts as the project progresses, they know where they can find them.

"I certainly think our residents know today more than ever that they can be heard right at that podium," Rober said.

Other Council members believed the best results would come from including bringing in new perspectives.

"I think it's incumbent upon each of us to seek interested parties who have an understanding of government and are willing to think outside the box," Hashim said.

It is important to have the business community represented, Abts said.

It was also suggested that a high school senior or some other young person be named to the committee to give the charter review a younger point of view.

Klint Lowry can be reached at 727-815-1067 or klowry@suncoastnews.com.

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