Remember that this event occurred 15 years ago. The actual motion is numbered, and the explanation is included below it in parantheses.The *action is included by each date.

MOTION #1

*December 16, 1986 Meeting - #1. Direct planning staff by December 23rd to present the calendar for completion of all comprehensive plan elements. Motion by Notestein, seconded by Wheat, approved 3-0.

(Florida's 1985 Legislature approved 9J-5, the growth management law. It called for local governments to adopt, by May 1, 1990, a comprehensive growth management plan that met the requirements of the law and rules. Such a calendar for Alachua County had not been provided prior to this date. Notestein wanted the Commission to have this calendar, so the public could know the outline for completion of the growth management plan, and there could be general public debate and discussion about the timeframe. Notestein said staff had told him that such a calendar would not be forthcoming unless the "Commission" requested it.)

*January 13, 1987 Meeting - #1. Staff presented the calendar for completion of changes to the Comprehensive Plan, and the motion (Coward, seconded by Notestein) was unanimously (5-0) carried that the staff report be accepted.

MOTION #2

*December 16, 1986 Meeting - #2. Direct the LPA/Planning Commission at its next meeting (December 17th) to send forward its recommendations regarding the Conservation element. Motion by Notestein, second by Wheat, approved 3-0.

(Apparently, the members of the LPA/Planning Commission at the time - comprised of land developers and speculators - did not like the staff's draft Conservation Element, and had been refusing to send it forth to the County Commission, so that open public debate and discussion could begin.)

*January 13, 1987 Meeting #2. - County Attorney Thomas Bustin explained Chapter 163 Florida Statutes, which created the Local Planning Council and Ordinance 80-3. Mr. Bustin suggested that the Board encourage the LPA to send its progress on the conservation element. It was moved by Mr. Coward, seconded by Mrs. Brown and unanimously carried (5-0) that the Board encourage the LPA at its next meeting to send forward its recomendation regarding the progress on the Conservation Element.

MOTION #3

*December 16, 1986 Meeting - #3. Create an Ad Hoc Commission Committee on Impact Fees. Motion by Notestein, second by Wheat, aproved 3-0.

(Commissioner Notestein stated that his intent was that the County Commission and public begin discussing whether new development should pay all, or some part, of its way. Since other Florida counties charged impact fees to pay for new development's infrastructure, why didn't Alachua County do so and relieve taxpayers of that burden? The first step would be for the County Commission to learn about impact fees.)

*January 13, 1987 Meeting #3. - After discussion, it was moved by Mr. Notestein, seconded by Ms. Wheat and unanimously carried (5-0) that the Board create "the Board as a whole" to be the Ad Hoc Committee on Impact Fees.

MOTION #4

*December 16, 1986 Meeting - #4. Direct the County Attorney to request copies of impact fee ordinances from those counties in Florida with impact fee ordinances. Motion by Notestein, second by Wheat, aproved 3-0.

(Notestein had requested this of then-County Attorney Tom Bustin, who said that he would only make the requests if there was "Commission" action requesting same.)

*January 13, 1987 Meeting #4. - The County Attorney furnished copies of impact fee ordinances as requested. Chair Turlington stated that the Board will accept copies of Ordinances, as received.

MOTION #5

December 16, 1986 Meeting - #5. Create an Ad Hoc Commission Committee on Recycling. Motion by Notestein, second by Wheat, aproved 3-0.

(In 1985 and 1986, there had been contamination of private property which surrounded the Alachua County landfill located southwest of Archer. The County confirmed that the cause of the pollution was leaking of contaminants from the now-closed southwest county landfill. The County had to spend a great deal of money on drilling and then testing wells, on contamination assessment and buying up private property that had been contaminated. Notestein stated that there were both environmental and economic benefits of recycling, and he wanted the Commission to begin to study the use of it - instead of landfilling - for municipal solid waste. Note: he was subsequently tarred and feathered for wanting to "bomb Alachua County back to the compost heap".)

*January 13, 1987 Meeting #5. - Mr. Lynn Buffington, Mr. Craig Stewart, Mr. Jerry Markez and Mr. Mike Ryals were present and spoke in opposition to the Ad Hoc Committee of the Board. Mr. Lee McSherry and Mrs. Joanne Harbin were present and discussed the item.

After discussion, it was moved by Mr. Coward, seconded by Ms. Wheat to create an Ad Hoc Committee, "the Board as a whole", to study recycling. After discussion, the motion was unanimously (5-0) carried.

MOTION #6

*December 16, 1986 Meeting - #6. Adopt as a policy, that Alachua County will not participate in any trash burning facility in the region, and adopt an amendment to explore with the City the compost method. Motion by Notestein, second by Wheat, aproved 3-0.

(At the time, many governments were faced with garbage dumps that contaminated surrounding property and the State changing the rules to make those landfills more "safe". Many of those governments decided to buy into a "municipal solid waste incinerator" - a garbage burner - to "reduce" the toxicity and volume of the garbage.

(In 1985, Wheat - one year before she was elected - had stumbled into a meeting in the County Administration Building, in which two County Commissioners, Rep. Sid Martin, representatives of GRU, Florida DEP, Westinghouse and others were meeting to talk about building a regional trash burner in Alachua County. In 1985, Wheat sent a letter to the State Attorney and several articles were published in the Alligator.

(Wheat and Dwight Adams - and the Sierra Club - adamantly opposed this method, and helped to sponsor the local waste management workshop called TINA: There is no "Away". Experts from around the country informed of both the health threat and high economic cost of building such a facility. BTW - Today, these garbage burners account for much of the mercury atmospherically deposited in our water bodies.)

*January 13, 1987 Meeting - #6. Public Works Director Ed Culpepper presented a memo, an excerpt of which is included in the minutes, which states in part that: "It is most premature for the Board of County Commisioners to take action indicating that they will not participate in any refuse burning facility... Mass burn resource recovery facilities are a proven technology that significantly reduce the potential for harm to our environment and particularly to our groundwater if operated properly.."

Mr. Lynn Buffington was present and supported the Solid Waste Task Force wor king with the consultant on Solid Waste Management.Mr. Lee Mc Sherry was present and suported Mrs. Brown's contention that a conflict is present. Mr. Fred Henderson was present and discussed the item.

After further discussion, it was moved by Mr. Coward, seconded by Mrs. Brown and carried that the Board rescind and delete #6 from the Agenda. Mr. Notestein and Ms. Wheat voted "NAY".

The statement that AC "shall not participate in garbage burning" was adopted in the solid waste element of the comprehensive plan in October, 1991.

MOTION #7

*December 16, 1986 Meeting - #7. Create an Ad Hoc Commission Committee on Signage. Motion by Notestein, second by Wheat, aproved 3-0.

(Authority for local government control of signs is included as part of the 1985 growth management act, and Notestein said he wanted to get this issue to the table and before the public. Notestein clearly wanted to halt the proliferation of billboards and signs in unincorporated Alachua County, and wanted the County Commission to consider for the unincorporated area Gainesville's ordinance which banned construction of new billboards.)

*January 13, 1987 Meeting - #7 - Mr. Wilson McKinney, Gainesville Neon Signs, requested to be allowed input in Committee if created. Mr. Frank Slansky was present and supported the above item. Mr. John J. Schroepfer, Presdient Elect of the Chamber of Commerce, was present and spoke in oppositio to the above item.

After discussion, it was moved by Mr. Notestein, seconded by Ms. Wheat to create an Ad Hoc Commission Committe on Signage. The above Motion failed (2-3) with Mrs. Brown, Mr. Coward and Mr. Turlington voting "NAY".

The Board voted (3-2, Wheat, Newport and Hutchinson; Clemons and Chestnut voted "NAY") in 2000 to enact an ordinance that banned construction of new billboards in the unincorporated area, like Gainesville has had in place since the early 1980's.

MOTION #8

*December 16, 1986 Meeting - #8. Bring all county roads up to the standards of County Scenic roads.Motion by Notestein, second by Wheat, aproved 2-1.

(Notestein's 1986 motion was then considered heresy, specifically because the Scenic Roads ordinance requires 100' of right of way on either side of the road to be protected. He was trying to achieve more protection for trees and canopy roads, though he didn't word the motion well - as opposed to the straight and wide ribbons then-Public Works Director Culpepper created - without bike lanes, paved shoulders and sidewalks. We had experienced massive tree loss - particularly when Alachua County took Farmer Simpson's land by eminent domain. The County then lost the lawsuit he filed, and ended up paying him about $30,000 for his 150 trees only - not the land. Notestein's response in this motion was the genesis of the "greening roadsides" issue which is now all the rage.)

*January 13, 1987 Meeting - #8. Public Works Director Ed Culpepper presented a memo, an excerpt of which is included in the minutes of the meeting. It states in part that. to carry out this motion: "The action taken would place severe restrictions upon property owners, businesses and utility companies."

Mr. Harold Graybill, Mrs. Francine Robinson and Mr. Frank SLansky were present and supported the above item.

Mr. Ben Campen, Mrs. Janet Owens, Mr. Sam Hankin, Mrs. Marilyn Tubbs, and Mr. Jerry Markez were present and spoke in opposition to the above item. Mr. David Rounds and Mr. Bob Roundtree were present and discussed the above item.

It was moved by Ms. Wheat to request the Scenic Roads Committee to review County roads for recommendation as Scenic Roads. The above motion died for lack of a second.

After discussion, it was moved by Mr. Coward, seconded by Mrs. Brown and carried (4-1) to rescind Item #8 from the agenda. Mr. Notestein voted "NAY".

The County Commission has begun a process of "greening" all of our roads, and with the City Commission members of the MTPO, has established landscape and retention basin guidelines. These will be included in appropriate elements of the growth management plan.

MOTION #9

Of the 9 motions put on the table at the December 16, 1986 meeting, which generated the Chamber of Commerce "Chambergate", this is the only motion which has not been subsequently approved or included in some way in county law:

*December 16, 1986 Meeting #9. - Adopt as a policy that all members of the LPA/Planning Commission, now and in the future, should not be directly involved in the business of real estate development. Motion by Notestein, second by Wheat, aproved 3-0.

(The LPA/Planning Commission recommends to the County Commission issues having to do with growth plans and development patterns, as well as adoption of environmental protection and land development codes, including landscaping, etc. At the time, there was a massive and overwhelming "anti-environment" stance in the business community. Commissioner Notestein wanted to preclude outright (rather than relying on individuals to declare a conflict) the direct conflicts or appearances of conflicts on the part of those land speculators, developers and realtors with active licenses.)

*January 13, 1987 Meeting - #9. Mrs. Brown stated that it is her personal opinion that the above item is in conflict with the County's Ordinance 80-3.

The following persons were present and discussed their concerns regarding the above item: Robert Scales, J. Wayne Reitz, Steve DeMontmollin, Al Alsobrook, Steve Garron, Robert Grace, Coolidge Davis, Tom Robinson - President of the Gainesville Homebuilder's Association, Mike Warren, Sam Hankin, Richard Furman, Dr. Richard Cunningham, Greg Stewart and Cotton Fletcher.

After lengthy discussion, it was moved by Mr. Coward, seconded by Mrs. Brown and carried (4-1) that Item #9 be rescinded from the agenda. Ms. Wheat voted "NAY".