Guest Column: Proctor warned FSDB trustees of Collins House discord
Posted: February 2, 2012 - 12:01am
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By Rep. William L. Proctor
District 20 Florida House of Representatives
This is in regard to the recent article titled, “Wiles: FSDB should be required to cooperate.” Former state Rep. Doug Wiles and I differ as to the provisions of House Bill 1059, which he sponsored in 2004. It is reported that he intended that the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind be treated as a school district or a state university. School districts and universities are required to participate in inter-local agreements, and both have the power of eminent domain. Wiles’ bill would have forced the school to engage in inter-local agreements but omitted any reference to eminent domain. Therefore, one could not reasonably have intended that the school be placed in a situation comparable to that of a university or a school district.
As to requiring the school to enter in to inter-local agreements, the Department of Community Affairs, the agency charged with administering the inter-local agreement requirement of Section 1013.33FS wrote in a letter dated Nov. 5, 2003 that the school was not required to engage in such agreements and noted “several of the requirements for school board participation in the inter-local agreement make little sense when applied to the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.” In that same letter, the Department added, “the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind serves an entirely different population: hearing-impaired and visually-impaired students throughout the State of Florida.”
In summary, House Bill 1059 would have imposed upon the school a duty that the Department of Community Affairs deemed inappropriate, while failing to grant to the school the eminent domain authority currently conferred upon 10 universities, 28 community and state colleges, and 67 school districts.
As to requiring FSDB to cooperate, the school’s Board of Trustee minutes of March 13, 2010 include the following statement. “Ms. Rakoncay, President of the Nelmar Terrace Neighborhood Association, spoke in support of the restoration of Collins House.” Additionally, in these same Minutes, City official Mark Knight is reported to have said, “If not renovated, Collins could be returned to the state, or do nothing and it sits there. If nothing were done, it would not be good for FSDB or the neighbors.” In a spirit of cooperation, the school restored the house, and the resulting discord is, as I forewarned the Board of Trustees, would come to pass. Almost any action on the part of the school, regardless of how necessary and reasonable, will be misconstrued and opposed by some parties.
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State Rep. William L. Proctor formerly served on the FSDB Board of Trustees for 18 years including 12 years as chairman.
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me
Nice try, Mr. Proctor
By me | 02/02/12 - 07:51 am
You will be remembered as a man who ignored the needs of his constituents. Between this and your support of SB 6 over the objections of the highest-rated school district in the state, you have proven yourself to be the worst type of legislator. Congratulations and we will all enjoy your retirement from office.
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” - Upton Sinclair
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mubbob
Proctor is worse than a typical politician
By mubbob | 02/02/12 - 07:58 am
He is a disgrace to the citizens who elected him, the City of St. Augustine residents who supported him in the past and everyone who has a sense of fairness and value. His underhanded and last minute push for eminent domain for the FSDB is worse than typical for a politician. It smacks of cronyism, good ol' boy favors and downright violation of sunshine laws. His next job will probably be a legal consultant for the FSDB or a lobbyist for them. What a legacy to leave.
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Mll211
Mr. Proctor you forgot who
By Mll211 | 02/02/12 - 09:44 am
Mr. Proctor you forgot who you were working for! It was not FSDB.
Atleast grow a pair and own it. This letter is just a sad attempt at back peddling.
Mll211
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astralweeks
I'm sorry to say I voted for
By astralweeks | 02/02/12 - 09:45 am
I'm sorry to say I voted for Proctor. It's a scary thing when politicians (Big Brother) disregard private property rights.
great
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