Posted: November 23, 2009

Here is the text of a letter I sent today to the heads of the Pinellas Planning Council and Metropolitan Planning Organization. This letter follows consideration I gave to filing a local bill that would merge the two bodies.

Dear Mr. Healey and Mr. Smith,

As you know, my office has drafted a local bill idea that aims to merge the Pinellas Planning Council and the Metropolitan Planning Organization, an idea that has been ruminating for quite awhile given the occasional shared focus of these two bodies and the desire for a more efficient local government, especially in this economic climate.

The deadline for local idea submissions this year was November 14th. Instead of presenting a concept to the delegation, gaining approval, and finishing work on the bill in Tallahassee, my office strove to share specific language now in order to have more informed discussions with each of you and others, and make any necessary changes prior to next month’s delegation meeting. Not surprisingly, the first draft of this bill has generated much reaction.

One of the things I’ve learned while in elected office, and witness too often in Tallahassee, is that bad legislation, legislation that produces unintended consequences, is usually the result of haste and hurry – whether by design or negligence. Good legislation, however, is usually the product of thoughtful deliberation and collaboration. Given the non-emergency nature of this issue and my desire for good legislation, I intend to withdraw the aforementioned local bill from consideration and work to facilitate further discussion in the hopes of creating a sound plan for reducing the size of our local government, saving taxpayer money, and eliminating redundancies.

In closing, while I believe there is a need and an opportunity for consolidation, I happen to be a fan of both the PPC and the MPO, and in light of the legislature’s approach to growth management, believe the planning council’s scope of work has never been more important. I look forward to partnering with each of you, and our many local leaders over the course of the next year, in determining the best course of action.

Sincerely,

Rep. Rick Kriseman