Resending - The Buzz at DCA

[Hometown Democracy]

Greetings hometown’ers:

 

St. Joe executive Billy Buzzett has been named Secretary of the Department of Community Affairs.  Mr. Buzzett’s claim to fame is the recently constructed $300,000,000 taxpayer funded white elephant airport in the Panhandle.  The airport was constructed on 4,000 acres of land donated by St. Joe.  (Just like the “Taj Majal”  First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee!) 

 

St. Joe’s business model is to develop its vast holdings around the airport.  According to a recent report, St. Joe is establishing its new corporate headquarters near the airport’s entrance, and has “said it intends to construct a covered, 300-space off-site parking facility that will offer car washing and detailing.”

 

In order to get Southwest Airlines to fly into the new airport, St. Joe is covering Southwest’s fuel costs if the carrier fails to break even on ticket purchases during the airport’s first three years of operation.  St. Joe has also recently been sued in a number of class action lawsuits by shareholders claiming that St. Joe executives deliberately overvalued land holdings.

 

Scott names development exec. as top Fla. planner

 

By BILL KACZOR

Associated Press

 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Gov. Rick Scott named a development company executive as Florida's next planning chief Wednesday and brought Kurt Browning out of retirement to again serve as secretary of state.

 

Scott also announced that Michelle Rhee, known for firing teachers who got poor appraisals when she headed Washington, D.C.'s school system, will continue as his informal education adviser.

 

A day after taking office, the new Republican governor appointed Billy Buzzett as secretary of the Department of Community Affairs. He comes from The St. Joe Company, one of Florida's largest private landowners, where he was vice president of strategic planning.

 

Buzzett's appointment predictably won applause from the business sector, but it also drew praise from an environmental leader.

 

"That's actually a good thing," said Audubon of Florida executive director Eric Draper. "I've walked the woods with him. I know he has a personal feeling for the specialness of Florida's environment."

 

Buzzett's marching orders include advising Scott on how to align the planning agency's functions with those of other state agencies. Scott noted in a news release that Buzzett served on a transition team that recommended merging Community Affairs with the departments of Transportation and Environmental Protection.

 

It's an idea environmentalists oppose because they fear it would dilute protection of Florida's natural resources, but Draper predicted it would be a nonstarter in the Legislature.

 

During his campaign, Scott accused Community Affairs, which is responsible for enforcing Florida's growth management laws, of inhibiting development and being a job-killer.

 

"Billy is focused on helping me make government smaller, less intrusive and consistent with efforts to increase investments in Florida and spur job creation," Scott said in a news release.

 

Buzzett will replace Tom Pelham, who fired a parting shot at Scott and other critics Monday by saying it'll take decades to use up development capacity the department has approved over the last four years under ex-Gov. Charlie Crist.

 

Pelham's final report shows the department has approved planning amendments that will permit more than a million new housing units and 2.7 billion square feet of nonresidential construction. Pelham said some local plans were revised because they failed to provide for roads, utilities and other infrastructure or allowed construction in inappropriate places.

 

Florida Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Mark Wilson said Buzzett's appointment is "fantastic news for us." He said it'll encourage major developers who shunned Florida because of the department's policies to take another look at the state.

 

Wilson said he anticipates a reversal of the focus on funneling growth into urban areas and open rural areas to development needed to accommodate a predicted growth in Florida's population by two million people over the next decade.

 

"That's where smart growth can happen and needs to happen," Wilson said. "We don't have room for them in the cities."

 

Scott has spoken often of seeking outsiders like himself, but Buzzett is a familiar face in Tallahassee. The attorney worked for the Legislature, was Gov. Bob Martinez's general counsel and served as an administrative law judge and executive director of the 1998 Constitution Revision Commission before going to work for St. Joe.

 

Browning retired last May, as required by the Deferred Retirement Option Program, which lets top employees draw retirement benefits as well as a full salary. He can be reappointed, though, after sitting out at least six months.

 

Rhee, who advised Scott during his transition, said in a statement that she was proud to work with leaders who support holding schools and teachers accountable for student achievement.

 

"Florida is leading the country in areas such as information about school performance, and we look forward to helping Gov. Scott push the envelope in promoting innovative policies," Rhee said.

 

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