DCA's Pelham speaks out

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By: Gary Fineout

Tom Pelham, the secretary of the state's land planning agency, lashed back at critics on Tuesday, saying that it was unfair to fault state planners when they have no role in writing laws or rules that guide Florida's growth.

Rick Scott, the newly elected governor, has called for cutting regulation in an effort to spur jobs. While campaigning he cited the Department of Community Affairs as an agency that is "killing jobs." DCA has also in recent years come under fire from state legislators.

On Tuesday, some members of the state Cabinet faulted DCA for opposing Safari Wild, an animal park initially planned for the Green Swamp area in Polk County that has special protections over it as a "critical area of state concern."

Polk County approved the project but DCA's objections eventually led to a court ruling that favored the state agency and scuttled the main plans for the animal park. Safari Wild's project became known after the escape of exotic monkeys from an island on the property.

Attorney General Bill McCollum said that after hearing about the project he said it may have been something that he could have supported. Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson also voiced support for the project and said he thought that DCA had "overstepped" by opposing it. Because the developers did not challenge the court findings, the Cabinet could only approve the final decision.

Bronson's comment, however, led Pelham to fight back, telling Gov. Charlie Crist and members of the Cabinet that it was "discouraging and demoralizing" for them to go after DCA. "It's very discouraging to public servants who are given a mission and a responsibility under the law to enforce the laws enacted by others to be constantly bashed for doing their job," Pelham said.

Pelham told reporters afterward that his agency was "under siege" and has become accused of holding back Florida's economy even though he says it was the financial collapse and recession that has held back development. He said that there were plenty of projects -- and jobs that would come with them -- that had already been approved by DCA.

"I think it's under siege, I think it's been bullied, threatened and criticized unfairly," Pelham said. Pelham also called Scott's comment that DCA was killing jobs "nonsense."

A spokesman for Scott on Tuesday declined to comment on Pelham. Pelham, who was appointed to his job by Crist, refused to say whether he wanted to keep his job in a Scott administration or what he planned to do in the future.

Originally published in the Florida Current - exclusively distributed via Lobbytools - Florida's Premiere Legislative and Media Monitoring Service.”