Believing in giving credit when it is due, today we recognize Rep. Jeff Clemens and his position on the St. Augustine "Switzerland" development or House bill 0979 and amendment 543740 filed late on the last day of the 2012 session.
A video of the debate in Tallahassee taken during the last day of the 2012 session shows state Rep. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, saying, “When someone files an amendment three minutes before (the deadline) to help one land owner in St. Johns County, I think those of us sitting over here (in the House) have a responsibility not to vote for something like that.” They pulled a sneaky move as it was thrown into Bill 0979 at the last minute, creating a law and giving special status to one land developer. We are unsure if Clemens' NO vote was only because it was at the last minute or because he truly believed that giving special consideration to one land owner was the wrong thing to do, which it is. But whatever his reason, Jeff Clemens was on the right side of the 87/31 vote by voting NO.
Clemens' downtown Lake Worth office reception area
The developer made an end-run around the County and went to the State after the County rejected his project for sprawl regulation. Read more... at the St. Augustine Record and how this wealthy developer lobbied Governor Rick Scott to get his way.
"The subject property contains approximately 607 acres. It is just south of a WW 2 era bombing range. It is primarily immature pine plantation, and forested uplands and 284 acres of wetlands," says the article. When the Scott Administration disbanded the state Department of Community Affairs, it announced that one benefit would be that locals would make land use decisions. You can see how that worked out.
Rep. Jeff Clemens office where he greets and meets constituents
when he is in Lake Worth,
usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays
County officials say that the "Switzerland" development is a textbook example of urban sprawl — hundreds of houses plunked down in the middle of empty farmland — and the amendment is an example of government resuming its control over local land use issues. I would bet there are plenty of people in Lake Worth who would agree with what Gov. Scott and the legislature did especially those who fought us on Amendment 4.
The Bill.
Bernard voted "yes" and Clemens voted "no."
On another note, a three-judge panel appeared skeptical of State Rep. Mack Bernard's appeal of a lower court decision affirming Jeff Clemens as the winner of the PB County Senate race. If you recall, Clemens beat out Bernard by 17 votes. Bernard has finally conceded.
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