This is very abrupt, said City Commissioner Tom Perona. We knew that Commissioner Alexander has been ill, but I did not expect this letter today.
Alexander, who is nearing the end of his fifth term, had missed three consecutive meetings before Monday. The city charter calls for removal of a commissioner who misses four consecutive meetings without an excused absence approved by the commission. What you re trying to do is prevent his removal, and allow him to do it (leave) at his own dismay, Mayor Linda Hudson said in response to Perona s motion to excuse the absence.
Once Alexander s retirement date is finalized, it will trigger a District 1 seat vacancy which must be filled by a special election, according to the charter.
Her home is now one of more than 180 permitted short-term rentals in the city.
The challenges she faced are a result of a nearly two-decade-old regulation that predates a state law prohibiting local restrictions on short-term rentals. Moreover, Fort Pierce is the only place in St. Lucie County that requires a local permit, and puts the fate of every Airbnb in the City Commission s hands. In Port St. Lucie and unincorporated St. Lucie County, residents need only to get a state license and pay certain taxes.
In addition to what Baker referred to as an egregious permitting process that makes people jump through hoops, she, as well as one other Black property owner in the city, said discrimination made it even harder to get the city s stamp of approval.