Judge orders North Port and former commissioner to produce records in Sunshine Law suit
NORTH PORT – The city of North Port and former City Commissioner Chris Hanks have been given 10 days to provide public records asked for in a Sunshine Law suit filed by city resident Stephanie Gibson, or show cause why they cannot.
Circuit Judge Andrea McHugh issued the show cause order Tuesday.
That clock, however, has not yet started.
North Port City Attorney Amber Slayton said in an email forwarded through city spokesman Josh Taylor that the city is aware of the suit through other means but “the City and Mr. Hanks have not received service of process on this case or the referenced order.”
NORTH PORT – Three candidates, including one familiar face from the November 2020 race for Sarasota County Commission, have filed for the March 9 special election to fill the currently vacant North Port City Commission District 1 seat.
Two political newcomers, Joseph Garren and Walt Grzenikowski, will be on the ballot along with Alice White, who ran unsuccessfully against Ron Cutsinger for the District 5 seat on the Sarasota County Commission.
A change in the North Port city charter means that the top finisher in the three-way race will claim the seat outright, regardless of the number of votes they receive.
While the campaign will occur with the state still subject to COVID-19 social distancing protocols, both the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce and League of Women voters plan to host online candidate forums.
NORTH PORT When the North Port City Commission approved a change in zoning for neighborhood commercial land on Dec. 8, it eliminated – among other things – gas stations from those parcels.
But a contentious application to build a 7-Eleven gas station and car wash on a 4.15-acre parcel at the northwest intersection of Price and Cranberry boulevards is technically grandfathered under previous zoning, which was known as commercial high intensive.
The owners of the property stopped their efforts to mediate a deal with the city of North Port and are now deciding whether to sue for the right to develop the property.
That person’s name was redacted by Conni Brunni, founder and treasurer of ABCD, aka Accountability equals Better Community Direction, who supplied a copy of the email to the Herald-Tribune.
“It is not me, and I will say that unequivocally, and it is not anyone associated with ABCD,” Brunni said of the person who filed the complaint.
Martha Perego, director of member services and ethics for the ICMA, confirmed the ruling Friday.
“That’s the highest action that our association can take for violation of the code,” said Perago, who added that the association would issue a formal statement next week.