Item L4
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date: August 17, 2005
Division:
BOCC
Bulk Item: Yes
No x
Department: George R. Neugent
Staff Contact Person: T. Marble
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Approval of a Resolution of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners in the matter of protecting
the private property rights of Monroe County residents.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES:
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
TOTAL COST:
NA
BUDGETED: Yes
No
COST TO COUNTY:
NA
SOURCE OF FUNDS:
REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes
No
AMOUNT PER MONTH Year
APPROVED BY: County Atty ~ OMB/Purchasing _ Risk Management _
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROVAL:
George R. Neugent
(TYPE NAME HERE)
DOCUMENTA TION:
Included x
Not Required_
DISPOSITION:
AGENDA ITEM #
Revised 2/05
OK~~.rY ~o~~~E
(305) 294-4641 t
25 Ships Way
Big Pine Key, Florida 33043
305-872-1678
Neugent -george@monroecounty -fl. gov
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August 2, 2005
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Monroe County Board of Commissioners
Dear Commissioners,
In June of this year, The supreme Court rendered a 5 - 4 decision on the Kelo vs. New London,
Connecticut, which gave local governments the power to seize the homes of property owners and then
turn them over to private developers. Under Florida's Community Redevelopment Act that allows,
under the vague definition of "Blighted" areas, properties to be condemned by local governments
under eminent domain.
Under this determination, local governments are allowed to declare, for a quote un quote, legitimate
public purpose, and condemn your home as it sees appropriate and to turn it over to a developer to
build condominiums. The misuse of Eminent Domain in Florida has been occurring in the State of
Florida for longer than one might have realized.
Florida's "blight" definition creates a path for virtually any private property in the state to be
condemned under the guise of public benefit. Florida's legislature has statutorily expanded, over the
years, the interpretation of "public use" qualification for more justification of Eminent Domain.
It is my strong belief that the original framers of the constitution in-no-way meant for the power of
eminent domain to be used in this way. And, I can't understand how The Supreme Court knowing the
relationship and pressures local elected officials comes under could believe this to be a local matter to
be addressed by the electorate. This is a clear U.S. Constitutional issue where The Supreme Court in a
5 - 4 vote were wrong. Eminent domain is a powerful tool to be used only for clear needs to benefit
the general public of the community; a case of clear public purpose for the general good of the
community must be made. Securing private property not for sale and then to turn it over to a
developer to build a WalMart or condominiums does not come close to that threshold for me. So
therefore, I propose the following resolution:
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE
COUNTY, FLORIDA IN THE MATTER OF PROTECTING THE PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS
OF MONROE COUNTY RESIDENTS.
Sincerely,
George R. Neugent
District 2
Commissioner George NeuQent
RESOL UTIO~ NO.
-2005
A Rr.SOUjTIO~ OF TIU: HOARD OF COllXry
CO'VIMISSfONERS OF MONROE C()l.l~TY,
FLOKIO.4.. I ~ TH E 1\.1 A TT ER 0 F PROTF.CTI~G
THE PRIVATE PROPFRI'Y RIGHTS OF MONROE
COCr\TY RESIDENTS.
\YH EREAS. rhe United States Con~litlLlion, Anicle ~ of the Bill of RighlS" and lhe
I ']orid(l COllS! irul iun, Anicle X, Sectiol1 (', expres<;,1 y provide fbr the prot~ction of the pri val~
property right~ of its c:il izen.~, aTld
\VHEREAS, the power of emtnenl domain has. been reserved to the Im.::al, slale and
tedera! governments tor the sole purpose or acquL!'lng private property tl1rough th~ use of
condemnation pmce~Jings when said privately htld pmpenies are needed tor publi(_ purpo~e';,~
and
\VIlEREAS, the tnited SlaleS Supreme COlin recently handed. d(nvn a decisiml
uphold Lng w har they maintain is (l loc;al govermllenl' So ahil ily w take private property for a
vaguely dcllncd .'public good" such as economic: devdoJ-lmelll, or incrcased tax revenues to the
local government 11 self; and
W 111'~ H: V!\S. the Supreme Cmm decis.ion put at risk the vcry right of private i ndividLlal 'i
to be free from government interference in th~1" righl to keep and enjoy thci r privilte propeny;
and
\\: HE REAS, this aClion by the SLlprcmc Cou rt [S COlltrary to and contravenes lhe
aforemelltiOlled conslitutiunal prolections against sLlch capric iOllS and \vi llfu 1 attack s by any:
go\'crn mentJ I body upon the rights of tile (:itizens; llO\\', lherd~)f~
HE n Ri:SOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 01'
.lIO" I{QJ< COUyfY, FLORIDA:
Section I. Tile Board remgnize.. and supporls th~ original concept of the framers of
the CO!1s.titutioll \'ihereiEl the power 01' lhe ~rnin~Jll domain shall be used only as a las[ resort to
ac:quire private property for a publil: projeCl, and thal any s.uch public pmjccl can be
demonstrated to be: necessary to accomp I!sh the genera I \.....elfare of the citizens of that
jurisdiction.
Setllon 2. The Buard Je~m;(; any depanure fi:Dnl lhe original princ:iplc~ or eminent
domairl w b~ an as.~aull UJ] our lmsic foundations' ()r lihert}. and a threal lO the righL.~ or pl.ivate
propertj' ov.'ller~h i p ~ and agai n strongly urg~ aU lllunicipal juris.didion~ within the State of
Horidil to encourage the 1,'lorida State [.egislmurc to us.e aU meall~ nec:essary to ~irellb1hen tile
original purpose of the Rights of Eminent Domaill within the Slate COllstitution.
Em i nent Doma i n Res.
Sf'ction 3. The Board urges the Florida State Legislaturt' 10 uf;e all means neces.::.ary
to S{cc[)g.lhcn the original purpose of the I{ i ght'} of Fminellt Domain v.'lthin lhe Sla.le
C oll$tirutioll
S<<tlon 4. The Clerk i~ directed to send L:opies of this n~~olulioIL Lo Slale
Repre:-;emali,'e Ken Sorens.en, State Senator Larccnia Uu liard, and the mayors of mUllicipaliti (;~
\.viLhin :'v1nruoe Count~'.
I~ASSEI) ;\_'1 [) ADOPTED by the Bourd of County COmmiS'ilOnerS of \.1onroe COUTlly,
Florida. m a regular rnccling or said Board held on the 17th day of Augus.t, 2005.
\1ayor Spehar
\1ayor Pro Tem \h:Coy
Commi ssioncr r\ cl son
C omm j ssi 0 Her I\ cugcnt
C omJtlj_~f;ioIler Rice
(SF/XL)
A.rrest: DANNY LKOLHAGE. Clerk
BO_ARD OF COl~NTY COI\11'...llSSIONERS
OF MONROE COL1l\TY. FI .OR 1 DA
By
ill'
Deputy Clerk
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Etni nent Dotrloin Res.