Blair Wants Meeting Closed; It Stops

By MIKE SALINERO The Tampa Tribune

Published: Aug 16, 2007

TAMPA - He isn't a member of the agriculture advisory council, but that didn't stop county Commissioner Brian Blair from bringing the council's meeting Monday to an abrupt end.

Blair attended because the council planned to discuss proposals for a new wetlands policy. Blair is chairman of Hillsborough County's Environmental Protection Commission and a critic of its wetlands division.

About an hour into the meeting, Blair decided members of the public and other invited guests should clear the room.

"He said everyone needs to leave because we need to discuss this behind closed doors," said Janet Kovach, who frequently attends the meetings. "I can't believe the arrogance. He summarily dismissed us."

Stephen Gran, the county's agriculture industry development manager, stopped the meeting minutes later because he worried that Blair's actions had violated state laws governing open meetings.

"The council does not meet in that manner; we do not have closed meetings," Gran said. "That's why we stopped the meeting as soon as we realized."

Blair did not respond to several requests for an interview. His aide told a reporter that the commissioner would have no comment on the meeting.

Among those asked to leave the meeting was Rick Garrity, executive director of the Environmental Protection Commission. Garrity was there to discuss how his new streamlined wetlands permitting proposal would affect farmers.

"At some point I think Commissioner Blair wanted to meet with them himself, so we left," Garrity said.

The meeting was of a subcommittee of the county Agriculture Economic Development Council, a group that includes farmers and nursery owners and works to promote agriculture. Blair is not a member of the council.

The council met with Garrity to suggest changes in his permitting proposal that would benefit farmers. On Wednesday, the full Agriculture Economic Development Council voted to endorse Garrity's proposal, Gran said.

Blair began attacking the Environmental Protection Commission's wetlands division in April, saying the agency is unnecessary because it enforces the same wetlands rules as state and federal agencies. He was one of four commissioners who voted in June to eliminate the agency. The commission is to take a final vote on the division's future today.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.