The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About05 1989 McCarthy To Negotiate Airport FlapMcCarthy To Negotiate Airport Flap *Snell Responds, Page B By PATRICIA DiLALLA Sebastian Bureau Chief If the opposing side agrees, there will be new faces at the negotiating table between Sebastian and the pro -airport faction over the airport lawsuit. By unanimous vote Wednesday, the Sebastian City Council ap- pointed Vice Mayor Robert McCar- thy as its principal negotiator, replacing the mayor. Council also instructed the city manager to con- tact Burt Snell to see if one of his backers could represent their side in negotiations. An earlier motion brought by Councilman Frank Oberbeck to dismiss airport attorney Eliot Cutler died when no one would second it for a vote. Although he voted for McCar- thy's new role, Mayor Richard Vo- tapka expressed doubt that McCarthy could accomplish any- thing with Snell and his support- ers. "I do find it difficult," Votapka said, "knowing this is the same group that instituted a recall peti- tion (against McCarthy). It might come down to serious confronta- tion." In volunteerik }; 1.;— - the city's representative on the, issue, McCarthy suggested the dif- ferent negotiators "sit down, set no time limit, lock the door and come up with an agreement. Snell should be out of this now. "I still believe that someone from the majority of this council should be sitting down with (the other side)," McCarthy said, referring to Votapka's past votes on the airport issue. McCarthy shrugged off Vo- tapka's remarks about the recall petition. "The recall effort was obviously wrong," McCarthy said of a court decision halting it. Votapka had tried to get the council to fire Cutler as a way of reaching a compromise with Snell. Snell's position has been that if Cutler were no longer receiving legal fees from the city, then he would put his lawsuit on hold until the airport/community compatibi- lity study is finished. Once'the study is done, the coun- cil could reconsider hiring Cutler again to make sure it meets the re- quirements of the standstill agreement with the Federal Avi- ation Administration, Votapka said. The study and standstill agreement could be jeopardized, Votapka said, if Snell wins the re- maining part of the lawsuit con- cerning how money is spent from the airport enterprise fund. George Reid, a council candidate in the March election, and Charles Stachel, president of the Citizens Airport Watch both opposed dis- missing Cutler.