HomeMy WebLinkAbout08 31 1989 Judge Sebastian Has 20 Days to Implement Charter Changes6A, Thursday, August 31, 1989, Vero Beach, Fla., press -Journal
Judge: Sebastian Has 20 Days
To Implement Charter Changes
By PATRICIA DILALLA
Sebastian Bureau Chief
Sebastian's councilmen will have 20
days to adopt the city's ordinance
implementing the airport charter
changes or show cause why they
should not do so, according to an order
issued by Circuit Court Judge Paul B.
Kanarek.
Kanarek's order, which he signed
Monday, states that the petition by
Burt Snell shows, at first glance, a
need for relief.
"In order to issue the writ, the judge had to
review the petition and had to come to a con-
clusion there were grounds to issue it," said
Burney J. Carter, Snell's attorney.
While the recent order Is a procedural act,
Carter said, the judge could have reviewed the
petition and said there were not sufficient
grounds for a writ to be issued.
City Attorney Charles Nash said he will file an-
othermotion to dismiss tbd lawsuit claiminif
Snell may not have standing if he cannot prove
he has been harmed by the council's action.
The order does not address Snell's request for
a temporary injunction against the city's
use of money in the airport enterprise
fund, Carter said.
Last week, Kanarek approved an
amendment to Snell's original petition
asking that the airport enterprise fund'.
be frozen until a permanent injunction
is issued prohibiting use of the money
except for expenditures authorized by
ordinance, resolution and the charter
amendment.
The basis for that request is Snell's
contention that $ 106,252 used from
the fund for legal fees were improperly spent..
Snell sued the individual council members in
June to force them to adopt the airport charter
amendments approved by voters in March.
Instead of adopting them, as required by the
referendum vote, the council entered into an.
agreement with the FAA. The agreement rails
for a study of the airport and its relationship to
the community, .
The FAA became involved because of its a'=ijee-
tions to noise provisions contained' in the nhar-
ter amendments.