More than 50 people took to the podium to voice their thoughts about a Brightline station coming to Stuart. Most of the crowd on Monday spoke in favor of the new station.
Ultimately, the board voted 3-2 to rescind the ground lease agreement with Brightline and voted 3-2 to rescind their interlocal agreement with Martin County for the train station. Commissioner Christopher Collins, Laura Giobbi and Sean Reed voted to back out of the agreement, while Mayor Campbell Rich and Commissioner Eula Clarke voted in dissent.
“To turn our back on them, when we have this opportunity, it breaks my heart,” stated Mayor Rich following the board’s decision.
It was less than a month ago on Aug. 12 when the city approved an agreement with Brightline to lease a spot downtown near the county courthouse at 500 Southeast Flagler Ave., funding up to $30 million of the project.
Then, the city voted on Aug. 26 to revisit the contract and asked city staff to prepare resolutions rescinding the agreement.
See below the proposed resolution discussed at Stuart’s City Council meeting Monday night: