Council’s agenda last Thursday was highlighted by three items with council taking action on one of them. The proposed 250-foot ferris wheel in the Florida Aquarium parking lot passed 4-2 with Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak and Councilman Bill Carlson voting no. Both Council Chair Alan Clendenin and Councilmember Luis Viera spoke to the benefits the attraction would be as a visual for “b-roll” video during sporting events. That the fairly common attraction would differentiate the downtown skyline.
One detail I would argue with Abbye Feely, Administrator of Development and Economic Opportunity, is her “correction” of the public that the lease terminates in 2039 and not sure where anyone in the public got 30 years. Yes, the initial terms of the lease is through 2039, however the lease automatically renews for two 10-year terms. The city would have to give two years notice otherwise. The included contract for the sublease clearly spells out costs into years 21-24. Nobody imagined 30 years.
The anticipated opening is fall of 2026.
Ethics
The discussion around the proposed changes to the city’s ethics code took on more focus this week after language surfaced from the 2022 recommended changes from the Ethics Commission that would have infringed on First Amendment rights by labeling anyone who advocated to council or staff as a lobbyist, whether they’re being paid to speak for an issue or not…