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City attorney: annexation of 110 acres will go to mediation under Florida statute; public asked about openness
Summary
Port St. Joe’s city attorney said the annexation of 110 acres on Industrial Road — recently enacted by the commission — prompted a county response and that both sides have agreed to pursue the mediation step required under Florida Statute 164 before litigation proceeds.
The city attorney updated the Port St. Joe City Commission March 18 about a pending dispute related to the commission’s recent annexation of roughly 110 acres on Industrial Road. The attorney said the county had signaled it would file suit, but that both sides agreed to the mediation step required by Florida Statute 164 before litigation may proceed.
The city attorney said he had spoken with Jeremy Novak, the county attorney, and that the parties are working to select a mediator and schedule mediation dates. He said he would return to the commission with the mediator’s identity and timing once those details were set. “We both agreed to that, and we’re in the process of trying to put together who the mediator is gonna be and what dates,” the city attorney said.
During public comment, resident Christy McElroy asked whether the mediation would be open to the public and whether the full commission could attend. The city attorney said he would research that question and follow the statute’s requirements; he noted mediation or conflict-resolution processes can have different openness rules depending on the process chosen.
What happens next: Staff will report back to the commission with mediator selection and proposed dates. The commission will be informed whether the mediation session will be open to the public or conducted under confidentiality rules required by the mediator or statute.
