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Fort Lauderdale commission splits over lobbyists on advisory boards; excludes one nominee to Planning & Zoning
Summary
After extended debate and public comment on whether lobbyists should serve on city advisory boards, the commission voted to approve a slate of board and committee nominees while removing one nominee — John Rodstrom — from the Planning and Zoning nomination. Staff said a draft ordinance on board‑member lobbying will be returned to the commission.
The Fort Lauderdale City Commission on April 15 debated whether registered lobbyists should serve on city advisory boards and ultimately approved a slate of appointments while excluding one nominee to the Planning and Zoning Board.
The debate began when several commissioners and members of the public objected to the nomination of John Rodstrom to the Planning and Zoning Board, citing his prior public advocacy, social‑media posts and work as an attorney and paid political consultant. Commissioner Glassman objected to the nomination and urged that the planning board — a body with “incredible responsibility” — should not include a lobbyist he said had publicly disparaged elected officials and that, in his view, had shown insufficient understanding of the city’s Unified Land Development…
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