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Vice Chair seeks legal review of 'Coffee With Candidates' after Sunshine Law concerns
Summary
Vice Chair Arthur Rhodes asked the District Manager and counsel to review an HPCA-organized Oct. 9 candidate forum, saying candidate bios and HPCA involvement may create Florida Sunshine Law issues; the board unanimously approved the request for a legal opinion.
The Heritage Pines Community Development District Board voted Sept. 17 to ask the District Manager and District Counsel to review an upcoming “Coffee With Candidates” event after Vice Chair Arthur Rhodes raised concerns that the HPCA’s handling of candidate bios and scheduling could create Sunshine Law conflicts. The board approved a motion directing the District Manager to review implications and directing counsel to provide a legal opinion.
Rhodes told the board he believed the distribution of candidate biographies and the scheduling by HPCA officials raised "serious problems in the relationship between the HPCA and the CDD." Herb Hurley, HPCA general manager, stated that "the candidates asked for the event to be scheduled so they could become known as candidates for the CDD Board." The board’s motion (moved by Rhodes, seconded by Vaughan) requires a counsel memorandum and reminded sitting supervisors about Sunshine Law attendance limits. The event is scheduled for Oct. 9, 2024; the board also discussed whether sitting board members could attend without violating Florida’s Sunshine Law.
