Commission orders developer to pay undisputed fees by April 30 and directs staff to negotiate remaining Shoma obligations

The North Bay Village Commission unanimously directed the village manager and attorney to negotiate an amended payment timeline with Shoma’s counsel and rejected a $100,000 settlement offer, while requiring the developer to pay undisputed impact and permit fees plus a $400,000 community contribution by April 30 before a building permit would be issued. Commissioners said the steps are intended to move a stalled Harbour Island development toward construction while protecting the village’s negotiated remedies under its development agreement.

Commissioner (speaker 9), who framed the motion, told colleagues he found the developer’s prior $100,000 proposal “insulting” compared with the outstanding obligations and sought both immediate payment of fees the developer already owed and a process for resolving the remaining disputed $5 million‑plus balance. The commission’s vote also directed staff to return with proposed contract amendments and a timetable for resolving the outstanding workforce‑housing and community‑contribution dispute by the end of May.

Developer counsel asked the commission to consider medical and commercial realities and offered to continue negotiating; the developer’s agent said the property remains the owner’s residence and sought flexibility on fines tied to code enforcement proceedings. Staff and commissioners emphasized that issuing any permit without clarity on the financing and the amended development agreement would diminish leverage and urged timely, public negotiation.

The motion passed on a unanimous roll call. Commissioners said the village remains willing to negotiate but insisted on payment of fees already owed to reduce taxpayer risk. The village manager and legal counsel were authorized to meet with developer counsel and present an amended agreement or recommendations at a future public meeting.