Inside Venice Florida

Sunday, 25 July 2010

Marshall Happer's Letter to Friends, VGRC Neighbors About His Candidacy.

Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2010 12:21 PM
To: 'happer@marshal4mayor.com'
Subject:

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

I have with great reluctance and humility decided to become a candidate for the Mayor of Venice. I have never been any kind of a politician and I have never previously aspired for any political office. However, after Karen and I chose to move to our wonderful City of Venice as our permanent home, I have come to learn that there are and have been a number of problems with the government of Venice, many of which originated more than 3 years ago with the pre-November 2007 City Councils and City Manager. Unfortunately, our area was more or less considered 2nd class Venice (we even have a Nokomis zip code). That is probably why we only have one road in and one road out, no buffering between our single family development and a pre-existing mining operation (there should have been at least a half of a mile), concrete batch plants and asphalt plants nearby, no buffering between the Venetian and the new Myakka River Park, a new sewage treatment plant, and maybe a future jail site, etc.

Since the election of Mayor Ed Martin in 2007, he and other members of the City Council (Ernie Zavodnyik, Sue Lang, Kit McKeon and Jim Bennett) have regularly attended our Town Hall Meetings (and County Jail site location meetings) and have tried to help us even though a lot of the previous bad planning could not be undone. Mayor Martin appointed our Tom Jones to the Environmental Task Force and Tom is now the Chairman. He also appointed our Barry Snyder to the Planning Commission and Barry is now the Vice Chairman. Mayor Martin also appointed me to the Architectural Review Board and then to the Planning Commission where I now serve with Barry. The City has 16 advisory boards and needs 100 volunteers. I am quite sure we have a lot more qualified people in the Venetian who might like to help with the governance of our City. The City Council has spent 3 years creating a new Comprehensive Plan (with participation of representatives of our Community Association) that sets forth reasonable compatibility standards for future development, including our area east of I-75.

Prior to the November, 2007 elections, the City Council was generally controlled by the lawyers and developers who regularly did business with City Hall along with their associates. That is how, for example we have 100+ foot buildings on the Inland Waterway on Venice Island. They have vowed to try to take back over the City Government in the November 2010 elections and undo the new Comprehensive Plan.

Mayor Martin recently announced that he was not going to seek re-election in November; he is 79 now and wants to spend more time doing other things. Subsequently, I was surprised to receive the urging of a number of folks in Venice (outside of the Venetian) for me to become a candidate. As indicated above, after a lot of soul searching I have decided to become a candidate. I consider it an honor to become a candidate for 3 years of public service if elected. Mike and Imogene Rigdon have graciously agreed to serve as my campaign managers.

Attached is a copy of the press release we issued on Friday and a copy of Gondo article on Saturday that mentioned it.( Ed.note: already posted on Inside Venice.) If elected I intend to try to solve the problems facing the City, including those facing the Venetian, and I plan to try to unify the City. The polarization between the retirement community and the business community has not been good for our City.

Thanks for your consideration, advice and support and I have attempted to make my case as a candidate at www.marshall4mayor.com.

Yours truly,
Marshall Happer