3-2 Vote ushers in new carriage ordinance

After 2 hours and 22 minutes of public comment and commissioner debate, testimony from two attorneys representing the current carriage operator and two attorneys representing the city, we have a new carriage ordinance – on a 3-2 split vote.

Although it will not take effect until June 1st, the second reading was sufficient to pass over opposition from City Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline and Bill Leary.

The mood of the mayor, vice-mayor, and Commissioner Errol Jones, appeared to be somewhat beleaguered by the prospects of holding yet another second reading, or worst, to start the ordinance process again.

Assistant City Attorney Carlos Mendoza stepped up to the podium at 5:20 p.m. to introduce the controversial and repeatedly tweaked version of the proposed ordinance that will regulate animal-drawn carriages within the City of St. Augustine. He almost immediately yielded his time to begin receiving public comment.

All total, twenty-one citizens would address the commission before the mayor closed the public hearing. All issues had been raised in past hearings; the comments ran about three to two against the ordinance.

Boles twice commented that he felt it was necessary to approve the ordinance now, almost two years since revisions to the current permitting process was initiated. “We can come back at any time,” Boles told the other commissioners, “and, I am willing to come back at our next meeting to talk about any of Mr. Leary or Mrs. Sikes-Kline’s concerns”.

Jones remarked that he was the only member of the current commission that was on the commission when a younger Murphy McDaniel stood before him and pleaded the commission to change the “monopoly” then held by Stuart Gamsey. “I agreed with him then and I still believe competition is good,” Jones said. “But, now, the shoe is on the other foot.”

McDaniel sued the city but dropped the case midway through when he reached an agreement with the former owner of virtually all of the permits, Stuart Gamsey — placing McDaniel in the position of controlling all but three or four of the issued permits.

The City and the operators, including McDaniel, C.B. Hinson and Jennifer Cushion, will have until June 1st to implement the new ordinance.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News staff photographer