Commission Candidates Address Timely Topics at Forum
Ray R. Irvin, Richard Blake and Bobby Saltzman got to answer questions submitted by audience members at the City Hall event, which was hosted by the League of Women Voters.
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Three candidates vying for the open Safety Harbor City Commission seat were on the same stage together Wednesday night, responding to a variety of questions on issues currently facing the city.
The forum, hosted by the League of Women Voters and the Chamber of Commerce, brought Ray R. Irvin, Bobby Saltzman and Rick Blake together in a public arena for the first time, allowing residents to see where each one stands on the issues.
While the candidates have been canvassing and campaigning around town for months, some residents have not had a chance to learn enough about them to make an educated choice as to who to vote for.
“We came here to hear what they have to say and find out who’s who,” longtime Safety Harbor resident Clare Moore said. “I like to see what they guy looks like before I make my opinion.”
Before taking questions submitted by the audience via a moderator, each candidate made an opening statement outlying their goals if they were to be elected.
Blake started by saying as a longtime resident and local realtor, he is "already a representative of this city's past, present and future," and as someone who is expecting his first child in December, he "can't think of a stronger purpose a candidate would need to make wise and thoughtful decisions for the future of our city."
Irvin, a former government official in Indiana who "grew up all over the world" said he would be like to see people get more involved in arts and cultural issues in the community while "considering development issues very closely."
And Saltzman, a longtime customer service employee, said he is "the real deal, what you see is what you get." He praised the community by saying "having a Safety Harbor address is prestigious", and therefore he'd like to attract more businesses and customers to the area.
Following those statements, they were given three minutes to respond to the audience questions.
Some of the key issues addressed included downtown and economic development, the waterfront park, the Firmenich property proposal and the importance of the arts, library and parks and recreation to the community.
Regarding the Firmenich property proposal, Saltzman said, “I am totally against the project. I view it as a tenement type project…and I cannot see it working for us.”
Blake, who serves on the Planning and Zoning Board, said he firmly believes that the proposed residential and commercial development “is the best use for that property,” while Irvin said he is not opposed to development, but “it’s got to be the appropriate development” for the area.
All three candidates said they are strongly in favor of growing the arts scene in town and supporting the parks and recreation department, but there was a minor dispute when it came to the library.
When asked, Saltzman and Irvin both admitted to owning a library card, while Blake confessed he has not gotten one yet because he has been busy with his businesses.
“It’s not something I use on a daily basis…but I definitely support it,” he said.
Their concluding statements reiterated their desires for what they want to see happen in Safety Harbor going forward.
“We need to get the word out and make sure people understand that we have something so special and so wonderful here,” Irvin said, “and I think that is marketable, sellable and worth cherishing and fighting for.”
“We live in a wonderful, quaint and special city,” Saltzman said. “I am a resident same as you, and I realize the decisions I will make as your commissioner will affect everyone that lives here. I will work for a better Safety Harbor.”
Blake got the last word of the night.
“The quaint character and small town charm that Safety Harbor has is what we all know and love,” he said. “But we’ve really got to start putting a plan together to create revenue for this city. We need to be saying yes to this outside money…and become more proactive in inviting business to our area.”
To learn more about each candidate and hear their opinions on the issues, check out our Safety Harbor Patch candidate guide.
Did you make it to the candidate forum last night, or watch it online? Let us know what you think about the candidates and their stance on the issues that are affecting the town in the comments.
Valerie Nolte
9:14 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Prior to the forum last night, I really hadn't had much exposure to the candidates. Judging by the number of Richard Blake posters I had seen around the City, I thought perhaps he was the best candidate but felt I needed to know more about the other candidates prior to the election. After listening to them and watching how they interacted with the residents, I have determined that Richard Blake is clearly not going to get my vote. First, I read your "Meet the Candidates" article yesterday and was a bit disappointed that Mr. Blake hadn't been able to provide information for your article prior to the meeting. Not knowing when you approached them, this was understandable. What I saw last night, however, showed that Mr. Blake doesn't appear to have the time to be a City Commissioner. First, when I arrived at 5:45, the other two candidates were out front meeting the citizens and taking the time to listen to our concerns. Once the meeting started, I got the distinct impression that Mr. Blake was completely unengaged, repeatedly asking for the question to be repeated when it came his turn to respond. One of the key moments for me was - when asked if he had a library card - he stated that he had not had time to get one because of his two businesses. Possessing a library card would not typically be a deciding factor when choosing a candidate. Having the time to devote to the job and the citizens should be; and it was clear last night that Richard Blake does not.
Jeffrey Rosenfield
9:48 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
Valerie, I appreciate the comment and your perspective on last night. In fairness to Mr. Blake, he did not have a lot of advance notice regarding the response for the article. It was a time sensitive piece, and Mr. Blake does work during the day, so he replied as soon as he could. As for the other issues, someone said last night that perception and/or small things like signs can make a person chose to vote or not to vote for a candidate, so there can be many deciding factors as to which choice to make.
Harborite
10:07 am on Thursday, October 25, 2012
I also had little knowledge of the candidates before last night's forum. I had only read an article about each of them on the Patch. I agree with Valerie's views that Richard Blake performed the worst of the three. I thought that Ray Irvin did the best in answering the questions about economic development, the Firmenich property, the Waterfront Park, and the library. I also could not believe that Richard Blake did not have a library card. I thought that Richard stumbed over the questions and seemed to be the least prepared. I thought that Bobby Saltzman was a sincere and nice guy, but I think that Ray Irvin's experience in Indiana and his skeptical views of the redevelopment of the Firmenich property won me over last night.
Steve
7:09 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
I watched the debate on line last night. I have to agree with the above opinions that Richard Blake did not seem prepared for this debate. He kept asking the moderator to repeat the question and seemed to be trying to think up an answer while the question was being repeated. Mr Blake stated that he served on the Safety Harbor Planning & Zoning Board and that he supported the large scale Firmenich Property Proposal to bring in the extremely large 296-unit apartment building. I don't think that Mr Blake appreciates the apprehension that people in Safety Harbor feel about this project. I feel that he is too pro-development and he will not be receiving my vote. In contrast, I could be happy if either Ray Irvin or Robert Saltzman won this commission seat. They seemed much better prepared for the debate and they were more concerned about preserving Safety Harbor's small town feel.
Marie
4:26 pm on Sunday, November 4, 2012
Lets take a step back here for a minute. Are we focusing on the right reasons to not vote for Mr Blake?
Lets make sure we are clear on understanding the benefits of having someone from the Planning and Zoning board and Real Estate Market on our commission. The Benefits of having a young working entrepreneur with a young family that can bring the much needed inspiration the community needs.
Lets not get caught up on a Library card and first public speaking appearance. Lets focus on the facts:
Planning and Zoning and Real Estate Benefits:
-Knowledge of Rules and Regulations pertaining to the Safety Harbor Land Development Code
-Current Environmental Ordinances Including Tree Preservation Plans
-Current Zoning Districts
-The Community Redevelopment Area
-Grant Programs
-Understanding Current Market Conditions
-Market Trends, Prices and Consumers Preferences
Marie
4:28 pm on Sunday, November 4, 2012
What I have learned after a little research on the Firmenich site:
-The majority of the site is currently zoned industrial.
-Current zoning allows 300,000+ square feet of additional buildable area. That’s the size of three Home Depots!!!
-The zoning change seems like a perfect opportunity for some much needed charm as you enter the backside of the Harbor!
-The Richman group are also green builders and prior developments are beautiful.
-Also mentioned the rentals are set to start at $1000. mo.
http://www.therichmangroup.com/search-results.html?show=new
In conclusion, do the residents of Safety Harbor seriously believe that the potential of three Home Depot size buildings is quaint? Don’t you realize the City, boards and commissioners have codes and rules they have to follow in regards to traffic flow??It sounds to me like no one was listening to what Mr Blake said! Here is his quote:
The recommendation that the board is making is that the zoning should be amended to a higher Residential use, rather than the current Industrial use. By amending the current zoning it will help protect the surrounding residential areas from industrial uses in the future, such as huge distribution centers or noisy manufacturing plants.
I hope everyone does a little research on their candidates and are able to make informed, fact-based decisions.
Marie
4:36 pm on Sunday, November 4, 2012
http://www.voterichardblake.com/click-on-the-candidate-comparison-chart-richard-blake-for-safety-harbor-commission-seat-1/