Brooksville Main Street City Council City of Brooksville

Biting the Hand that Feeds Them

You know something? There’s a difference between being outspoken because you’re a bully and being outspoken because you’re being bullied.

And I guess my last post has some at City Hall feeling that my outspokenness was an attempt by Brooksville Main Street to bully them. Comments at their last council meeting suggested it was akin to BMS biting the hand that feeds it. Well, that’s simply not the case. Instead, BMS is working very hard to increase and expand the hands that actually feed the city, by supporting growth of existing businesses and bringing in new ones which will bring added revenues to the city. Ultimately, these new revenues will far exceed its current monetary support of BMS.

Mostly through the hard work of unpaid volunteers, the truth is, Brooksville Main Street is doing everything it can to help City Council achieve what it and the City Council should mutually want, i.e., a vibrant, economically thriving community of historical significance worth preserving, and where living, working and raising children is a positive and safe experience.

But given the ongoing negativity and somewhat inexplicable animus toward BMS, what would you do? It has been made irrefutably clear by at least one City Council member that Brooksville Main Street should not be supported in any way by city government and has even introduced motions to that effect. This, despite significant and growing support from the business community for the program.

Look, here’s the bottom line. Brooksville Main Street has absolutely no desire to be at odds with City Council and will continue to be as cooperative as it can even in the face of adversity no matter where it comes from, including Covid-19. BMS has no choice. The community of Brooksville has no other organization with a program that includes two full time employees and exists exclusively to serve the community’s interests. To put it succinctly, finding itself at odds with City Council in any way, does not serve the community’s interests.

However, I also believe there’s a responsibility in there somewhere to step up and speak out when it’s appropriate. Like I said in my first post, if kudos are deserved we’ll give them, but if not, we won’t, and we will say why we won’t as honestly as we can and as frankly as we need to.

So, along that line, I’d like to offer a round of thanks and sincere appreciation for the council’s 4 to 1 vote approving Jo-Anne Peck to the City’s Beautification Board. Ms. Peck is well suited for the task as she has the educational background, imagination, energy, and a positive spirit that will serve the board well. Those voting in support of Ms. Peck were Mayor Joe Bernardini, Vice Mayor Pat Brayton and Council Members Bill Kemerer and Robert Battista. Council Member Betty Erhard voted against the appointment because she claimed Ms. Peck’s membership on the Brooksville Vision Foundation Board represented some kind of “conflict of interest,” despite being advised by the City Attorney that it wasn’t. (Her animus toward BMS seems endless. We cannot but wonder what’s really behind it. It is hurting the city).

I also want to thank City Manager, Mark Kutney, for attending a recent meeting of the Brooksville Vision Foundation which oversees the Brooksville Main Street program. I’ve never held an elected position but I’ve worked with many city councils and county commissions throughout my career. Elected officials particularly at the local level do not have an easy task. Nor do the administrators who work for them. It is painfully true that there is simply no way to make “all the people happy all the time,” as the saying goes. So, I commend Mr. Kutney for his service and professionalism in the face of that truth.

Finally, based upon comments made at the Council’s last meeting, I think it’s important to clarify that Natalie Kahler is not the writer behind the “Voice of Main Street.” These posts are written as a collaborative effort among a number of people who are extremely interested in the future of the City of Brooksville and, consequently, the “Voice” represents the voice of many committed individuals, not just one. To conclude Natalie is the author is incorrect and she should therefore not have to bear the burden of being accused of such.

… Stay tuned.
The Voice of Brooksville Main Street

P.S. Ms. Peck’s application to the Beautification Board and Brooksville Main Street’s request to install Welcome to Brooksville banners and Florida Mermaid Trail way finding signage are all discussed at the July 6, 2020 City Council meeting: http://hernandocountyfl.iqm2.com/Citizens/VideoScreen.aspx?MediaID=7719&Frame=None