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Courtesy photo.
Councilwoman Debra Rogers said she voted to reappoint Robert Lott to the city's Economic Development Board because there was no one else.
EDGEWATER -- Robert Wayne Lott was not at Monday night's City Council meeting when he was unanimously re-appointed to the city's Economic Development Board.
Instead, Lott was in New Smyrna Beach, wearing another of his hats, as a former board that oversees Bert Fish Medical Center, speaking in favor of the hospital's merger with Florida Hospital.
As expected, Mayor Michael Thomas recommended Lott for reappointment to a new three-year term and the vote was unanimous, though Councilwoman Debra Rogers said she wrestled with not attending the meeting because of that very vote and the man she dislikes, Mr. Lott.
But because it was also the final municipal budget hearing and vote, just 20 minutes before the meeting she drove to City Hall.
But Rogers voted for Lott, explaining she had bigger battles to fight such as the budget.
"Had staff had any other nominations for us to consider I would not have voted for him," she said.
Rogers, often the lone dissenting vote on many issues, especially fiscal with Edgewater having the highest tax rate in Volusia County, said she is sickened by what she perceives as the rubber stamping of those who wield the real political power behind the scenes.
At the top of her list is Lott, a city resident who has served on or chaired the city advisory board for at least a decade, in addition to holding other public and private positions that impact the community. These include being a past board member of the Southeast Volusia Hospital (Taxing) Authority for Bert Fish Medical Center and serving as a current board member and 2009 president of the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce.
Rogers, who officially has three meetings left before her four-year term expires, said fighting the status quo has been an uphill battle from the start because of the political connections of insiders like Lott and his associations with the power-elite and the influence of The Observer newspaper officially owned and operated by Lott's wife, Michele.
"Bob Lott is directly involved in Edgewater's politics," Rogers said. "He tries to come off as positive, but one has to ask, 'What's in it for him?'" He and Steve Dennis and Bob Williams are always together. It's a joke. They all run together in a pack. We have a city manager (Tracey Barlow), but Lott's the one behind the scenes. Bob Lott is supporting the re-election candidacy of the mayor and the mayor in return made the recommendation to the council to reappoint him to the board."
Bert Fish CEO Bob Williams also is on that board and Steve Dennis, recently fired as executive director of the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce often makes presentations at those meetings and occasionally the council meetings.
Lott said he understands how Rogers might feel isolated because of her personal politics, but he's not about making friends, but rather getting things done that benefit the city he calls home.
"I don't agree with what she says sometimes, but she has that right," Lott said of Rogers. "Bob (Williams) serves on the board with me and Steve often makes helpful suggestions. I don't demand that anyone make me chairman or even re-appoint me.
Particularly troubling to Rogers is Lott's influence through his close association with the weekly Observer newspaper, officially owned by his wife, Michele.
"The coverage is always one-sided for the projects Bob Lott wants such as Restoration," Rogers said, referring to the large-scale development proposed on the western edge of the city that would double its size. "There's never anything critical about Edgewater government except when it comes to me."
Rogers said it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Observer newspaper is an extension of Robert Lott's personal agenda and those of his close friends.
Lott disagrees, saying he has no influence directly or indirectly with the editorial content of the Observer as that is exclusively in the hands of his wife. Michele Lott declined to speak to NSBNEWS.net.
Rogers said anyone who doubts the intertwining connections of Robert Lott and his friends need only to look at the sudden departure of Dennis from the chamber and the current situation of a "do-over " by the hospital board's decision to merge with Florida Hospital after a series of secret meetings that has led to a lawsuit that could negatively impact the merger.
"Like everyone else, I'm waiting to see how things unravel with Bert Fish with all those closed-door meetings. They did what they could thinking they could get away with it and they did."
Lott, who served on the hospital's taxing district board from 2007 to 2009, was part of the early process of the merger.
And last year as president of the Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in lobbying New Smyrna Beach officials to work directly with Edgewater on working together to make Restoration a reality without Volusia County as a go-between where there would be more oversight.
Restoration proposes 8,500 homes and 3.3 million square feet of commercial-industrial and other use space on land west of Interstate 95.
Though touted as "green" because it would preserve land, including restoration of some wetlands, other acreage destroyed for the development would displace wildlife.
The American Audubon Society and the Edgewater Citizens' Alliance for Responsible Development oppose the project as does Rogers.
Lott said Restoration is an example of the kind of large-scale project that he believes will enable Edgewater to provide essential services while providing for an expanded tax base.
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File photo by Sera Frederick.
Robert Wayne Lott is shown here addressing the New Smyrna Beach City Commission.
"My wife and I have lived in Edgewater since 1999 and my 80-year-old mother lives with us," Lott said. "We care about this community."
Mayor Thomas said He makes no apologies for Lott's service to Edgewater and City Manager Barlow said the only people he answers to at City Hall are the mayor, Rogers and the other three elected council members.
"Mr. Lott was on the Economic development Board for two previous city managers," Barlow pointed out.
File photo by Henry Frederick.
Edgewater City Manager Tracey Barlow is shown here at a New Smyrna Beach City Commission meeting two years ago for discussion on Restoration, the planned community near Interstate 95.