Conflict on Council Forcing New Plaza Vote

City Council members learned this week that they will have to recast their vote on a controversial renovation of the downtown plaza because Councilman Mike Alvarez realized too late that he had a conflict of interest and should have abstained from voting.

Alvarez participated in the 5-0 vote last month approving the $500,000 renovation of the plaza, the area around the traffic circle, even though he owns property that would be affected by the decision.

City Atty. David A. De Berry said that Alvarez, who is out of town on vacation this week, called his own attorney and the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission after the vote was taken. Each informed him that he should have abstained.

Given the contentious nature of council politics, recasting a vote also means debating the issue again. At least seven people had come to the council meeting Tuesday night to protest the plan’s provision to remove pine trees from the plaza and replace them with palm trees, deemed to be more historically accurate.

Some council members said they could not remember a similar situation ever coming up.

“I’m very disappointed this wasn’t handled properly before,” Councilman Mark Murphy said.

But community activist Carole Walters defended Alvarez, saying it took courage to acknowledge mistakes and then correct them.

The council decided to revisit the issue in its meeting May 26, when the project’s consultant could be available.