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Tom Trask

Madeira Beach legal woes continue

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Last month, two residents filed a lawsuit claiming Madeira Beach commission members broke the state Sunshine Law when they appointed a new member. Now they’ve added more claims to their case. City officials, they say, refused to turn over public records. They also allege commission members used the city attorney as a private pipeline to trade information before they voted to spend tax money to defend themselves against ethics complaints. The citizen complainants, William G. Gay and Cathy P. Moore,…

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Madeira Beach to use city money for attorney fees in ethics complaints

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

For the past few months, the Madeira Beach government has been bombarded with lawsuits and ethics complaints arising out of a controversy surrounding two proposed developments. Now, the Madeira Beach commission has voted to cover officials’ attorneys’ fees and costs they may incur because of seven complaints filed with the state Ethics Commission. The vote came during a commission meeting Tuesday in response to advice from city attorney Tom Trask. “Up to seven complaints, filed by various citizens, have been…

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Development opponents ask judge to overturn Madeira Beach zoning decisions

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Opponents of two proposed developments on Madeira Beach filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking a judge to declare invalid commission votes to rezone the property. The lawsuit is the fourth filed in the ongoing battle between the city and opponents of the developments. Ethics complaints have also been lodged with the state and with professional organizations over allegations of improper conduct by city officials. This latest lawsuit centers on an effort by members of Madeira Beach United to stop the developments.…

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Lawsuit claims Madeira Beach commission violated Sunshine Law when appointing new member

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

Two Madeira Beach residents have filed a lawsuit claiming officials violated the state’s public meeting law when they chose a new commissioner by “secret ballot.” The suit, filed late Friday, asks the court to rule that three of the four commissioners broke the Sunshine Law. It also asks the court to invalidate the appointment of Housh Ghovaee and to order the city pay the plaintiffs’ attorney’s fees. Madeira Beach Mayor Travis Palladeno called the lawsuit “frivolous.” City attorney Tom Trask,…

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Activists’ attorney: Madeira Beach developments votes were invalid

in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by

The city of Madeira Beach and developers are proceeding at their “own risk” if they take any steps to start redeveloping two parcels of land, according to an attorney who represents a group opposing the projects. The reason: Last week’s votes to allow construction to proceed were invalid because activists had submitted petitions asking for a referendum on an ordinance that initially cleared the way for the proposals. The city charter requires that officials suspend action under a disputed ordinance…

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Madeira Beach officials reject petitions, plan to go ahead with votes on proposed developments

in The Bay and the 'Burg by

Acting on the advice of the city attorney, Madeira Beach City Clerk Aimee Servedio has rejected the majority of more than 1,000 signatures on a petition geared at stopping a proposed development.   The decision to reject the petitions means final votes on the proposals will likely go ahead at Tuesday’s commission meeting. “It was done wrong, and it’s not being accepted,” Madeira Beach Mayor Travis Palladeno said. The city sent a letter to members of Madeira Beach United, a…

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