Little Jim's has a lot going on and Commissioner Gaines wants a public meeting to clear the air

If you have been hearing things about Little Jim's, some of it is probably not true. Commissioner Gaines said so himself Monday night and asked for a dedicated public meeting to lay everything out so the community can hear what is actually happening 🎣.

Here is the background. A citizen named Keene filed a lawsuit against the city over the Little Jim's property. His settlement offer had two conditions. First, that the city resolve all outstanding Florida Department of Environmental Protection violations on the property before any new lease or RFP moves forward. Second, that any future land use decisions involving publicly held waterfront land require a public vote. The commission voted to reject the settlement Monday night. Commissioners said the FDEP issues need to be addressed regardless but the second condition was not something they were willing to agree to.

Commissioner Gaines said he has been hearing rumors that condos are being planned for Little Jim's and that locals are going to be cut off from using the property. He was clear: nobody on the dais agreed to any of that. He said he wants a publicly noticed meeting where everything gets laid out, the FDEP letter, the city's next steps, all of it, so the community is working from facts and not rumors.

What's next: Commissioner Gaines is requesting a dedicated public meeting on Little Jim's 📅.

💬 What do you think should happen with Little Jim's? Tell us right here