County: Can a Big Sugar lobbyist represent Keys?

Monroe County commissioners, on record endorsing a freshwater storage area south of Lake Okeechobee to improve water flows into the Everglades, want to know where their paid lobbyist stands.

Commissioner Danny Kolhage said at Wednesday’s meeting in Key West that he would not vote to keep Tallahassee lobbyist Frank Bernardino’s firm on a county contract.

“They represent Big Sugar,” Kolhage said of the firm. “That’s an inherent conflict and I cannot vote for it.”

The large sugar-producing companies, collectively described by critics as Big Sugar, have objected to a proposed massive water-storage in the Everglades Agricultural Area south of Lake Okeechobee.

Everglades advocates contend such a water conservation area is critical to cleaning fresh water of agricultural runoff before sending the needed water south to the Everglades and Florida Bay.

County Administrator Roman Gastesi said Bernardino’s firm has multiple employees who can lobby for different issues. “These guys are professional and in high demand,” Gastesi said.

Bernardino was credited by board members with excellent work in securing passage of the Florida Keys Stewardship Act during the Florida Legislature’s winter session. That law sets aside some state money for environmental projects.

Commissioner George Neugent said the uncertain situation with the lobbyist also “gives me a bit of heartburn.”

“Where is he going to be on this issue? Is he not on our side?” Neugent said. “We could find ourselves in a potentially embarrassing conflict.”

“If there’s a question between what Big Sugar pays him and what we pay him...,” Kolhage said, letting the question trail off.

Gastesi said he would get a written response from Bernardino.

U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Miami and the Keys) stopped by the meeting to offer his support for Everglades restoration. “We all know how urgent this has become. It’s an environmental issue and also an economic issue. We need Florida Bay to be healthy,” Curbelo said.

This story was originally published August 20, 2016 at 9:59 AM with the headline "County: Can a Big Sugar lobbyist represent Keys?."