By: Nancy Smith, Sunshine State News
After the public shaming to shoo out the old South Florida Water Management District board members as fast as they could, you'd think the new Administration would have been Johnny-on-the-spot getting their replacements appointed and cleared in time for the first meeting.
Which is today.
But they didn't, according to a Governor's Office source. And that means just four board members, thus no quorum for the only SFWMD Governing Board meeting during the month of February. Oh, board members can and will meet starting at 9 a.m, but there won't be any votes taken. A month wasted.
Not a flying start for an Administration that accuses the departing Governing Board of "delaying" Everglades restoration.
So, what happened?
Sanibel City Councilman Chauncey Goss, Gov. Ron DeSantis' first board appointment on Jan. 29, apparently didn't have his paperwork properly completed in time. Goss won't be sworn in today.
Broward developer "Alligator" Ron Bergeron, who does a lot of business with the District, won't be seated until he gets an opinion from the Senate Ethics Committee on whether he has too much of a conflict to sit on the board at all.
Meanwhile, there was major business on today's agenda…