Back to SoWal Lounge

Billy Buzzett to lead the state Department of Community Affairs

Kurt avatar
KurtAdmin
707 views
Scott's appointments signal sea change in state government
Less than three days on the job, Gov. Rick Scott is busily applying his pro-business stamp to state government, naming a former development executive to manage growth management while placing a shipyard executive in charge of environmental protection.

News of the appointments came just before and after the governor also froze agency rulemaking and created a new office to identify rules for elimination ? to the alarm of environmentalists, who fear Scott's war on regulation could severely hamper conservation.


Scott announced late Wednesday that he had tapped former St. Joe Co. vice president Billy Buzzett to lead the state Department of Community Affairs.


With its headquarters in northwest Florida, the St. Joe development business is Florida's second-largest private landowner. Buzzett, a civil engineer and land-use lawyer, was a vice president for strategic planning at St. Joe when he left in 2009.


This fall, he was among Scott's advisers urging to merge Community Affairs with the state's environmental protection and transportation departments, essentially creating a one-stop shop for businesses seeking permits to expand or relocate to Florida. Scott's written announcement of Buzzett's appointment described him as "well-positioned to manage the consolidation of (the Department of Community of Affairs) into other state agencies."


The Florida Chamber of Commerce hailed the appointment as "good for job creation."


Rick Scott "ran as an outsider, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he didn't pick lifetime bureaucrats to run these agencies," said Adam Babington, vice president for government affairs at the chamber.

Replies

15
AlphaCrab avatar
AlphaCrabBeach Fanatic
#2
Re: The newly apppointed head of the environmental protection agency in Florida.

The felon placed the fox in the henhouse--and the big surprise to all here is......?
30ashopper avatar
30ashopperSoWal Insider
#3
I read an article yesterday indicating enviro groups were quite happy with his appointment. :idontno:
30ashopper avatar
30ashopperSoWal Insider
#4
I read an article yesterday indicating enviro groups were quite happy with his appointment. :idontno:

Ah, no, that was for the shipbuilding guy who's heading up the enviro department.
passin thruBeach Fanatic
#5
I think this is great news, both for Billy and especially for the state.... IMO, Billy is a knowledgable, hard-working and very fair & straightforward person for this job.
Jdarg avatar
JdargSoWal Expert
#6
I think this is great news, both for Billy and especially for the state.... IMO, Billy is a knowledgable, hard-working and very fair & straightforward person for this job.


:clap::clap::clap: SoWal is lucky on this appointment!
grace avatar
graceBeach Fanatic
#7
:clap::clap::clap: SoWal is lucky on this appointment!

Say bye bye to state lands. I'm guessing one of the first will be Pine Log in Bay county.
scooterbug44 avatar
scooterbug44SoWal Expert
#8
Say bye bye to state lands. I'm guessing one of the first will be Pine Log in Bay county.

Deer Lake is my guess. :roll:
NotDeadYet avatar
NotDeadYetBeach Fanatic
#9
A road through Pt Wash state forest, that's my guess.
Lake View Too avatar
Lake View TooSoWal Insider
#10
Why do you all think bad things are going to happen to South Walton because one of our guys gets into a position of power in state government?
beachmouse avatar
beachmouseBeach Fanatic
#11
Do many public lands have restrictions put on their use because of terms of sale or donation? I'm pretty sure Henderson Beach SP does, and there's also some sort of land use story with Tops'l IIRC.
grace avatar
graceBeach Fanatic
#12
Why do you all think bad things are going to happen to South Walton because one of our guys gets into a position of power in state government?

Did you work for St. Joe too??
I think bad things are going to happen to a lot of counties in Florida because Scott is putting big developers in high power positions. Just one of many shady things this guy is doing.
GoodWitch58Beach Fanatic
#13
Do many public lands have restrictions put on their use because of terms of sale or donation? I'm pretty sure Henderson Beach SP does, and there's also some sort of land use story with Tops'l IIRC.

not sure exactly what you are speaking of, but there are some lands that have conservation easements...meaning there must be a conservation element to their use. (It's more complicated than that, but generally that's what it says). it comes about as a result of the way they were purchased.

For example the lot just south and west of Garfield Street in Grayton Beach was sold to the state at a very reduced price -- a partial donation-- and part of the conditions of sale was that it would be incorporated as part of the county owned park land and the public would be allowed to use it and the county would maintain it. Thus, the walkway and small sitting area was constructed for the public use.
Nothing says though that a change in laws by the legislature and/or Governor could not reverse these conditions. Let's hope that doesn't happen.
Kurt avatar
KurtAdminAuthor
#14
With big business and land comes demands and development. Billy is a business man and while I don't know the ins and outs of his business I believe he is one of the good guys. And his wife and kids are aces and they love South Walton and wilderness as much as anyone.

And besides, I don't believe anyone would run over me as I sit in and type and post pics from my beach chair in front of their bulldozer.
30ashopper avatar
30ashopperSoWal Insider
#15
Do many public lands have restrictions put on their use because of terms of sale or donation? I'm pretty sure Henderson Beach SP does, and there's also some sort of land use story with Tops'l IIRC.

Yes, they have semi-permanent environmental easements that are a very very hard to remove.
SGB avatar
SGBBeach Fanatic
#16
With big business and land comes demands and development. Billy is a business man and while I don't know the ins and outs of his business I believe he is one of the good guys. And his wife and kids are aces and they love South Walton and wilderness as much as anyone.

And besides, I don't believe anyone would run over me as I sit in and type and post pics from my beach chair in front of their bulldozer.

Totally agree with Kurt. Billy might have worked for a big developer in the past, but that doesn't mean he is one or that he will protect their interests more than the people of Florida. Heck, his mother in law was instrumental in protecting Grayton, so if he gets out of line, his wife will give him a dose of reality! Billy is a very smart and level headed guy and we should be happy that someone with his knowledge of the area is in Scott's circle.

Checking your forum account

Please wait while we verify your forum account.

New posts