Steve Hruby has been elected as the new chairman of the Collier County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, replacing Joe Trachtenberg, who was removed from the post Feb. 28.
Hruby, a past AHAC chairman, was elected when members of the committee met March 21. Jennifer Faron, who joined the committee this year, was elected vice-chairman and the committee will add a new member at the April or May meeting.
Trachtenberg, who had been unanimously re-elected to the chairmanship in January, termed his removal in late February as a "firing" and said it was a case of him speaking out about the state of affordable housing in the county and a lack of progress over the past year.
"On Monday, the day before the February 28 Commissioners meeting, I sent (a letter) to each commissioner, requesting a place on their March 15 agenda," Trachtenberg said. "My letter obviously struck a nerve. The solution our commissioners found, in response to my pleas to finally give this important issue a hearing, was to get rid of me. Even unpaid volunteers should be allowed to express their opinions, without consequences."
Trachtenberg said new Commissioner Chris Hall, the board's representative to the AHAC, phoned him that Tuesday evening to tell him he had been removed from the AHAC by unanimous vote of the commissioners, but told him it wasn’t personal.
"They decided a change was needed," Trachtenberg said Hall told him.
Trachtenberg said his removal is kind of ironic given that he was announced as the recipient of the Greater Naples Leadership (GNL) group's 2023 Distinguished Leadership Award shortly before he was removed as chairman.
The county's board of commissioners will be meeting Tuesday and are expected to vote on the land development code regulations that Trachtenberg said had been delayed time and time again by the board.
REMOVED: Joe Trachtenberg "fired" from chairmanship of Collier Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
Hall has said the delays were not deliberate but rather were due to several reasons.
"This item was moved forward to summer, then the primary election results came in and the BCC moved it forward again. Then, Hurricane Ian hit and shortly thereafter the November election established a new BCC," Hall said earlier this month. "I first learned about these initiatives in January 2023 and wanted them on the February 14th agenda. Too many items were already in front of this one and I was hoping it could make the Feb 28th agenda. Due to public advertising requirements, I now have this as a March 28th time certain item to discuss with the other board members."
AHAC member Joe Harney said he is hoping the commissioners follow through and make a decision.
"My call to action just went out," he said Friday, and included the following:
"The Collier County Board of Commissioners will be discussing and voting on the four major land development code amendments which have been designed to greatly help solve our affordable housing crisis. Their meeting will be at 9 A.M. on March 28th at 3299 Tamiami Trail East, Naples. The Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and all of the County Committees that have reviewed them fully endorse these amendments. They include these changes:
- Increase the density allowed within the County's Activity Centers (intersection major roads) from 16 units an acre to 25 units an acre, when providing for affordable housing.
- Allow for commercially zoned property that is not within the County's Activity Centers to transition to residential use (16 units and acre) without a public hearing, when showing the residential use generates less traffic than the allowed commercial use, when providing for affordable housing.
- Allow higher density along transit (bus) routes, up to 25 units an acre, when providing for affordable housing.
- Allow high employment centers to add up to 25 units an acre, when providing for affordable housing.
Harney added: "Your voice is important. Please attend this meeting and sign up to speak about your personal experience and opinion regarding workforce, essential service personnel, and senior housing in Collier County. Every registered speaker has three minutes to speak. This is item 9.B. on the agenda."
The Zoom link for registration to speak is: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g1pMz-QTRse3Ph00OEoZ-g
In anticipation of the March 28 meeting of the Collier County commissioners, SWFL blogger Sandy Parker has summarized on her Sparker's Soapbox what happened since the county commissioners unanimously and instantly "fired" the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee voluntary chairman Joe Trachtenberg on Feb. 28.
Parker said in a preamble to the blog: "In this post, I’ll review what was said at the Board of County Commissioners’ (BCC) meeting on Feb. 28 and developments since. My intent is to provide you with more information than you may already have about a recent action by the post-2022-election Board of County Commissioners to address what many agree is an affordable workforce housing problem. Hopefully with “both sides of the story,” you’ll be better able to decide: was the firing of Joe Trachtenberg justified? or was it shooting the messenger?"
And, since his firing, Trachtenberg sent the following email to each AHAC member:
"You’ve undoubtedly read of my dismissal from our advisory committee. I want you to know how proud I have been to serve with you.
When I was first elected chairman I was charged with making the affordable housing crisis in our county more visible to our leaders and citizens. I attended most BCC meetings, sometimes waiting until the evening to speak, always advocating for our goals. I also spoke to numerous church and civic groups, not to fear monger but to educate.
The fact that thirteen months passed from my first BCC appearance as chairman, with not one of our recommendations ever being heard as an agenda items speaks volumes. Several times we made it to the BCC agenda fully prepared to speak, only to be deferred at a commissioner’s request.
Anyone who has attended our committee meetings knows we worked diligently to develop meaningful recommendations. Had our ideas about impact fees, the surtax fund, zoning change requirements, ad valorum contributions, ADU’s, etc been approved, affordable housing would be thriving in our county.
Our two new subcommittees, focused on how AHAC can accomplish more and on establishing proposed rules for the surtax fund speak to our efforts to play a more important role in providing solutions to the problems we face.
I’d especially like to thank our county staff leaders, who have worked diligently with us, in our so far unaccomplished efforts to achieve these many shared goals.
AHAC has become meaningful part of our county’s government. It’s essential you keep it there.
Sincerely,
Joe"
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