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It takes a majority of the seven-member Lakeland City Commission to approve anything — a minimum of four ayes.
This is still true even when, as was the case Monday, only six of the seven commissioners are voting and one recuses himself.
Then, one “no” vote cannot stop anything.
Two can.
On Monday, the commission was voting on whether to allow Southeastern University’s development of an Early Childhood Education Center at 2128 S. Crystal Lake Drive.
At the commission’s agenda study session Friday, the proposal generated a fair amount of discussion by commissioners and some city staff.
There was some consensus that having more spaces for early childhood education was a net positive, but that picking up and dropping off children and having cars queuing on already busy streets was a concern.
SEU and the developers already had tried to amend their proposal to allow for adequate parking.
On Monday, Commissioner Chad McLeod recused himself from the issue because he has been teaching a class at SEU this semester as an adjunct professor.
A first vote was 3-2 in favor, with Commissioners Bill Read and Guy LaLonde voting no, out of traffic concerns.
Mayor Bill Mutz asked the commissioners to reconsider.
“As fas as Southeastern getting into the child care business, I cannot celebrate that enough,” said Commissioner Stephanie Madden.
“We need more child care,” said Commissioner Sara Roberts McCarley.
Read was sticking to his guns. “I know those roads,” he said.
LaLonde wavered.
Finally, his fellow commissioners seemed to sway him that traffic concerns would be addressed, as per a stipulation and commitment — and with that, it finally passed, 4-1.
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