Raised voices and a suggestion of trading influence for campaign funds highlighted last night's Stafford Board of Supervisors meeting.
Many residents assumed that the meeting would feature a public hearing on the Conditional Use Permit for a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
That public hearing never made the agenda, but supervisors voted 4-3 to add it to the agenda for their Sept. 15 meeting.
Supervisors Harry Crisp, George Schwartz and Bob Woodson voted against the motion after a heated discussion.
The three dissenting supervisors made it clear that they wanted to withdraw the board's support for the CUP--a measure that would have forced property owner Bill Hoyt to begin the application process again.
When Hoyt originally applied for a CUP, the board unanimously agreed to act as the applicant on his behalf.
The move indicated general support from the board and saved Hoyt approximately $10,000 in fees.
Since that time, the project has become a lightning rod, inspiring a multitude of letters and e-mails to board members from either side of the issue.
At last night's meeting, Schwartz admitted that his initial vote to support the CUP was a judgment error. He read a statement that questioned the process and made a motion to withdraw the board's support of the CUP.
"Mr. Hoyt has done nothing for eight months but lobby, intimidate and send insulting e-mails," Schwartz said. "He has done nothing substantive to forward the interest of the SPCA."
"This has been a very sloppy endeavor on the part of Mr. Hoyt and Mr. Milde," he added.
Supervisor Paul Milde, who has been a staunch supporter of the SPCA location, accused Schwartz of stalling.
"We need to send this to public hearing once and for all," he said.
Prior to the vote, Woodson questioned Milde's motivation. He said that before the CUP came before the board last October, "Mr. Hoyt made a large campaign contribution to Mr. Milde's campaign."
Hoyt has been a regular supporter of Milde's political career. Milde resented the accusation of "pay for play" and denied that the $500 donation had any bearing on his support for the facility.
Supervisor Cord Sterling proposed a substitute motion to approve the public hearing, but in a nod to Schwartz, included the creation of a committee to research improvements to the county's animal control facility.
"He [Hoyt] has sent some bad e-mails," Sterling said. "I thought they were foolish, but we need to have a public hearing with all the facts."
Supporters see a need for such a facility in Stafford, while opponents feel it should be located in an industrially zoned area rather than an agriculturally zoned lot adjacent to residences.
Jonas Beals: 540/368-5036
Email: jbeals@freelancestar.com