 For a guy who doesn’t swim, I sure spend a lot of time around the water.
We live in a county surrounded on three sides by water. And in a state with plenty of water within a few hours’ drive. So, with the heat upon us and the official start of summer only a few weeks off, I figured now’s a good time for a photo page on water selfies.  Question: Did you ever start to write a blog and realize the subject matter is so dull, so heavy with government speak that no one, not even your wife, not even your puppy, is going to waste even 3 to 5 minutes of their day reading it?
Now you know where I sit. The county hired a consultant last year to perform a space study. It cost about $300,000 in American Rescue Plan money.  Notes from my first County Commission meeting since taking a week off to erase my mind off the County Commission:
— Our dirt, and the public process, is safe. Before a meeting room packed with Pine Ridge residents itching for a fight, commissioners and the state quickly backed off suggestions that the county make it easier for sand pits to supply fill for the Suncoast Parkway construction. Pine Ridgers never got a word in before the whole issue was laid to rest.  Happy Tuesday! Miss me? We all rested up?
Good! Let’s jump into it. Three topics, all related:
 Good Monday! Let’s chat a bit.
A friend recently reminded me that May is Mental Health Awareness Month. She said that to me for a reason. “You need to take a break,” she said. “You need to think about Mike.”  Meanwhile, they’re building sheds as homes in Beverly Hills.
Oh, hi. Happy Thursday! Just perusing my notes from Tuesday’s County Commission meeting, and there it is: Beverly Hills woman says a builder is depositing shed-like structures on concrete pads, claiming them as single-family houses.  Sitting in the back of the room, my eyes went to the ceiling in thought, searching for a word.
What was it I’m hearing? Politics? Sure, some. Deflection? Yeah, a little. That wasn’t it, though.  Happy Tuesday! Let’s get to it.
Only the most troublesome Citrus Countian would hope that the 491 mess continues after today’s board meeting. The rest of us who have big plans for our community want to see this settled so we can move on. So, some thoughts: — It will be discussed PLENTY today. Three commissioners have something at least loosely related to the 491 mess on their agendas.  Good Monday! Let’s talk about growth.
First off, two things to know about Commissioner Jeff Kinnard: One, he’s not a troublemaker. Not a rabble-rouser. Confrontation is not his thing. Sure, he’ll stick to his positions. Jeff’s a pro at reading the room. He knows a commissioner’s job is to get two other votes. Other than that, Kinnard tends to avoid the fray.  Happy Friday! I had planned a long, grandpa story from my first job to illustrate today’s point. But the blog became a little lengthy as it is, so I decided to just dive right in.
People want to know why I have a grip on the 491 mess. They wonder why I keep pointing out details, while the powers-that-be say I’m making this far more significant than it really is. We’d be in great shakes with our friends and relationships, if not for that nasty blogger. Why keep it going? What is my motivation? |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 37 years. 
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