Chairman returns to a full house

Tuesday stuff not named Ozello on my mind:
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— Welcome back Ruthie! Chairman Ruthie Davis Schlabach returns to the County Commission for Tuesday’s meeting after missing nearly two months being treated for breast cancer.

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And what a meeting for her return. Not only will commissioners get an update on Schlabach’s pet (ha!) project, the animal shelter, there’s a glampground zoning thing that starts at 5 p.m. and should end sometime Friday.

I had a nice chat with Ruthie on Monday and she’s eager to get back. As I mentioned the other day, a five-member board with someone missing just throws the whole thing off-kilter.

If you’re attending the commission meeting, be nice to the chairman. For one day at least.

— It’s not on the agenda but expect a potential resolution to the Inverness Airport fixed-base operator lease to come up.

You may recall two weeks ago when Commissioners Holly Davis and Diana Finegan inexplicably blocked a five-year contract extension for Right Rudder Aviation, whose lease to run the Inverness Airport expires at the end of this month.

Without explaining their reasoning, other than the county has a consultant now studying the airports, both commissioners insisted on a two-year extension even though the contract calls for five years. 

Right Rudder president Andy Chan ruffled feathers when he at first asked for a 50-year extension which, of course, is ludicrous.

Commissioner Jeff Kinnard pushed for five years and Commissioner Rebecca Bays seemed on board with that as well, though she joined Davis and Finegan in going for the two years.

Chan said he wouldn't sign a two-year deal and that left us wondering if the Inverness Airport would be rudderless come Sept. 1.

Now it appears cooler heads have prevailed. Chan and the county have ironed out the details and we can expect County Administrator Steve Howard to have a proposed five-year airport lease extension for commissioners to approve.

With Chairman Ruthie back on the dais it seems enough votes exist to keep Right Rudder as FBO. In a perfect world, the vote would be unanimous. Right Rudder has done nothing to deserve anything less than full support.

— I’m looking forward to the animal shelter update. That thing sorta fell off the public radar, right? We were all wired up about the consultant report and estimated cost, then it just went behind the woodwork.

What I’m hoping comes from this discussion is a firmer handle on the finances. Remember that the county wanted to use Betz Farm sale proceeds to pay a large share of the animal shelter costs. With the Betz Farm property now back on the market, it seems logical the county would find a more stable and reliable revenue source (if there is one).

Listen, folks. Bigger picture stuff may be blotting out the landscape but this animal shelter problem is getting worse, not better. Every animal hoarding arrest — guess where those cats and dogs end up. Shelter Director Colleen Yarbrough’s office, that’s where. And every other available patch of space that’ll fit a pet crate.

Plus, with the county moving full ahead on developing the Inverness Airport Business Park, the animal shelter property becomes even more valuable.

Time to give this project a sense of urgency.

— I realize I said no Ozello but I want to thank the dozens of folks who commented on Monday’s blog regarding the big glampground zoning case.

As of 9 p.m. Monday, the post had over 130 comments. I read them all. They were spirited, on point, aggressive or defensive depending on the comment — and polite. 

A commissioner sent me a late Monday afternoon text that read: “FB page is on fire! Holy smokes!” Another commissioner told me she thought the comments were balanced.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat: Decision-makers read Just Wright Citrus comments. That’s one reason why I’m so insistent that we play nicely. Commissioners don’t like it when rudeness shows up at public hearings and they’re the same way with the written word.

A little advice for those attending the glampground public hearing: Be polite and respectful. Don’t clap or boo. Direct your comments to the chairman. Try not to get emotional. Don’t, under any circumstances, accuse commissioners of being in someone’s pocket, or making up their minds ahead of time, or any such nonsense.

Two other sentences to avoid: “We pay your salary!” Or, “We’ll remember this at election time!” Neither means squat to commissioners.

Looks like a late night. We call that government in action.

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