It's all calm on the county front

Happy Wednesday!

Watched Tuesday’s County Commission meeting online from World Headquarters III. It was one of those “in other business” meetings, meaning nothing jumped out.

These meetings made me crazy at the Chronicle. What is my lead? Golf carts? No vote. Library? No discussion. Landfill? No details. 

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I’d write most County Commission stories with the day’s big news and then follow it with a series of bullet points “in other business.”

So, let’s get down to it. In other business Tuesday, the Board:

— Heard a presentation from a library consultant that said Citrus County needs a new library in the Citrus Springs area because of residential growth. Here’s the report. It pegs the cost of a new library at $12 million to $18 million. It also recommended improvements to Homosassa and Central Ridge libraries, which are also outgrowing their space.

Now. That's a mighty significant report, wouldn’t you say? It’s on the County Commission agenda, so one would (I guess) assume that individual commissioners reviewed it with the library staff in their briefings prior to Tuesday.

Citrus Springs has a small not-for-profit community library. While the county at one time provided some funding for maintenance and utilities, it hasn’t since 2016. With much of the growth occurring in that corner of the county, a public library branch certainly seems logical.

So, I’m strapped in for a deep conversation about libraries. OK, Commissioners, ready when you are.

Silence.

Other than Commissioner Janet Barek saying she supports the report’s recommendations, the other commissioners said nary a word.

Not only no discussion, but no direction either. I’m guessing that the staff will come back with some sort of recommendation, but when that is, who knows?

— The county is about to raise landfill assessment annual fees from $27 to $35 after a public hearing later this month. This is the amount property owners pay with their tax bill.

It can be a little confusing to understand the difference between tipping fees and the assessment. Tipping fees cover the cost of doing business. But I always thought the assessment is for landfill expansion, which is quite expensive.

A citizen had a very good idea. The county should make available on its website a breakdown of the solid waste budget, and how these fees are disbursed. While the county’s solid waste division has information online about the assessment, it’s vague and forces me to search for the details. Forget that.

The county has on its website a great breakdown of gasoline taxes and how they’re spent. It was mentioned frequently during the sales tax talk. I’d hope before the July 28 solid waste public hearing that the county does something similar for the landfill.

It’s not that much money from our pockets for sure, but the citizens’ request is valid.

— Golf cart study in Crystal Manor. The Board held off a vote; commissioners want to see if there’s a uniform way to handle these things.

Folks in Crystal Manor, a community north of Crystal River, want to drive golf carts on their streets. Problem is that the county requires a traffic engineering study beforehand to make sure the whole deal is safe.

A study costs upwards of $57,000. The county paid for the traffic study a few years back for Homosassa but said no more. Communities could fund their own golf-cart studies. Commissioner Jeff Kinnard sought an exception for Crystal Manor because the community has suffered since Duke shuttered the nuclear and coal operations, where many of its residents worked.

His colleagues weren’t crazy about the idea. I totally get it. Look, man, we’re in watch-every-dime territory. That property tax vote is a few months away, and Commissioners are feeling the heat. Taxpayers funding a study to help one community just won’t cut it.

Quote of the day, from Commissioner Janet Barek: “We have enough garbage roads in Citrus Springs that we deserve golf carts!”

That’s it for today. I’m putting the final touches on a fun blog about county politics and the Chamber of Commerce that should be ready in a day or two. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday, friends.
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