Shelter vote: It's paws over pause

Good Wednesday!

In a perfect world, I’d provide a concise point-by-point description of the two major events during Tuesday’s County Commission meeting.

Here’s the thing: I’m kinda brain dead. That happens after sitting five hours in a frozen cave observing the government in action. Don’t know what else to say. So, I’m just going to ramble through:

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— Big news first: Animal Shelter bid gets a 3-2 vote. The total is $20.7 million. The county will borrow $15 million; the rest comes from funds already set aside and money raised by citizens and organizations. Expect groundbreaking in a few months.

— Commissioners Jeff Kinnard and Holly Davis jumped right in with support. Commissioner Rebecca Bays eventually did as well. Bays urged the forming of a nonprofit to raise funds for the shelter, and offered $1,000 of her own money to kick it off.

— Campaign move on Bays’ behalf? Perhaps. Not a bad one, though.

— To no one’s surprise, Commissioner Janet Barek was a hard no. I looked at my notes for her explanation. There isn’t one that fits any logic plane.

“I have always been a proponent of fixing what we have now,” she said. That argument was discussed and dismissed 10 years ago, Commissioner.

— Chair Diana Finegan was also a hard no, but she played to the re-election crowd. Finegan suggested a “pause” of 60 to 90 days so that the architect can lean on the bidders to get us a more realistic number.

To Finegan’s thinking, we’re leaving millions of dollars on the table by rushing to a decision. Just three- or four-months delay, she said. No biggie.

— Pretty sure it's not that simple. Bids are locked in once submitted. Telling the architect to get concessions from bidders would require the entire project to be rebid. 

— Barek thought that was a wonderful idea. The other three ignored it.

— Seems political. Commissioner/Candidate Finegan can now say she tried for a “pause” to potentially save millions of dollars for the shelter, but the other commissioners wouldn’t cooperate. Don’t be surprised if that’s exactly how she’ll portray it on the campaign trail.

— Now, sales tax. We may have stumbled upon something.

— Cutting through it, the Trust for Public Land will poll residents to gauge support for a 1% local option sales tax referendum. It will offer two choices. One would use the money for roads solely; the other would be for roads, plus 5% of the revenue for conservation.

— This organization has an impressive track record for referendum success. It’ll help Citrus through the finish line so long as at least SOME of the referendum is for conservation.

— While I’m still not crazy about the government hijacking a citizen-led initiative, this poll should give us a pretty good indication of support for a referendum. That said, I’m extremely skeptical of this process.

— Commissioner Barek believes the sales tax should be for residential road resurfacing and nothing else. Commissioners discussed and dismissed that idea years ago. That’s why they’re using the “pavement management" euphemism so that it covers all paved county roads.

— Finally, a word about how being a poor team member can hurt. Commissioner Barek badly wants the county to buy the old Deltona clubhouse property on C.R. 39 in Citrus Springs for a park. She keeps pushing it and keeps getting ignored.

(Mike note: I initially said the property is on C.R. 488. I stand corrected.)

Worse, commissioners are telling Barek she needs a “business plan” before the county can even get appraisals. I don’t recall ever seeing a business plan for Pirates Cove. 

She’s clearly frustrated, but a few things don’t help.

First up, there isn’t a single citizen publicly asking for this park. Not one. That suggests Commissioner Barek may not be as tuned into her district as she thinks.

Second, geez, Barek can’t keep hammering her colleagues and then expect them to bail her out when she’s having a problem. Political life doesn’t work that way.

(Simple solution, Commissioner: Place it on your agenda and make a motion. Get at least two other votes. That’s your job.)

— OK, I’m worn out. Have a great Wednesday, friends.

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