The pathways to a successful blog

OK, I’m just gonna be honest: I’m whupped.

Tuesday was one of those long government days. Meeting in the morning, meeting in the afternoon, and a couple of bill signings with local flavor that grabbed my attention.

I started to write the blog at 8 p.m. Bunny asleep at my feet. Never a good idea to get into anything deep when my brain is filled with government mush, so we’re going to skim the surface...

— The Citrus County School District has a new logo! From the press release:

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“The new logo, which replaces the long-standing apple-in-the-C design used for over 20 years, reflects a fresh, unified vision for the district. At its center is a golden graduation cap, symbolizing academic achievement. Below it, three pathways in blue, green, and black represent the various futures students pursue — college, career, and military or service.”

I found this interesting: “Notably, the pathway colors were intentionally chosen to represent not just the district's three high schools — Citrus, Crystal River, and Lecanto — but also every school in the district. At least one of the three colors is reflected in each school, from elementary to postsecondary institutions, making the design truly districtwide.”

The rebranding was done entirely in-house. No consultants.

It’s kinda cool looking. Check out the district’s Facebook page for more info.

— The Right Rudder Aviation issue came and went rather quietly Tuesday. Right Rudder owner Andy Chan, who is the Inverness Airport fixed-base operator, spoke his piece about how the county suddenly, with little warning or even a plausible reason, issued a notice of lease termination.

County Administrator Steve Howard said the lawyers were talking and he expected a resolution by the board’s next meeting. No one offered a clue how any of this came to be.

We’ll keep an eye on it.

— Commissioner Jeff Kinnard’s suggestion for a total rewrite of the comprehensive plan brought some interesting conversation that may be an indicator of where we’re going with this.

You know, give Kinnard credit. He rattled off a whole host of ideas to get a better handle on growth. 

The cynic, and we have a few around here, would question why Kinnard didn’t think of this two years ago before the growth onslaught began. That’s fair, but I don’t see anyone else on the County Commission offering up solutions or pushing the envelope.

Jeff suggested a workshop to figure out the steps. Commissioner Diana Finegan said she didn’t oppose a workshop, but she wasn’t thrilled about a comp plan rewrite.

Diana’s belief is a new comp plan will mean higher densities, likely in the form of apartments or duplexes. 

“Anything that comes back is going to be an explosion, I fear,” she said. “We’re not ready for that.”

Chair Rebecca Bays, conversely, seemed to welcome the chance to boost density. She said developers spend thousands of dollars on their applications, and it would be nice if Citrus County had some clear criteria on what it would approve.

Me, I am THRILLED with the conversation. Citizens are being asked to participate in the sales tax talk. They’re looking at the big picture. Good to see commissioners are starting to have those talks, as well.

These will not be easy deliberations. Five commissioners, five ideas on how to do things. And heading into an election year, two of those seats are on the block.

It’s a very exciting time to live in Citrus County. So, so much is happening.

Well, I managed to pull this in under 40 minutes. Not bad for a mushy mind.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, friends.

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