Waterways are the big winners

Good Wednesday!

OK, so you know how this goes. I spend an entire day watching the County Commission meeting, you get to relish in my observations. Or, something like that.

Random thoughts from another day of your government at work:

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— Impact fees sailed through with a few hiccups. For one, we learned the consultant didn’t take into account buying right of way when determining the costs of widening a road. We learned this because Commissioner Jeff Kinnard asked.

That kinda screws up the entire model. The whole idea of the consultant is to set impact fees at a rate that meets demand. If the consultant is watering down the true costs of widening C.R. 491, for example, then impact fees are not covering the cost of growth.

Commissioner Janet Barek, who’s on a record-setting pace being on the wrong end of 4-1 votes, wanted a delay while the consultant reworked numbers to reflect those costs, which could add up to $3,800 to the single-family home impact fee.

Still, a little late in the game to change the rates, so expect us to have another impact fee discussion a year from now.

— An ordinance to ban certain fertilizers during the summer rainy months will be coming back to the commission for a future vote.

Commissioners don’t get too many happy times, but this was one of them. Numerous speakers, including the legendary former County Administrator Gary Kuhl (who told a hilarious story about his neighbor essentially fertilizing Lake Tsala Apopka), spoke of the need to protect our waterways.

Four of the five commissioners were enthused to support the environmental groups that brought this to their attention. One poked holes in and voted no. Care to guess who that might be?

— I know this shouldn’t bug me, but it does: Developers getting a free traffic signal.

The latest recipient of our generosity is Metro Development Group, which earlier this month received the OK from commissioners for the Tuscany Ranch development on C.R. 491 opposite Hampshire. Which means it needs a traffic signal.

The county has plans for turn lanes at that intersection. It planned to install a traffic signal when warranted. Turns out, it's warranted. County officials reached that conclusion right around the same time commissioners said yes to Metro. Wow. Great timing!

So now the county is going to spend $1.5 million in transportation impact fees on a traffic signal that the developer needs as much as we do.

It’s not like Metro is getting off scot-free. It is “donating” right of way for the traffic signal poles. (By the way, we only know that Metro isn’t kicking in for the signal because Commissioner Diana Finegan asked. The lack of basic curiosity from some of these commissioners is odd, to say the least.)

And a signal at Hampshire isn’t a terrible idea. Just knowing that this developer, who is already showing signs of playing the political cards, is getting a freebie…well, it just bugs me.

The county believes Metro can use its influential political sway in Tallahassee to help get funding for the C.R. 491 widening. You know. Kinda like the 491 mess, only done the correct way.

— Commissioners talked for 15 minutes about whether to change their meeting schedules to avoid land-use hearings going late into the night after they’ve been meeting all day.

Some ideas were tossed about, but Kinnard nailed it. He noted that it’s rare for zoning hearings to go super late, and if they do, so be it.

Two sides to that. One, we’re not all built the same way from a stamina standpoint. Some people can sit in a meeting for 10 hours and it won’t affect their mood or behavior. Others start getting that glazed look if the meeting goes past 5 p.m., especially on days of morning workshops like Tuesday.

So it’s not really fair for one commissioner to say, “C’mon, suck it up!” while another commissioner approaches the same situation much differently.

On the other hand, Grandpa Mike has this sage observation: Every year, two random meetings end before 3 p.m. and two end after 9 p.m. It’s just the balance of nature. I don’t find more work to do when meetings end at 3, and I don’t complain (too much) when they end at 9.

— Our photo today is of the Crystal River. It really has no relation to the County Commission meeting, but it’s nice, isn’t it?

That’s your wrap for the day. Enjoy it, friends.

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