The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
PAGE 11 - July 9, 2008
Editorial - Opinion - Commentary
Letter to the Editor:
Re: Withlacoochee Gulf Area Chamber of Commerce
The first Chamber mixer scheduled for Wednesday 9th July has been canceled, and
Yankeetown Mayor's Report
will be rescheduled for the fall. With all the local business suffering at the moment due to the
high gas prices and the economy, why start the Chamber back up again now? I feel it is
A Guest Commentary by Mayor Dawn Clary
important not just to my business but, to all the business locally to let visitors know what we
have to offer. We have some great fishing guides in this area, bars and pubs and restaurant,
Town hall got a new roof! The addition on the back of the building which is used for
local services, banks, builders, local newspaper, hardware store, grocery store and of course
the Fire Department office was almost flat and flat roofs are always a challenge to prevent
real estate and others.
leakage. This one had begun to leak and it was a relief to finally get it fixed.
We
have put together a Chamber Committee from all the local business in this area,
The new water plant is moving along. The building is going up. There is really
thus creating a pool of resources from which can be drawn ideas, energy and finances. We
nothing out of the ordinary at the moment to report which is a good thing. Speaking of water,
mailed all the local business a membership application and I encourage you all to fill them in
Yankeetown will be sending out a corrected Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). The CCR is
and send them back to us, if you can volunteer your time at the Chamber we would be happy
the letter that informs you of what is in your water, what the limits are on any contaminants
to
see you. We hope you will support and join your local Chamber of Commerce and together
and what precautions must be taken. The element Beryllium was inadvertently omitted from
we
will be "The Pride of Florida's Nature Coast" Edwin Day, Pine Lodge B&B
the report. The small amount that is in our water is way below the limit but if it is present it
must be reported. Florida Rural Water used to do this report for us but they no longer offer
Letter to the Editor
this service so it was contracted out to another service for whom it was their first year of
Re: The County Budget
compiling this type of report also. There were also some editorial changes and additions so
The 2008-2009 budget for the County is now upon us. The present BOCC already
please read the corrected letter carefully. The Department of Environmental Protection has
indicated a 15% reduction across the board for all departments. There is no doubt going to be
reviewed and approved this letter.
a
shortfall within the budget and costs are going to extremely tight not only for this year but
The council is beginning to hammer out next year's budget. If you are interested, we
also next year.
have several workshops planned for this. Look for the postings and the schedule is always
Two years ago a proposal was put forth to the present BOCC and they turned it
on
the Yankeetown site.
down, twice. The proposal presented was for the Sheriff Department to go outside and house
As
to legal issues, you may have read in last weeks Newscaster that Yankeetown's
inmates from other Counties and Federal Prisoners. As it stands now there are many empty
motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Forum Architects against 29 Yankeetown citizens in-
beds at the County facility that could house additional inmates. Doing this would bring to the
cluding half the governmental officials, was denied. The bar to get a lawsuit dismissed is very
County much needed funds. By doing this and taking into consideration the cost involved
low. As I understand it, the court has to assume that everything that has been alleged is true
for housing 75 additional inmates and if the other Counties paid $50 per day for their inmates
so
even if the accusations were true there really is no case. Therefore it is not surprising that
and the Federal rate was $54 per day per inmate the result would be a positive amount in
the motion was denied and does not in any way imply guilt on the part of those involved as
excess of $1 million dollars.
allegations are just that, allegations. Also Yankeetown attended a hearing on July 1st con-
With 75 inmates, outside of Levy County, the approximate annual cost would be
cerning the legal action (Writ of Mandamus) filed by Forum Architects asking that the court
$333,402.50. The same cost would also be applicable for Federal Inmates. This amount would
compel Yankeetown to produce public records to Forum which apparently Forum had already
include the proposed cost for Food, Uniforms, Sheets, Towels, Slides, Blankets, Hygiene and
received. We await the courts decision on this. On another action there is still no word as to
five additional Correctional Officers. However, there is a possibility that the five Correctional
a
decision on the appeal of the amendments to the town charter voted on in the last election.
Officers could be reduced and if that occurred the generated income would increase.
These amendments, some times referred to as Hometown Democracy, have been challenged
If
there were 75 inmates from other Counties the generated income would
be
by
Carl Mazzuca and to date has cost the town approximately $4,000 to defend. Concerning
$1,016,597.50. If there were 75 Federal inmates the generated income would be $1,124,597.50.
the appeal of the Board of Adjustment hearing of the Izaak Walton Investors project, the next
The two amounts are after the approximate cost of $333,402.50 was deducted. These amounts
court action is scheduled for September.
represent the approximate cost and revenue as stated above.
Hope everyone had a good, safe and happy Fourth of July. Good night and Good
It
would be suggested a percentage of this income be placed into a contingency
Luck, Dawn Marie Clary, Mayor of Yankeetown
fund for the Sheriff Department and the remainder be placed in the County's General Fund.
Illegal Dumping A Problem in Inglis
This would allow the Sheriff Department an excess contingency in case of
an emergency,
such as the recent purchase of the new radio system.
Can
the County afford to turn down a profit increase excess of $1
million dollars?
I
When Food Ranch opened, early
disastrous consequences. Not long after he
think not. If the above proposal is not completely accepted then an alternative would be a two
Monday morning, manager Doug Johnston
found the beverages, Johnston saw several
year trial basis. If the revenue does not present itself within that time then the program could
found what has become a far too common
pre-teens riding bicycles nearby. He specu-
be
discontinued.
With the additional revenue the BOCC could fund the necessary increase
sight on the south side of the parking lot
lated that someone cleaned-out a boat, per-
for the various fire departments around the County. After all, isn't the responsibility of the
where the recycling trucks are located - piles
haps, and left them without thinking.
BOCC to serve and provide services for the people? Marguerite Robinson,Williston
of
garbage completely filling the recycling
The bins are clearly marked for recy-
trucks and overflowing onto the parking
cling and the depository slots have signs that
lot.(see photo at right) Notice that discarded
deem which recyclables go in each area. No-
chair and several sacks of garbage? Not to
where does a sign say "Please place your
mention the toilet left there - still some water
garbage here."
in
the bowl and a wad of toilet paper stuck
to
Unauthorized dumping is punish-
the inner rim. Johnston pulled the potty off
able by a $50 fine. While we were taking pic-
to
the side. "I don't want anyone to get any
tures of the dumping problem, two local resi-
ideas," he said, dryly, shaking his head. If you
dents stopped by and explained that they had
look closely, over the tires, you'll see numer-
filled five garbage bags with roadside litter
ous, unopened bottles containing alcoholic
off
187th St., early that morning, mostly
of
beverages (see photo on page 1).
cans and bottles. They were also disgusted
Johnston's main concern was that a
at
the dumping problem in the community. Ev-
child could have found the beverages before
eryone - let's have some civic pride and work
he
had found them, which could have had
together to keep our community clean!
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