HNS REPORTS---AUGUST 31, 2009
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STATE HALTS PUBLIC WORKS DEMO PROJECT, CITES MISSING PAPERWORK
County officials are scrambling again to satisfy state bureaucrats who halted a demolition project last week. The first of two houses on A Street adjacent to the former DPW compound in south Brooksville was demolished, but before a county contractor could start on a second house (foreground left above), an inspector from the state environmental protection department stopped the work. According to the state, the county failed to fill out the proper form to begin the work and submit the form ten days in advance of the project. County officials are scratching their heads because the cited state rule appears to apply to commercial demolition. The two houses to be demolished were purchased earlier this year by the county to expedite cleanup of off-site contamination from the former public works compound. Public Works officials deferred comment until after a meeting to discuss a response to the state concerns.
COUNTY, CCA DOWN TO THE WIRE ON JAIL CONTRACT TALKS
County Administrator David Hamilton said Monday that he and top staff were reviewing the latest proposal from Corrections Corporation of America for financial concessions to the county in return for a three year extension on their contract to run the county jail. Hamilton declined to say what recommendation staff would make regarding the proposal when county commissioners meet Tuesday to discuss the jail contract and its fit in the pending 2010 budget. A week ago Jeff Stabins urged the County Board to consider a verbal proposal that would have meant a half million dollars in jail budget savings with the three year extension, but Stabins said he was disappointed that subsequent CCA written proposals fell short of what he thought had been promised. Now Stabins says he's optimistic that the latest CCA offer will give the board and CCA officials a solid basis for discussion at Tuesday's meeting. CCA had been insisting on working out an agreement in advance of the session, but Hamilton said he did not know if that was possible or even whether CCA officials would attend the meeting.
TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE DRAWS SAVINGS-MINDED CROWDS
Hernando residents hoping to get a break on auto tag and license renewals jammed the parking lot and roadways adjacent to the Tax Collector's office at the Westside Government Center Monday. But just finding a parking place was no guarantee of quick entry to the office. The last minute rush was an effort to beat the big increase in tag and license fees that takes effect September 1. For drivers with two vehicles, the long wait to get in pays off in about $75 in yearly savings over the increases mandated by the state to help balance the budget this year. The Tax Collector's stasff said they expected to work late to try to process everyone in line at the 5 p.m. closing time.
DID SUSPENDED SPRINGSTEAD STUDENT LIE ABOUT FLAG INCIDENT?
After local news media trumpeted the story of a Springstead High School student suspended for criticizing another student's head covering and alleged lack of respect during the flag pledge, school officials now say the student didn't tell the truth. Even though Heather Lawrence's suspension has reportedly been reduced from five to three days, the school principal says she is satisfied from the evidence that Lawrence's statement about the other girl's failure to stand during the pledge was not factual. The teacher involved says the girl did stand, and other evidence reportedly indicates that Lawrence could not have been in a position to observe the incident. Meanwhile. Lawrence's father is quoted as defending his daughter and suggesting that the reduction in the suspension is a kind of "damage control."
GOOD NEIGHBOR TRAIL TAKES SHAPE
The
long discussed and long awaited Good Neighbor Trail is finally taking
shape, thanks to grant dollars to the City of Brooksville. The Trail
has recently been paved for its full interim length, from the eastern
end at Jasmine Drive, across east Jefferson Street, to the trailhead
along South Main Street, where workers are assembling a gazebo and
other trailhead facilities.
Eventually,
the trail is planned to run some ten miles east along an abandoned
railroad right of way to the Withlacoochee State Trail near I-75 in
eastern Hernando County.
PUBLIC GETS CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT REPLACING ALEXANDER
The Hernando County School Board plans to give citizens an opportunity to have their say about the search for a new school superintendent at a public hearing Tuesday night. The board has scheduled the session for 6 pm., sandwiched between an afternoon workshop and a regular meeting later in the evening. The board will take input from the public as well as discussing the timeline for picking a permanent replacement for the departing Wayne Alexander and the various possibilities for an interim superintendent to hold down the fort.
COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS MANAGEMENT SALARIES QUESTIONED
The beleaguered Hernando County Department of Public Works took more blows over the weekend from County Commissioner Jeff Stabins. Stabins says he's concerned with the million dollars plus in salaries and benefits for the top eleven managers at the department and questions what taxpayers are getting for that investment of public funds. He cites the still unstarted Hernando Beach dredge project and the lack of cleanup progress at the contaminated south Brooksville compound formerly occupied by county public works. Stabins said he wonders what happened to the county administrator's ultimatum to County Engineer Charles Mixson to start the dredge by July 30 or be fired. Mixson held a public kickoff meeting July 15 and posted signs announcing the project, but contractors have had to wait out a last minute delay in permitting while seagrass restoration plans were changed.
FIRE BOARD HEARS PUBLIC COMMENT ON NEW STATION SITE
The Spring Hill Fire Board meets Monday night at a special 6 p.m. time to hold a public inquiry workshop on the proposed site for a new fire station. The location is just north of Spring Hill Drive off Santoro Street on property already approved by county zoning officials for a church. Locating the new station on the site requires new zoning approval from the county's planning and zoning commission and the county commissioners, and the Monday night workshop is a part of the preliminary zoning requirements. After the workshop, the fire commissioners will hold a regular business meeting, beginning at 7 p.m.
SMASH-AND-GRAB SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER STEALING 40 CENTS
A 19-year old Spring Hill has been charged with commercial burglary for allegedly smashing a restaurant's front window, entering the store, and stealing forty cents. Deputies identified the suspect as Gregory Foster Dellea of 4358 Hedgewood Avenue. A sheriff's report say he allegedly admitting smashing the window at Ercolano's Italian Restaurant in the shopping center at Northcliffe and Mariner in Spring Hill and trying to get money from the cash register. He was reportedly spotted by two witnesses exiting the store, who allegedly identified him as the burglar after deputies took him into custody.
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STATE HALTS PUBLIC WORKS DEMO PROJECT, CITES MISSING PAPERWORK
COUNTY, CCA DOWN TO THE WIRE ON JAIL CONTRACT TALKS
TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE DRAWS SAVINGS-MINDED CROWDS
DID SUSPENDED SPRINGSTEAD STUDENT LIE ABOUT FLAG INCIDENT?
GOOD NEIGHBOR TRAIL TAKES SHAPE
PUBLIC GETS CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT REPLACING ALEXANDER
COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS MANAGEMENT SALARIES QUESTIONED
FIRE BOARD HEARS PUBLIC COMMENT ON NEW STATION SITE
SMASH-AND-GRAB SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER STEALING 40 CENTS
re: "Jeff Stabins, who staked his integrity..." Stabins/integrity? Isn't that an oxymoron?
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re: STABINS: ADMINISTRATOR HAD ULTERIOR MOTIVES. Mr. Stabins, you need to leave the negotiations to the professionals. They're smarter than you. You haven't a clue! And, HNS, you have become my #1 go to source for local news. Keep up the good work!
opaquely, you need some ads to pay for this thing, pellucid.
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"Stabins says he's concerned with the million dollars plus in salaries and benefits for the top eleven managers at the department..." Sounds like Mr Stabins is the only one asking the right questions. Eleven managers in one department is overkill. When you add in the Supervisors too, what is the employee to superior ratio in just the Public Works Dept? Hernando County is way too top heavy. A perfect example is in Parks Dept. We really need a Director of Recreation AND a Recreation Director? Cut the fat at the top.
I support Mister Stabins and his efforts to find wasteful spending and save jobs.
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