HNS REPORTS---DECEMBER 30, 2009
MASARYKTOWN MAN CRITICAL AFTER COUNTY LINE ROAD WRECK
A Wednesday morning crash on County Line Road near Mariner Blvd. has left a Masaryktown man in critical condition at Spring Hill Regional Hospital. A Highway Patrol report says 80-year old Abram Zane was making a left turn onto County Line Road from Monteverde Drive when his Datsun pickup truck was hit by a tractor-trailer driven by 51-year old Herman Perez of Orlando. Troopers said the accident investigation is continuing.
ROWDEN SAID TO PLAN RUN FOR SCHENCK'S STATE HOUSE SEAT
Rowden 
Schenck Rumors that former County Commissioner Diane Rowden plans a run against incumbent State Representative Robert Schenck hit digital black and white Wednesday. A local political insider and blogger says Rowden told a Democratic Executive Committee meeting recently that she will file to run for the seat after the new year. Anna Liisa Covell did not identify any specific sources for the information, and Rowden was reportedly traveling out of state and was not immediately available for comment.
Democrat Rowden was unseated last year by John Druzbick for the commission post she had held for two four-year terms. Republican Schenck would be seeking his third two-year term in the state house.
Covell's blog posting also reports that current Planning and Zoning Commission member Lisa Hammond will file for the County Board seat now held by Rose Rocco in District 2.
DEPUTIES CHARGE MAN WITH ELDERLY EXPLOITATION
Sheriff's deputies say 34-year old John Elmer Baker, Jr., was arrested Tuesday and charged with exploitation of an elderly or disabled person. A sheriff's report says Baker may have been responsible for bilking an elderly couple with dementia/Alzheimer's out of more than a thousand dollars for repair work on their Hallcrest Ave. home in Spring Hill that was never performed. Baker was taken into custody in Pasco County after a seven-month investigation of several incidents involving the older couple. The probe began after the couple's son stopped payment on a $250 check, and additional incidents were uncovered.
SPRING HILL TRAFFIC STOP NETS TWO POUNDS OF POT
A 32-year old Spring Hill man was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Spring Hill when sheriff's deputies found two pounds of marijuana in the trunk of his Dodge Charger. A sheriff's report says Richard Rodriguez was stopped at Deltona Blvd. and Geranium Ave. after he was measured at 50 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone on Northcliffe Blvd. The report says he was "very nervous . . . shaking . . . and there were beads of sweat forming on his forehead." When Rodriguez denied permission for a vehicle search, a drug sniffing dog alerted to the trunk, and the suspect reportedly admitted that there was pot in the trunk. Deputies found four baggies containing two pounds of marijuana, and Rodriguez was charged with possession of pot with intent to sell. He reportedly told deputies that he paid $2600 for the pot and was planning to sell it.
MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT, BATTERY IN DOMESTIC INCIDENT
A domestic altercation in Spring Hill quickly escalated Tuesday evening and left a 23-year old man in the Hernando County Jail charged with aggravated assault and felony domestic battery for strangulation. A sheriff's report says Andrew Raymond Elliot of 1332 Newhope Road allegedly argued with a 22-year old woman and grabbed her by the neck in a way to deprive her of oxygen. When she got away from him and sought help from a male roommate. he was soon involved in a fight as well. Elliot allegedly got a six inch steak knife from the home's kitchen and pointed it toward the roommate but fled on foot when the female victim called 9-1-1. He was arrested two hours later when he returned to the home. He reportedly claimed that the roommate was the aggressor and denied the knife threat.
DOZENS APPEAR, SEVEN CONTEST RED LIGHT CITES
About 30 people filled the Brooksville City Council chambers Tuesday for hearings on red light camera violations, but only seven wound up contesting their citations. Hearing officer Ken Warnstadt announced at the outset that he would not hear any defenses based on legality or constitutionality.
That led about a dozen defendants to line up to pay the $125 fine. Another dozen joined the line after viewing video of their violations and discovering that their defense of "I stopped before I turned" did not hold water.
That left seven to contest their citations at a cost of $50 if they lost. For the most part their results were no better, as the hearing officer rejected defenses that someone else was driving, that the yellow light cycle didn't allow time to stop a seven-thousand pound truck, and that the video was manipulated. One man did succeed, though, by presenting a repair receipt demonstrating a mechanical problem that kept him from stopping. Brooksville police said 69 citations were issued, for total revenue of $7,625 in fines and another $300 in court costs.
TAMPA METRO LEADS NATION IN HOME PRICE DECLINE
While home prices nationally and even in Florida showed an increase in the latest Case Shiller index out Tuesday, the Tampa Bay metro set a decidedly different mark---the biggest value decrease of the 20 metro areas in the study. The latest figures, which are based on change from September to October, shows the 1.6% monthly decline for the Tampa metro as the largest drop in the rankings. On a year to year comparison, only Las Vegas (-26.6%) and Phoenix (-18.1%) exceeded the Tampa metro's home value decline of 15.2%. The complete table of info is available in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal Real Time Economics blog.
CROOKS ON CAMERA---LATEST SHERIFF'S OFFICE E-LERT
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Now here is part three of our six-part series on the top local news stories of 2009 from the archives of Hernando News Source:
NEW COMMISSIONERS CHANGE COUNTY BOARD DIRECTION
A number of stories over the past year make it clear that the direction of Hernando County government changed with the election of two pro-business Republicans---Jim Adkins and John Druzbick---replacing two Democrat incumbents in 2008. Here are just a few of those stories, including impact fee deferral and reduction, a pending charter government review, and others:
IMPACT FEE REDUCTION, DEFERRAL WIN COUNTY BOARD APPROVAL
County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a one year reduction in residential impact fees after an hour long hearing. Commissioners earlier voted to allow new commercial or industrial construction to defer fee payments for up to three years. A long line of builders and realtors said the 50% fee reduction would stimulate Hernando's construction industry, while others suggested that the reduction was not worth the revenue loss, which could be as much as a million dollars, and others said the reduction would have the effect of forcing current taxpayers to subsidize builders and their buyers.
The meeting room was packed with builders and realtors, in addition to concerned citizens. Commissioners' comments:
Jeff Stabins: "With two to three additional homes a month, the next effect to taxpayers is zero."
John Druzbick: "Bring fees in line with economic reality."
Rose Rocco: "Nobody's getting a free ride."
Jim Adkins: "Only in government can we count less revenue as lost revenue."
David Russell: "This is about putting people to work."
CHARTER GOVERNMENT TALK LEADS TO...MORE TALK
A workshop on charter government and lots of talk from the public and county commissioners led the County Board to schedule another workshop on the issue in January. Most of the citizen speakers favored charter government, where commissioners would appoint a board to listen to more public input, write a charter, and then recommend that commissioners put the document up for a decision by county voters. Commissioner James Adkins asked for the Wednesday session and suggested a follow-up meeting after the holidays. Three other commissioners indicated at least an open mind on the topic, although chairman David Russell said he had concerns and that Hernando had more in common with the 47 of Florida's 67 counties which have not adopted charters.
COUNTY TO GET RESOLUTION OPPOSING CAP AND TRADE BILL
County commissioners heard a presentation from Withlacoochee Electric Coop member relations manager David Lambert Tuesday and told staff to work up a resolution opposing the cap and trade legislation for their next meeting. Lambert said the pending federal legislation could cause electric bills to rise by hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year for average customers. He said the bill that passed the House had some compromises in it that made it more palatable than the far-reaching legislation currently before the Senate. And one audience member called Lambert on the name of the bill, saying it ought to be called cap and tax.
LANDFILL PRIVATIZING COULD ELIMINATE 22 JOBS
Utilities Director Joe Stapf told the County Board Tuesday that his proposals for meeting budget goals include privatizing recycling and provision of cover at the County landfill. Stapf said he was still exploring the privatization options, but the prospect of going from 55 to 33 employees would go a long way toward closing a shortfall between solid waste budget wants and revenue reality. Stapf says the recycling operation could be privatized, since the market for recycled materials does not support the costs. He also says county employees would remain responsible for actually covering the active landfill cell each day, though additional positions could be eliminated by contracting for delivery of the cover material. It's not known how many employees in eliminated positions might be hired by private contractors.
BUSINESS COMMUNITY LEADERS EXPANDING BUDGET HELP
Morris Porton and Randy Woodruff told the Budget and Finance Committee Tuesday that they are expanding their plans to assist in government budget cutting. The two representatives of the Hernando business community said they were meeting with School Superintendent Wayne Alexander this week to discuss expanding the focus group concept from the county departments and constitutional officers to the school district. Woodruff said the county effort will begin later this week. He said there are 13 groups of three to five people being assembled to go over department budgets line-by-line looking to maximize efficiency and find areas for budget savings. Porton and Woodruff said they would look at privatization where practical and cost-efficient. County Administrator David Hamilton said he welcomed the business community's involvement and sees it as an opportunity.
SMALL BUSINESS LEFT OUT OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN?
Though Business Committee Chairman John Druzbick said he thought small businesses like his own benefit from large industrial employers, a majority of the Business and Economic Committee voted to send a proposed new "Hernando County Economic Development Plan 2.0" back for more work because it didn't pay enough attention to small business. The three in favor of further review said the plan neglected small businesses in favor of trying to entice larger industries to move to Hernando. Committee members Nick Nicholson and Blaise Ingoglia said they thought the plan's focus on attracting what they called "the big one" to Hernando did not devote enough time to the need to see more small businesses locate in the county. Business Development Director Mike McHugh and Assistant County Administrator Larry Jennings defended the emphasis on attracting large industry, saying the more jobs created, the more rooftops that will rise, and that "small business follows rooftops." But Commissioner Jim Adkins voted with Nicholson and Ingoglia to have McHugh bring the plan back to the next committee meeting to check for more attention on small business.
NEW LIGHT ON SOUTH BROOKSVILLE
Today's other topic for the Year in Review is the new light shining on the long-neglected south Brooksville community---literally and figuratively. Hernando News Source coverage of south Brooksville issues began with the only local media report on one of the most serious recent flood events in the community on July 1 and wrapped up the year with relative optimism that improvements promised decades ago may actually be on the horizon.
DOWNPOUR CAUSES STREET FLOODING IN SOUTH BROOKSVILLE
The first major rainstorm of the summer season caused havoc in parts of south Brooksville Tuesday as more than an inch and a half of rain fell in one hour, with almost three inches in all for the day. Clogged drainage ditches put several inches of water over Josephine and TwiggStreets, filling a church parking lot with flowing water and approaching the front porch of a nearby house.
Residents have complained for years about flood waters draining south from downtown Brooksville in heavy rains. County Engineer Charles Mixson was on the scene Tuesday, having been called out of a budget meeting to review the situation. Mixson said he was not aware of any structures that flooded, although he said the water came close to entering one home. He said the main problems were flooded streets in south Brooksville, such as Twigg Street pictured below.
Water at least a foot deep isolated two homes at the end of the road an houror more after Mixson said the storm flow had peaked. He says part of the problem is that drainage ditches need to be cleaned and regularly maintained.
Those ditches are on private property, and county staff is working on plans to deal with the drainage issues. Coincidentally Mixson, County Administrator David Hamilton and county lawyer Erica Moore met earlier Tuesday with a SWFWMD consultant working on flood maps for the area. Mixson says the new extent of a flood zone covering most of south Brooksville could complicate funding for the ditch project, as well as other area improvements.
S. BROOKSVILLE MEETING: FEW LOCAL VOICES, LOTS OF GOVERNMENT
A South Brooksville Community Initiatives Team meeting scheduled for Kennedy Park Thursday failed in efforts to attract community residents. Except for community activist Frankie Burnett, the local NAACP chief, and a prominent minister, all of them members of the team, the meeting room contained no local residents. The team went through a detailed agenda, including a Community Vision as presented by Coastal Engineering head Cliff Manuel and planner Don Lacey. Representatives of the USDA were also on hand to explain available grants for water and sewer and drainage improvements, as well as housing and business opportunity loans. Team members agreed on a timetable involving City of Brooksville consideration of community improvements at the August 17 Council meeting, with the County Board expected to act on a task order to an engineering firm on August 25. While a plan for improved street lighting is ready for action, engineers say most of the rest of the community vision needs to wait for cost-affordable drainage solutions to persistent area flooding.
CITY COUNCIL HEARS SOUTH BROOKSVILLE VISION PLAN
Brooksville City Council members expressed good wishes and excitement to the South Brooksville Community Initiatives Team after a presentation at the Council's meeting Monday night. The vision plan was introduced by former Council member Frankie Burnett, who then turned the presentation over to Coastal Engineering principal Cliff Manuel and planner Don Lacey for further discussion.
Lacey said the concept for various land uses in the CIT's defined area south and west of Jefferson Street, north of Cortez, and east of Main Street, would need to be a part of both City and County future land use plans, but that there was still a process of refinement and community input before taking that step.
Manuel said resolving long-standing drainage issues in the area are a key component in realizing the vision plan. He and Lacey also said a possible future rail hub on the west side of the CIT area could be a huge development engine for both the city and the community.
COMMISSIONERS ADDRESS SOUTH BROOKSVILLE FLOODING ISSUES
County Commissioners Tuesday will get the same look at south Brooksville improvement plans that City Council members saw last week, but there's a difference. While Council members generally expressed excitement about a developing vision plan and told a local engineering firm they look forward to more updates, commissioners are being asked to take specific action to deal with ongoing flooding problems in the community. The County Board is being asked to approve a legal action to allow maintenance of two drainage ditches that run through south Brooksville. Although county crews have worked on the ditches from time to time in the past, county lawyers say they are on private property, and the lack of regular maintenance contributes to flooding events like the one on June 30 that isolated some parts of the community and threatened several homes. The legal action would ask a judge to establish an easement to allow legal access for regular ditch maintenance.
COUNTY APPROVES ADDED LIGHTING FOR S. BROOKSVILLE
South Brooksville will soon be a little brighter, thanks to Sheriff Richard Nugent and county commissioners Tuesday. The County Board approved an assessment district for five defined areas of the community that builds on a $20,000 contribution from the sheriff's drug forfeiture funds by billing property owners for ongoing lighting costs, as well as one year of installation costs not covered by the sheriff's donation. The south Brooksville community contributes more than its share to crime, and officials hope the additional lighting, along with a sheriff's substation that will double as a community center, will cut that crime rate. Commissioner Rose Rocco noted the additional south Brooksville improvement plans and called the lighting district a good "first step" in dealing with the community's problems.
SOUTH BROOKSVILLE IMPROVEMENT TIME LINES SET
More than a dozen officials from the City of Brooksville and Hernando County, and another dozen concerned residents, heard consultants and government staff set out an ambitious schedule for improvements in the south Brooksville community Thursday. The large group met in the City Hall chambers and listened as the processes of engineering, applications for money, comprehensive plan changes and implementing improvements were outlined. The County has hired the Malcolm Pirnie firm to help find the money that is needed for stormwater drainage and water and sewer projects in the long-neglected neighborhood. Another firm is on board to design some improvements, and officials agreed on the need for city-county cooperation on timely comp plan changes to help pave the way for federal stimulus grants or low interest loans.
Former Brooksville mayor and community activist Frankie Burnett told the group that it was time to turn a Vision Plan into an actual plan, with a goal of beginning implementation of improvements in the spring of 2010.
SOUTH BROOKSVILLE FACILITY DEDICATED
The new South Brooksville Community Sheriff's Office was dedicated in a Wednesday ceremony to the first African-American deputies hired in the mid 1960's by former Sheriff Sim Lowman. Former Deputy Willie James Brooks and the family members of former Deputy Lee Lawson were at the ceremony.
Representatives from Shiloh Problem Solvers, a local nonprofit organization, will offer after-school activities and mentoring program in the building, which will also serve as an office for the Hernando County Sheriff's Office community policing deputies.
SOUTH BROOKSVILLE EFFORTS ARE ONE STEP FORWARD, ONE BACK
The South Brooksville Community Initiatives Team learned Thursday that comprehensive plan amendments to adopt a vision plan are moving forward, but efforts to get a stimulus funds grant face a setback. Planners said they expect to meet an early spring deadline for submitting plan amendments for county and city action, although some team members expressed concern for the adoption schedule. Frankie Burnett and Paul Douglas were worried about getting the amendments in place ahead of a November vote on comp plan adoption procedures.
Meanwhile, the team's grants consultant learned Thursday that all of the federal bureaucrats' optimistic talk of stimulus funds for community improvements didn't come without red tape. USDA officials had urged a joint city-county application for funds to improve utilities and drainage infrastructure, but just before the meeting started, the consultant got a message from a USDA bureaucrat saying they couldn't accept a joint application after all and that separate requests were needed from each entity that would own the improvements. Team staffers said they would try to clarify the confusion and move the application along anyway.
ROWDEN SAID TO PLAN RUN FOR SCHENCK'S STATE HOUSE SEAT
Rowden SchenckDemocrat Rowden was unseated last year by John Druzbick for the commission post she had held for two four-year terms. Republican Schenck would be seeking his third two-year term in the state house.
Covell's blog posting also reports that current Planning and Zoning Commission member Lisa Hammond will file for the County Board seat now held by Rose Rocco in District 2.
DEPUTIES CHARGE MAN WITH ELDERLY EXPLOITATION
SPRING HILL TRAFFIC STOP NETS TWO POUNDS OF POT
A 32-year old Spring Hill man was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Spring Hill when sheriff's deputies found two pounds of marijuana in the trunk of his Dodge Charger. A sheriff's report says Richard Rodriguez was stopped at Deltona Blvd. and Geranium Ave. after he was measured at 50 miles per hour in a 40 mph zone on Northcliffe Blvd. The report says he was "very nervous . . . shaking . . . and there were beads of sweat forming on his forehead." When Rodriguez denied permission for a vehicle search, a drug sniffing dog alerted to the trunk, and the suspect reportedly admitted that there was pot in the trunk. Deputies found four baggies containing two pounds of marijuana, and Rodriguez was charged with possession of pot with intent to sell. He reportedly told deputies that he paid $2600 for the pot and was planning to sell it.
MAN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT, BATTERY IN DOMESTIC INCIDENT
DOZENS APPEAR, SEVEN CONTEST RED LIGHT CITES
TAMPA METRO LEADS NATION IN HOME PRICE DECLINE
CROOKS ON CAMERA---LATEST SHERIFF'S OFFICE E-LERT
 |  |  |
| The subjects pictured above are suspects in a theft that occurred at 7-11, 6016 Spring Hill Dr. on Tuesday, 11-24-09, at approximately 11:30 p.m. If you recognize these subjects, notify District 2 Deputy Rodriguez. If you wish to remain anonymous or to be eligible for a reward, call the Hernando County Crime Stoppers toll free number 1-866-990-8477 or you may email your tip by clicking below. | ||
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Now here is part three of our six-part series on the top local news stories of 2009 from the archives of Hernando News Source:
NEW COMMISSIONERS CHANGE COUNTY BOARD DIRECTION
A number of stories over the past year make it clear that the direction of Hernando County government changed with the election of two pro-business Republicans---Jim Adkins and John Druzbick---replacing two Democrat incumbents in 2008. Here are just a few of those stories, including impact fee deferral and reduction, a pending charter government review, and others:
IMPACT FEE REDUCTION, DEFERRAL WIN COUNTY BOARD APPROVAL
The meeting room was packed with builders and realtors, in addition to concerned citizens. Commissioners' comments:
Jeff Stabins: "With two to three additional homes a month, the next effect to taxpayers is zero."
John Druzbick: "Bring fees in line with economic reality."
Rose Rocco: "Nobody's getting a free ride."
Jim Adkins: "Only in government can we count less revenue as lost revenue."
David Russell: "This is about putting people to work."
CHARTER GOVERNMENT TALK LEADS TO...MORE TALK
COUNTY TO GET RESOLUTION OPPOSING CAP AND TRADE BILL
LANDFILL PRIVATIZING COULD ELIMINATE 22 JOBS
BUSINESS COMMUNITY LEADERS EXPANDING BUDGET HELP
SMALL BUSINESS LEFT OUT OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN?
NEW LIGHT ON SOUTH BROOKSVILLE
Today's other topic for the Year in Review is the new light shining on the long-neglected south Brooksville community---literally and figuratively. Hernando News Source coverage of south Brooksville issues began with the only local media report on one of the most serious recent flood events in the community on July 1 and wrapped up the year with relative optimism that improvements promised decades ago may actually be on the horizon.
DOWNPOUR CAUSES STREET FLOODING IN SOUTH BROOKSVILLE
S. BROOKSVILLE MEETING: FEW LOCAL VOICES, LOTS OF GOVERNMENT
CITY COUNCIL HEARS SOUTH BROOKSVILLE VISION PLAN
Lacey said the concept for various land uses in the CIT's defined area south and west of Jefferson Street, north of Cortez, and east of Main Street, would need to be a part of both City and County future land use plans, but that there was still a process of refinement and community input before taking that step.
Manuel said resolving long-standing drainage issues in the area are a key component in realizing the vision plan. He and Lacey also said a possible future rail hub on the west side of the CIT area could be a huge development engine for both the city and the community.
COMMISSIONERS ADDRESS SOUTH BROOKSVILLE FLOODING ISSUES
COUNTY APPROVES ADDED LIGHTING FOR S. BROOKSVILLE
SOUTH BROOKSVILLE IMPROVEMENT TIME LINES SET
Former Brooksville mayor and community activist Frankie Burnett told the group that it was time to turn a Vision Plan into an actual plan, with a goal of beginning implementation of improvements in the spring of 2010.
SOUTH BROOKSVILLE FACILITY DEDICATED
Representatives from Shiloh Problem Solvers, a local nonprofit organization, will offer after-school activities and mentoring program in the building, which will also serve as an office for the Hernando County Sheriff's Office community policing deputies.
SOUTH BROOKSVILLE EFFORTS ARE ONE STEP FORWARD, ONE BACK
Meanwhile, the team's grants consultant learned Thursday that all of the federal bureaucrats' optimistic talk of stimulus funds for community improvements didn't come without red tape. USDA officials had urged a joint city-county application for funds to improve utilities and drainage infrastructure, but just before the meeting started, the consultant got a message from a USDA bureaucrat saying they couldn't accept a joint application after all and that separate requests were needed from each entity that would own the improvements. Team staffers said they would try to clarify the confusion and move the application along anyway.
re: Rowden/Schenck
The donkeys have Rowden, the elephants have Schenck. I love me, just ask me Rowden vs. I haven't a clue but my strings can be pulled quite easily so give me money, Schenck.
Is this the best HC and the district has to offer.
Sad!
Happy New Year HNS. Here's hoping you have a healthy and prosperous 2010. Keep up the GREAT work!
op
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