Hernando: County commission actions

County commission actions

By Times staff writer

The Hernando County Commission met Tuesday and took the following actions:

Approved a $238,500 contract for Coastal Engineering to evaluate the value of Florida Water Services operations in Spring Hill. The county wants this report to help determine whether to join a consortium that seeks to buy Florida Water's business throughout the state. Another option would be for the county to condemn the utility through eminent domain, pay the fair market value and take over the operations.

Commissioners decided that whichever direction they head, they need the valuation report. Only Commissioner Diane Rowden voted against the expense.

Agreed to spend up to $1,080 to bring a traffic engineer selected by the Coalition for Anti-Urban Sprawl Efforts to discuss concerns related to the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter at U.S. 19 and Osowaw Boulevard. CAUSE paid for a traffic study, but could not afford to bring the engineer to a commission meeting. Commissioners said having the engineer present for discussions would help them make proper decisions about the traffic configurations for the new store. Wal-Mart already has done its own traffic report, which the county engineering staff has accepted as valid. CAUSE opposes the store.

Heard resident Joe Lemieux ask Chairwoman Nancy Robinson to recuse herself from all future decisions regarding Wal-Mart, because she had accepted a $100 campaign contribution from a company lobbyist. He said the commission had challenged former Administrator Paul McIntosh because he took gifts from companies with county business, and called Robinson's acceptance of the contribution "unconscionable."

County Attorney Garth Coller quoted a Commission on Ethics opinion that stated, in part, that campaign contributions "are not deemed to be prohibited by (statute) unless such donations were made with the understanding that official conduct would be influenced thereby." Robinson did not comment.

Named incumbents Al Sevier and Bob DeWitt to new four-year terms on the Planning and Zoning Commission.