[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:08] Okay, I
[0:12] need to switch over to the next one, yes sir.
[0:18] I need to switch over
[0:35] to the next one.
[0:46] Good.
[0:54] Doesn't matter.
[0:57] They'll need one more leave.
[1:00] I don't know what it means.
[1:02] thoughts was someone don't know where I actually thought thoughts are going to be very
[1:08] and I got the question on it too, thank you very
[1:15] much.
[1:15] At least the same, there's no concerns that we can walk out from under the rain,
[1:20] all the hospitals, but mine, mine, I've been turning that water runs down the hill.
[1:34] It's just going to drop, not coming.
[1:41] I'll talk it out.
[1:44] If I have to, I can't.
[1:47] I'd worry.
[2:36] Now that's why we're going to use a metal I saw everybody back in
[3:06] I got here and served my back in front of holding it. I need a room to get my paper agenda out of the car.
[3:24] There's a great thing, but it usually doesn't mean it.
[4:35] We
[5:29] are going to call this meeting to order.
[5:31] This is a special meeting of the Citrus County Restore Fun Acts, January 10th, 2017.
[5:38] If you would all rise with us today, the Commissioner Connard is going to give us the
[5:42] invitation.
[5:45] Dear Heavenly Father and Lord, we've come to you in prayer today.
[5:48] So thankful for the many blessings in our lives.
[5:51] Lord today, we're mindful of those, away from their families and the officers, yet again,
[5:57] We lose another one. We pray for those families who pray for our first responders. Lord we pray that
[6:03] you would be with us today as we do the business of citrus county. We pray that you'd help us to make
[6:08] decisions to better our community and Lord to benefit those who are here in that be your will. And Jesus
[6:16] name we pray and then pay them out. Everybody was face-of-five. I believe this is to
[6:24] provide on the United States of America and to the Republic for what is the same thing.
[6:30] One nation under God, the other one with liberty and justice for all.
[6:40] Thank you, Commissioner
[6:41] John Alder, and with that we will go to your local.
[6:46] This is a special meeting of the
[6:51] 2017, and attendance are Chairman Scott Karnahan, First Vice Chair Ronald Kichens Jr.
[6:59] Second Vice Chair, Jeff Canard, Commissioners Jimmy T. Smith, and Brian Coleman, County
[7:05] Administrator Randy Oliver, and County Attorney Denise Lynn.
[7:09] Thank you, Madam Clerk, and now I think what we'll do is what turn it over to our
[7:14] administrator, Randy Alver, and he will go through and discuss the pot 1, 5, 3, Mr.
[7:24] With that, sir.
[7:25] Yes, and I would note from the benefit of the public, the open of the public is at the end,
[7:29] so they had the opportunity to hear the presentations, and they were making a comment, and
[7:34] they wanted to relate to the various projects that are discussed.
[7:39] I think it's important, as we prepare for this, that we go back through the history of this,
[7:44] I would say, you know, this has not been done before by the federal government and not anything
[7:51] of this magnitude as a result, the rules, particularly on Part 3, continue to evolve over
[7:57] time and I expect them to change some more into the future.
[8:02] But I'll tell you what, you know, what's the issue, so you won't bring up the...
[8:29] Randy, do you want to let you go through the whole presentation, I think it'd be better for me
[8:35] go through the background and what happened and when we get to the end, we're going to start
[8:40] talking individual projects which we need input from the board as to the direction you'd
[8:45] like to go next slide. Okay, the the thing that's most pressing does right now is the
[8:55] restore committee is going to be meeting again in February. We do not think at this point they're
[9:03] ready to start. We have to take that to take all of the projects from the 23 counties and put
[9:11] them together under pot 3 and create a master plan. And then the master plan is going to require
[9:17] that be advertised in the federal register. They are trying to do this. We believe they're going to
[9:23] try to pull us together by April. It would be our guess. So, submission will probably have to be made in
[9:31] We're not convinced they're going to be able to stick to that timeframe based on history
[9:35] because they've been through this process a couple of times, but we don't know.
[9:41] But I think we have to be prepared to do that.
[9:43] Next slide.
[9:44] There are actually five pots to restore, which people don't always know.
[9:50] Three of the pots really do not apply to us.
[9:55] They apply to some of the other counties in Florida.
[9:57] Some of them are state pithes, like pithes for centers of excellence, and there were two or three
[10:03] that have been designated in the state for that particular part, but that's kind of a state
[10:09] part.
[10:10] The pithes that affect us the most are pith 1 and pith 3.
[10:16] Okay, the benefit to pith 1 and I'm not as concerned about pith 1 is pith 3 is that is actually
[10:24] written in the congressional record and in the legislation, and that money comes to us and
[10:31] if it sits there for a hundred years, absent a, you know, absent a new congressional bill
[10:38] at the federal level, that money will remain ours.
[10:42] We currently have 774,988 dollars in the bank.
[10:47] We have 3.5 million roughly that's going to come in over the next 15 years.
[10:52] So, the one thing is we go through this presentation, be cognizant of it, is that what we're
[10:58] talking to some big numbers being paid out over 15 years makes the value of those dollars
[11:05] today or less.
[11:08] Part three is the part that we need to pay the most attention to today, as I say with
[11:13] pot one, if we don't have the projects that we need in pot one, we can do that at a subsequent
[11:19] point, because we control our own destiny on that.
[11:22] We sought to go through the federal rules, which will include submitting to Treasury, which
[11:27] will have to also be down on POT 3, but the consortium is going to do that.
[11:32] Treasury will have to approve those projects, and it will have to be in keeping.
[11:37] But in POT 3, we're going to get about $12.4 million, we have zero at this point.
[11:45] The first payment is due this year, we'll get 115th per year, next slide.
[11:51] Okay. We are currently in the process where at the workshop ranking phase, the prior board
[12:02] made a ranking of projects and this gives you an opportunity to change that ranking
[12:09] all through the James Dean Fair. There have also been some subsequent events and the
[12:17] one subsequent event that we know of is that South West Florida Water Management was going to
[12:23] be the King's Bay Project and it was almost ten million dollars and we were going to fund
[12:30] about half of it, they were going to fund about half of it, they decided that they don't want to
[12:35] do that at this particular time. We again, this is again, this is for part three,
[12:48] We're looking to, you know, get the final ranking that we're going to submit. If we don't get completed the day, or if you want this one information, I think we've got a little bit of time.
[12:59] We can bring it back. We've tried to put on paper every subsequent idea that's come up since this was originally done.
[13:07] The one thing that I do want to note next slide.
[13:11] The one thing that I do want to note is that when pot 3 originally started in fairness to
[13:18] the prior board, it was viewed at that point that the process was going to be competitive.
[13:25] Okay, by competitive I mean the projects were going to be submitted and we were going to be competing
[13:30] against the other 23 counties.
[13:33] So there were a number of criteria that they felt would make projects more advantageous.
[13:38] stages. One was projects that benefited most of the counties or the most of the counties
[13:45] supported and endorsed. That subsequently, and I think this is a good thing, that
[13:51] subsequently went by the wayside and they decided to divide the 282 million in pot 3 and
[13:58] the 23 different pieces representing the 23 counties in the each county does their own. So
[14:06] everybody gets 12 million four over 15 years.
[14:10] What I am a little bit cautious about is that when they put all these planes together,
[14:16] I'm concerned somebody's going to have a $6 million project and we're going to come back
[14:21] and say, well, gee, it's going to take us six or seven years for us to accumulate all
[14:25] that money and we aren't going to have that money and so we aren't going to be able to do
[14:30] this project and I don't want, I would like them not to change the way the rules are worked
[14:38] in the future, but there's no guarantee that at any given time in part three, 12 counties
[14:45] can change the rules.
[14:47] So you know, the Chairman, Commissioner Karnahan, is the liaison to that particular group
[14:55] misarraduses the alternate, but this is
[15:00] So, this is the way the program is currently laid out now. There was some relief. The Treasury was going to bend on the bonding. While we get $12.4 million now, if we bonded it today, it would be 8.5 million in current money. It's my opinion that construction costs will go up at least that amount. So, when we plan projects, I think we need to plan projects using the 8.5 million
[15:29] because I think that will be more accurate, but only time will tell what construction costs are.
[15:38] I had always felt the bonding it was better, but as I say, Treasury will allow it to be bonded,
[15:46] but they were more likely to pay the interest.
[15:48] So that effectively puts a pretty big hamper on that,
[15:53] unless you have other funds you can use to pay the interest.
[15:55] Next slide. The ones that were selected by the prior board, again, were the crystal
[16:03] of a boardwalk phase one, and please note that this is in dollars paid out on part one,
[16:11] 2.15 million dollars, Kings Bay. This is built for 4.81 phase two, and drainage and making
[16:21] So things go in with the aquifer there, but that's how we came over the 4.2.
[16:28] Part 3, which is, if we get nothing else, not a like to get part 3 focused on, but the Kings Bay,
[16:38] let's see.
[16:40] This was for the Sworkmark project, the 41992, which, as I say, Sworkmark is decided that they're not going to proceed in that direction,
[16:50] in this particular time. The Ford Allen B-Tree nourishment of 300,000. We've had a subsequent
[16:55] event there. Hurricane Hermine has changed that and as it was all that, you get one federal
[17:02] bureaucracy in a project that gets strained with enough. You get two federal bureaucracies in there.
[17:09] You're just in trouble. You're in trouble. So we're going to recommend that you kill that out
[17:14] for $300,000 in the North of the Aggravation.
[17:18] We've got the Borge Canal Bode ramp, which that's half of that, and we have an interactive
[17:24] spreadsheet.
[17:25] We're going to bring up a minute to work on, but that's half of the, what's anticipated, is the
[17:33] actual cost of that, because we believe we can get the other half through state funds.
[17:40] One of the other criteria is in part three if a one competitor that was going to be looked at was leveraging funds, how much, you know, could it be a leverage?
[17:51] The idea project would have been most accounting on the, on the competitive basis, the maximum leverage funds and it had an environmental
[18:03] twist or benefit or provide a greater access to the water.
[18:08] When the artificial fishing reef fishing habitat creation,
[18:13] I would note there's been a subsequent event there where a couple of counties were
[18:17] looking at trying to go together to see if we can get a better price as it relates to that.
[18:24] But that's something we're working on.
[18:26] The total we budgeted out was about $8.5 million.
[18:29] So that would be what I call a day's dollars.
[18:35] These were the scores they were numerically ranked.
[18:39] As you can see in the way it was 117-107.
[18:43] Next slide.
[18:44] Then we had the Kings Bay Project.
[18:46] We're trying to highest.
[18:49] But as I mentioned, that has been withdrawn.
[18:52] Okay.
[18:53] Second ranked project was a barge canal.
[18:56] The third was the Ford Allen B-Train Ocean Project, the fourth was Artificial Reef.
[19:03] The fifth was the Scarlet Bed Seating Project.
[19:06] I would note that it was Scarlet Seating.
[19:08] That's kind of an annual thing.
[19:10] It's like grown by grass.
[19:12] You plan it.
[19:13] And at the end of the season, it dies.
[19:15] Because the Scarlet's have a one-year life cycle.
[19:18] So it's kind of a one-going thing.
[19:22] At that time, the sunset park project was put in there.
[19:25] was a late entry on this. There was not a lot known on that at that particular time. It was ranked
[19:32] sixth and then the seventh rank one was for the canal cleaning that safe crystal river is
[19:40] doing over in Kings Bay.
[19:45] These are from the consultant, project 3, project selection recommendations,
[19:51] It's not intended to fill holes in the Department of Budget or to fund ongoing programmatic
[19:58] functions.
[19:59] They're intended for extra ordinary projects to address both local and regional coastal
[20:05] priorities.
[20:07] Examples would be public access to coastal zone, coastal water improvement, living resources,
[20:14] the sea grants restoration, that type thing.
[20:17] Few large projects are definitely preferred over a couple of small ones.
[20:24] The other member, we've got to comply with all the federal rules on this project, that
[20:28] would include Davis Bacon, that would include minority participation and all the monitoring
[20:36] and that you can figure on any given project with these additional requirements, we'll
[20:41] about 10 to 15 percent of the cost.
[20:46] The project should have clear beginning and ending points
[20:50] with regard to the use of a pot three money. So what they're really saying there is is they
[20:57] want to project at the end of the day once you get finished is done. Okay, they want something
[21:02] that gets half started and you don't have something as tangible and usable.
[21:09] They've asked
[21:10] several way projects be rolled up under a single program of theme, all projects must demonstrate
[21:18] qualified benefits, best available, the science requirements, pre-imposed project monitoring
[21:26] for projects that, and I will say this Treasury is going out and higher their own environmental
[21:32] experts, they ask questions and I know based on some of the meetings that have been attended
[21:39] that they've got an extensive discussion due to the University of Florida as it relates
[21:44] to the science behind these projects. So they are asking questions. Collaboration with other resource
[21:51] management agencies and adjacent counties is recommended. Okay. They're looking for a single project
[21:59] as I say, they want a guy pretty bow around it and they want it to be done and over with
[22:05] so that there's something tangible when you get out of the end of the way and get it done.
[22:15] Then with multiple projects, those could be sewer projects where you'd package a couple of
[22:19] together. Beech reenourishment due to the loss of sand from hurricane or mean. We've applied for
[22:26] FEMA reimbursement on the we nourishment, and we just think it makes it too complicated to
[22:33] make FEMA and restore funds, FEMA will pay to restore it to the condition before the storm,
[22:40] but they will not pay for anything beyond the above that.
[22:43] The intent when we were risen put it here was to go above and beyond that and extend the
[22:48] charity and make it nicer. But we think we can do a different way and without incarnate
[22:55] those requirements. And then as I mentioned her name, the pastor won a partner on a reasonable
[23:01] artificial reef project to create a nature-coast regional reef, and these reefs would be more
[23:09] insured than they would out offshore. So with that, and this one is harder to read. And
[23:18] OK, we can pass out, yeah, we're going to pass out these sheets and it's your all's
[23:28] opportunity to give us input. I'm going to talk about other projects on the bottom,
[23:34] these are things that are subsequently come up. On Sunset Park, we've got estimated cost
[23:40] 1.7 million. We have done a praise on at this point, and the two appraisals differ quite
[23:48] a bit. I know that there's a group that's interested in this. If this is something
[23:53] the boards interested in will recommend only property acquisition. It's going to be way too
[23:58] complicated to do anything else with federal funds. The only property acquisition is a board decision
[24:05] as it relates to whether they want to be in the, we think that there's some potential issues
[24:13] with one structure that's on there, and we have some reservations about that one structure
[24:19] and also as it relates to the docs. But that was once suggested. The other one that has been
[24:27] talked about is support a force main of US-19 to doc, there are six packaged plants up
[24:34] there that could be taken off line. This will provide sewer capacity to take those plants
[24:41] off line, which I'm sure those packaged plants always beloved to not be in a sewer business.
[24:48] We are very comfortable that we can get funding for at least 50% of this, so that would
[24:53] 2.75 million. For that, there was some interesting looking at sportsman's code. We did
[25:03] analysis for sportsman's code. The property is kind of awkward. It's a useful program
[25:09] we've moved it to the end. We can provide, you know, the layout, but it will provide 40
[25:16] boat slips and trailers. There is some rework to the road getting in there. It's going
[25:22] put a fair amount of additional traffic on that particular road, the estimated cost assumed
[25:29] in two million for land acquisition, which the rest of it were fairly comfortable with
[25:35] the cost estimates. Engineering's done with the land acquisition is somewhat unknown,
[25:41] but it's about 5.5 million. We are not comfortable this time that we think we can identify
[25:49] in matching funds for that particular project.
[25:54] Scalobed seeding 315,000,
[25:58] homicides is subject to sewer project.
[26:01] We could use this money to buy down those assessments.
[26:06] The one thing that I would caution is,
[26:08] if you buy down assessments in one area,
[26:11] then you set an expectation that all these assessments
[26:14] are going to be at that level,
[26:16] and that's going to be an expectation
[26:17] we're not going to be able to meet in the future.
[26:21] We talked about the Christ River Kings Bay project by Savior Christ River.
[26:28] They requested 31 million and $650,000 for Dredging canals.
[26:36] There is one other community where we're aware of the Eastern Canal Dredging.
[26:41] The question I guess that he was policy makers need to answer would be, what is the benefit
[26:46] to the general citizen of the county versus the people that live in those canals. Obviously it is a benefit to the people who live in the canals, but the benefit may be diminished for people who don't live in the canals because they may not use that particular waterway.
[27:10] The IFS is a CGS that the CGS can't have CGS mapping,
[27:16] game is mapping, restoration and prevention by voter education.
[27:21] You know, that's something that you can consider.
[27:26] I don't think that they're going to be real,
[27:30] susceptible, remember they're looking for tangible product projects.
[27:34] And I'm not convinced this is going to give them something that's tangible, but again,
[27:40] you're all, you're the judge of, you know, what you think's best for the county.
[27:45] And then the following that we added, we have had no conversations with Crystal River on this.
[27:50] We've read in the paper yesterday that they were going to be looking at taking the third avenue, the third street dog rampant.
[27:58] Potentially, we locate and looking for the county's assistance in that.
[28:02] We don't know whether talking about relocating to or anything, but we placed that on the list
[28:08] because that was in the paper yesterday, but it is juncture been no, you know, no conversations
[28:16] in that regard.
[28:18] So with that we like to get an input as I say, we may need to come back and, you know, tighten
[28:26] up the numbers or hone this in one more time before we actually do this mission, but we
[28:32] direction from yours to what and how you think this money is best used to benefit the citizens of
[28:41] the surface county.
[28:45] Okay thank you Randy we appreciate it gentlemen. A quick question I have
[28:50] is Christopher Riverwalk you know if these projects don't happen then we can move these money
[28:57] to where we need them. Yeah it's much easier to move it if it's in part one because again
[29:02] you can control it so if there are things because any project you have that's been a
[29:08] curl for 15 years some sooner or later the numbers are going to change okay conditions change
[29:15] so I'm sure they're going to have to change some things in the part three or store money but
[29:21] I would keep projects that are more likely to move in part one, but also recognize that
[29:29] part one is money that we hold on to, even if we have no point in for it, so we can hold
[29:36] that for another day. I would put the most tangible desirable projects in part three.
[29:42] Okay, part one can be used for economic development, by the way, part three cannot.
[29:46] Okay, gentlemen, for that, and whoever wants to
[29:50] We know Mr. Kitchens ready, so we're going to turn it everything
[29:55] Thank you Mr. Jürgen have that a couple a couple of comments for first of all
[30:00] As we delve into this again, and I had three questions that we're now what's changed, and what should we change from our previous plan, if anything.
[30:12] So I think it's important to remind everybody first off, this is found money. This is money that fell into our lap. So it's not like this is coming from general fund, taxpayers, and so what we're trying to do, I think, is use this found money.
[30:30] Work within the constraints given to us by the federal government and get the most bang for the buck
[30:35] That's what we're trying to get to so with that said I would just say based on what we've seen just kind of get the discussion going
[30:43] I think that
[30:44] You know dealing with the pot one money. Nothing really has changed that I can see dealing with the
[30:50] What we committed to crystal rivers with river walk and for the springs shed water quality treatment and that's kind of programmed in so
[30:58] You know, unless somebody else thinks something should change, you know, comfortable with that.
[31:04] Again, with the pot three, I still am very comfortable with the barge canal boat ramp.
[31:10] I agree with the administration on holding back on the beach renourishment.
[31:16] On the artificial reef initiative, I just want to be real clear that it makes sense to work with
[31:22] the other two counties as long as this continues to be an insure reef.
[31:27] I know the big issue here is we have reached that are further offshore, but the concept of this was to make it easier for voters to get to, therefore, to enhance tourism.
[31:37] I know the TDC support to this as well.
[31:40] So, you know, I don't know if you want to talk about these one at a time, or I can continue and down my list there, however you love it.
[31:46] But if you don't mind me, but in there, and also on the reef, if it's my understanding that we are going to go in, maybe as a regional project, but each channel would use their own money to do their own reef corrects.
[31:58] Yeah, the value of really is a nature coast reef that was part of a past from an anchor county to this, but they're kind of doing an intro resource.
[32:06] So this, even though we say a regional reef is not going to be one reef located and it wasn't has a wrong reef, but we're going to package it together.
[32:13] because we're aiming to say this whole plan has to get approved by these counties and has to
[32:18] give the governor and then the treasury to approve the mixture to state of Florida's
[32:22] using this money properly and sometimes cooperation and a bit of things look better but
[32:27] bond, you know, in a day we're going to do A-reef, A-reef, A-reef, A-reef, A-reef, A-reef,
[32:30] and such a brief.
[32:32] And it said at the end of the day, it's better to go in as a regional project with other
[32:36] counties because you've easily moved up on the list.
[32:39] It's helpful to us in the future too, to be able to punch a resub in a series.
[32:42] So, as long as that's what happens, Mr. President, if we get into a bigger part, which is fine,
[32:51] working with these folks, but if we lose the aspect of this being a close-insure reef, the
[32:57] citrus county voters, then we lose what the whole concept was.
[33:01] So if that's the case, I think that's a great idea.
[33:03] I agree holding off on the scallop bed, seeding the last report I saw showed that the seeding
[33:09] they did eight or ten years ago was still effective, and we still have one of the best
[33:13] scallop populations out there.
[33:16] I believe the Sunset Park, which I'm calling the Waterfront Access Park and Homossassas
[33:21] that we're all talking about, I believe that should be moved up on the list.
[33:25] I think that the state is willing to support us in funding with that, but based on the
[33:30] comments I heard from, at least, Representative Masudo, they're going to be looking for
[33:34] some kind of local match, so I don't know if the restore can be used as a local match if
[33:39] can and I think that that just that perfectly the and I have another one I'd like to throw
[33:45] out there Mr. Chairman. I think I think that the issue we've just owned by the way,
[33:50] if Chris to River does come up with another okay if they do move their boat ramp I would definitely
[33:55] think we should work with them you know as much as we can cooperably keeping in mind that
[34:01] we've already allocated a couple million bucks to the river walk.
[34:04] and I think that we have that message that we will work with them on another okay.
[34:10] But here's my big idea. I think I checked with Mr. Oliver in his first pass through and you know how
[34:15] resistant he is to wing it but he kind of went winged it on this one. But I really think the issue with
[34:21] boat ramps is not so much boat ramps as parking. And what I would like to see if possible added to this list
[34:27] give you an example of the boat ramp at McRase and Homosasa is a okay boat ramp, but there's
[34:33] just very limited parking down there.
[34:35] If we could use some of this restore money to put in additional boat trailer parking and
[34:40] that vicinity down there, that would and accept, you know, that would actually increase the
[34:45] usability and the user finliness of this boat ramp.
[34:49] And my understanding is that, that kind of project is fundable through this, at least that
[34:54] was the first pass that it's.
[34:55] So for one of us, we're with Mr. Chairman, I'd like to see the concept of additional boat ramp
[35:00] parking edge to this as well.
[35:03] And that's all I got.
[35:04] So I'll start out here.
[35:05] Now, appreciate the comments.
[35:06] I agree with most of them.
[35:07] I'm not so sure about the bike ramp arching, you know, just from being down in that area,
[35:12] I think it's going to be a hard concept to sell or land a buy, so with that I'm going to
[35:17] go ahead, gentlemen.
[35:22] I've got a couple notes here. First of all, well, I guess in reading the tea leaves, I'm
[35:30] not sure that I've got the support to remove this from the restore funds list as I would
[35:37] like. I still think that it's a bad idea. I think it's going to cost the citrus county economy.
[35:43] I think it's going to cost us money annually by losing boat traffic out of Citrus County,
[35:51] but I think this project, this boat ramp up there is again part of that field of dreams
[36:01] that included not only the boat ramp, but port citrus, the 491 overlay, metal crest,
[36:11] all of these things that draw people and businesses out of our existing commercial centers.
[36:19] We should be looking at how to increase density in and around our existing commercial
[36:24] centers, increase population, increase foot traffic, increase boat traffic around our existing
[36:32] citrus county businesses to generate more business and try to get our economy cranking.
[36:37] One of the things I took note of was that we hadn't identified
[36:41] many matching funds for the Sportsman's Co-Project,
[36:46] but we just talked about the state, possibly matching funds on Sunset Park.
[36:54] When Senator Simpson was here on Friday,
[36:58] he was talking about many of the boaters and swimmers being up in the head waters of the springs
[37:06] and wanting some type of a park or project or something like that, whether it would be bathroom facilities, things along those lines.
[37:14] I think sportsman's code project checks off a lot of boxes and it seems to me that there may very well be matching funds to do something there.
[37:28] And is it a difficult project? Yes, but previous boards have not run from a difficult project, and just because one project is easier to do at this point than another, I don't think we should shy away from a challenge of a difficult project.
[37:50] The notes that I just took during this presentation is that the large canal boat ramp is the secondized funded project of all of our restore funds, yet it has the least economic benefit to citrus county's economy.
[38:07] That should be a major red flag for all of us.
[38:10] So this restore money is there to increase access to our waterways, help restore local economies.
[38:20] And again, this isn't a, I don't mean for it to be a badgering on our friends to the North
[38:29] and Levy County, but if and when this project is complete, we should be getting Christmas
[38:36] cards from their Chamber of Commerce.
[38:38] We are building them a very, very nice facility.
[38:41] If this is a regional project, then it should not only have what did I put down here.
[38:52] If this is a regional project, it should not only be supported and endorsed.
[38:57] It should be supported financially.
[39:00] I would like to see Levy County, if we've made that outreach to them great, but I'd
[39:05] to see Levy County use some of their restore funds to help cover some of the cost of this.
[39:11] If that happens, that gives us more money and our pool of funds that we can do projects that
[39:18] will benefit the folks and our coastal communities. In Homassas, in Crystal River, things
[39:25] you know, waterfront parks, things along those lines. I've said my piece on this, I'm not
[39:30] I'm not going to be to dead horse here if you will. I am concerned that I've received
[39:37] some assurances that we will not be pumping groundwater from citrus county, and that will
[39:44] be crossing the line in the Levy County. That is in the resolutions passed by the town of
[39:55] and Yankee town as well as Marion County, I believe, as well, that they were interested in
[40:02] this project for wastewater, reclaimed water, and potable water. The potable water I have
[40:08] a very real issue with. Now, my understanding is that county staff has not had these conversations,
[40:15] but it's in their resolution, so somebody had their head of conversation. I don't know if
[40:19] this was a one-man ban that did this or what happened, but there was a conversation that took place
[40:25] about this, I would want to make sure going forward. I would like to try and get some commitment
[40:32] from Levy County for their restore funds, and I would like to make sure that not a drop
[40:38] of such a kind of groundwater will be crossing the county line. And if we can do some of those things,
[40:46] then I will show up to the ribbon cutting. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Card.
[40:51] chairman and as been sitting on this board and have these projects right I'm going to
[40:57] totally disagree with you when it comes to the March now but ramp. If you go and on the
[41:03] weekends especially the Monday after Christmas and you look at the but ramp is being used up
[41:10] there now I think I counted around 75 vehicles you know in the majority of them were
[41:15] county residents. So I still think that this project is a great project for
[41:20] citrus county. We've already invested quite a bit of money up there.
[41:25] Along with what the state and the trail system going to be, you know, they have a lot
[41:29] of activities up there. Going into the, you know, we'll be going into the Nellon, we'll
[41:36] be connecting to our rails, the trails. So again, I think this is a great project. I think
[41:42] as an asset, it's a city of county in general, so I think it needs to stay where it's
[41:48] said for a bit of a bit of a bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little
[41:55] spot in the large canal footprint, I want to keep that on top of the list for a number
[42:03] of reasons.
[42:06] I've been a voter for many years, and a lot of people bring up that there's
[42:11] a boat ramp on the barge canal on the south side next FWC. If you have any type of large
[42:17] boat, that is a very unusable boat ramp. I've been up there and tried to launch and at low
[42:24] tides, it's a foot, maybe foot and a half and it's very awkward. And can we reconfigure that one?
[42:32] Yes, we could, but there's no, you're always going to have maybe one or two loading areas there,
[42:38] just because it's a typography,
[42:42] and the people I use that right now are pretty much going
[42:44] with John Boats, just because the size of it, it's hard to access it with the parking
[42:49] down there.
[42:52] Now, Levy County has been brought up about Levy County residents coming down and using
[42:56] our boat ramp.
[42:58] Then, if anybody who's ever been out to the 40 Yanky Town boat ramp, when you have an
[43:03] income and tire and now go and tie it, it's probably about five or six knots of water that
[43:07] goes past that boat ramp, makes it very hard to launch it sometimes.
[43:12] And even so, if they're not going out to that 40 boat ramp, because that's pretty much
[43:16] the only boat ramp on South Levy side that you have, they come to our boat ramps anyway.
[43:23] And also during scalping season and managing seasons, nobody goes out of the barge canal
[43:28] boat ramp to go visit those, so the people that are typically using the boat ramps on
[43:39] Now if you want to get important to ensure fishing, large canal is a perfect one, one with
[43:44] a con plan with the Manatee issue, it makes sense to have folks going out of there.
[43:51] It's deep a water, typically Manatee's get hurt when it's shallow a water and it can't
[43:55] submerge under the proper wash.
[43:57] So for those reasons I want to keep that on the list, talking about all the boat ramps,
[44:03] where basically three boat ramps short, obviously my feeling is we do the boat ramp
[44:07] up at the barge canal, we look at doing one in Christopher and the one in Homesasa.
[44:12] I think we need to really look at.
[44:14] In reference to the Christopher one, I just recently spoke to the city manager.
[44:21] And just to point out a couple locations, and they're very early on there looking at locations.
[44:27] But two locations they had, one was the, there's a little commercial lot directly behind the days in.
[44:34] They just had a property directly across the street from that property.
[44:39] It was about three point.
[44:40] Something acres that just came on the market.
[44:44] They estimated the cost of putting a program there.
[44:46] And I think it would be a single program from what I can understand,
[44:49] because the size of a property.
[44:52] They're looking at around a million dollars total.
[44:55] For that and their property acquisition,
[44:57] because I think the property fit the three point four acres is about.
[45:00] One point, I'm sorry, 170,000ish. The only issues I have with that one is you have about a mile or so of idle speed going out to the river, which makes it not the most desirable boat location.
[45:17] There's second location was at the mallet hole, which I've been down in numerous numerous times.
[45:26] And there's a lot of people that use mallet holes for fishing. A lot of low income families go out there,
[45:32] because there's not a lot of accessible areas to do good fishing and they use that on a regular basis.
[45:36] I don't want to take away an area that is used for good purposes to put something else in and also the property location there
[45:48] I think it's just not a good location
[45:52] My other location of looking at because I've been over there looking at some spots and obviously this is owned by DEP and I already had this discussion was
[45:59] was Yo-Yoc-Lub, and obviously that's limited on space also, but that's easy access.
[46:06] It's towards the mouth of the river.
[46:11] And then you go down to Sportsman's Cove, plenty of parking, that's what's seven
[46:18] something acres, plenty of parking down there, obviously the ramp is an issue of where to
[46:24] put it, I don't know who the accessibility is out there.
[46:28] What real quick, I want to ask a question, I think we all probably need to know.
[46:32] If we get to a place like a sportsman's cover or the old shrimp dumps, I call it, and
[46:41] we want to upgrade that boat ramp from one to four.
[46:46] What is that going to do is that's going to, you know, when you want to upscale that boat
[46:51] ramp, because that's what we would definitely have to do, now we're going to get into the
[46:55] conference plan. Well, I want to be clear of what is relates to, we did some preliminary
[47:02] figures of sportsman's code. It provides parking for 40 miles. But my question is,
[47:10] I mean, is sportsman's code that the old shrimp dogs you have a single boat ramp?
[47:15] That's good. To make it feasible, you would have to make that larger. If we make that
[47:25] And what is that going to do as far as getting in the M.C. comprehensive plan?
[47:30] I think it's going to trigger.
[47:31] Absolutely.
[47:32] Okay.
[47:33] Now the one day I want to make clear on sportsman's curve and we have not done any analysis
[47:37] in this at this point, we do not know whether that's a grandfathered boatman for not at this
[47:43] point.
[47:44] Yeah.
[47:44] I don't know that one either.
[47:47] I know it's been there a while, but that's, you know, the concerns that I have, you know,
[47:52] if we get to expand them, what are we going to get into?
[47:54] So with that, I think it's a lot of benefits and I'll come back to you.
[47:59] Okay, if you have some data, just real quick on what you're saying there.
[48:03] We do have without question, there are a number of days during the year when we need additional
[48:12] ramp space where we would need to go to two or three slip ramps.
[48:16] But the majority of our problem, I believe, is parking.
[48:18] So, you know, if we end up with a project that is a tremendous economic benefit to homelessness and the
[48:27] crystal river or the citrus county economy as a whole, and again, I'm arguing for something
[48:32] I'm not, I know the support isn't there, but my point is that if we have a single ramp with the
[48:41] parking to help alleviate some of the pressure to other ramps and it benefits the economy, and we
[48:48] can potentially get some state matching dollars that that that ramp or that project and
[48:55] maybe it's maybe it's an additional project, I don't know, but that project takes off a lot
[48:59] of boxes for economic development and all of this stuff, so I'm going to share that.
[49:05] One, the reason why I mentioned the three boat ramps is, number one, most of our economy
[49:11] right now, of course, is voting based, whether it's humanity watching, whether it's
[49:15] scoutsies and whether it's just recreational fishing and so forth.
[49:21] And my feeling is we need to make it easier for our community to access the water.
[49:27] You go down, going to scoutsies and down for it, I don't trail to either one of the rants,
[49:31] whether it's the beach down there or the county boat ramp, and I've seen trailers and vehicles
[49:36] parked a mile down the road at Fort Allen Beach.
[49:41] Number one, it's dangerous,
[49:44] there is no parking, and we need to make some, try to leave it as some of those dangerous situations.
[49:53] Now I'm not even sure if the property is going to be for sale.
[49:57] We have any confirmation of whether sportsman code is actually going to be for sale, or because I know that keeps flipping back and forth.
[50:03] I mean, we have not somebody else, but we have not.
[50:08] So it's kind of difficult right now for me at this time to say here,
[50:10] let's put that on the list until we get some confirmation
[50:12] or some other issues.
[50:14] Saying it's Christopher, I mean, I would love to the program they have
[50:20] on Northwest third is it's dangerous because you're crossing four lanes
[50:24] of traffic and a suicide lane to park across the street of the firehouse.
[50:28] And then you're running back across traffic with no crosswalks or anything
[50:31] So to me that's a very dangerous situation and obviously with the river walk that imputes that issue right there
[50:38] I know they're going to try to go around if they don't move it, but I just think some of those issues
[50:42] We need to address because uploading traffic is going to continue to increase
[50:47] Especially with our population
[50:50] Going up every year. That's going to increase
[50:55] So, you know, you finish for now.
[50:58] I'm going to go, I'm going to go.
[50:59] I'm going to go on.
[51:00] Just the way we have it, that's a commissionersmith.
[51:03] You have his say then we'll come back through and we'll end the heat conference here.
[51:07] Thank you, Chair.
[51:07] And I'll keep my umbrellas assembly short, because all the projects are westside projects on the side kid.
[51:13] So, with that, something that I've learned through the process is one of the benefits to our community
[51:19] is the economics of Clearwater.
[51:21] And I think that we should really look at the priority of putting the force main on the table
[51:27] as being one of the key things we look at as a long-term economic driver, as well as, of course,
[51:33] supporting the sentiment removal.
[51:36] And that is something that is measurable, it's constantly being measured, and it provides
[51:39] a true obvious and easy to explain success story.
[51:44] And as many people come here on their boats to go, scalping, fishing,
[51:49] mantis, out with the mantis, declare the water.
[51:53] The more we're actually using projects to advocate to bring your money here.
[51:58] And I truly appreciate the conundrum of the boat ramps,
[52:02] but if we don't do a continued effort,
[52:05] and a long-term plan to clear up the water,
[52:08] how many people want to come and swim in the murky water.
[52:10] And the problem is, this is a historic aspect of sediment and nutrients that we are only now getting on.
[52:17] If we can put in plans now, hopefully in the next 10, 20 years, make some major strides,
[52:24] then forever we'll talk about boat ramps.
[52:26] But maybe if we do this now, we will forever be talking about nutrients and sediment.
[52:31] I do have a question in reference to the boat ramp.
[52:36] The regional project, and if it is a regional project, have we asked the entities that are involved with the boat ramp to help fund this?
[52:46] I mean, has there been an actual hard-ass from the County Commission or staff to help assist to fund this project?
[52:51] We've paid preliminary conversations with the restore coordinator as it relates to that.
[52:59] There were historic Americans going to meet the actual link, and they were going to discuss
[53:04] all the others, interesting, any kind of cooperative funding, and I'm not, and also
[53:13] what they're all of the interest is, and potentially the US-19 project, because one would
[53:18] want the first money, not as far as the budget can now, and I know I'm missing here.
[53:23] down during much, would like to be able to look up to that particular sewer there, but just
[53:30] like us they would have to then look committee with no graduation of the Board of
[53:35] County Commissioners who would ought to make the ultimate decision for them just like you
[53:39] do for us.
[53:40] And one thing I'd like to add on, because that's a great idea, and I agree on a percent
[53:45] of what's with my yesterday in Egypt, and it would go in, is to run a line up to
[53:54] do the energy for reclaimed water, send it to Simpsons, very much interest to that, that
[54:00] would also help a concern of years of pumping to the water.
[54:05] You know, do the energy pump a lot of water, go into the plants, and if we could get a line
[54:10] to them, there is a line from Chris River,
[54:12] but if we could get another line up to them
[54:15] with more reclaimed water,
[54:17] it would definitely help with the lesson
[54:19] to pump it out of the earth now.
[54:22] So, I like that project.
[54:24] Like, and so I would like to maybe bring up the thought
[54:28] on the back side of boat ramp issue,
[54:30] maybe we should direct staff to specifically ask them
[54:34] to participate, because even if we don't get a positive result
[54:37] from that, nothing lost by asking,
[54:39] We're still concerned we're going to move forward with project anyway, but if we don't specifically determine that we want staff to ask this
[54:47] Then there's too much latitude now. I think we should direct them to do so
[54:50] I definitely think there's probably some interest this definitely it's especially if we can get a force line up there
[54:57] We can help those guys out
[54:59] so
[55:01] I think that we need to
[55:03] To reach out to them and and see where which I think we have and I think we'll just kind of wait for an answer
[55:08] Thank you.
[55:10] Anything else?
[55:11] Okay.
[55:11] With that, I'm going to come back to the Commission of Colorado comment.
[55:15] Yeah.
[55:15] Just a couple of things that Commissioner Coleman had addressed.
[55:20] As far as the leavey county voters using our ramps, I love leavey county voters using
[55:25] our ramps.
[55:26] I want all the county voters to use our ramps, but I want them to buy their gas and
[55:31] citrus county, want them to buy their groceries and I want them to stay in citrus county.
[55:34] That is my biggest concern with this, so it's not that I don't want out of counters using
[55:41] our ramps.
[55:42] I want them all in here.
[55:44] I don't want just a portion of them for sure.
[55:48] The manatee injuries, that was something that was brought up and that's our manatee protection
[55:53] plan I understand that's in place.
[55:57] But in the, and I brought this up, so I won't be labored at the point.
[56:02] But in the consultants report, one of the consultants report that was used for the site selection
[56:10] of the large canal, they stated in there that I believe it was over 35 years span.
[56:16] There had only been 14 boat and manatee deaths or accidents, something along those lines.
[56:25] I don't recall the exact verbage.
[56:28] And the consultants' comments were, in fact, the interaction rate is very low.
[56:35] So I want to make sure that we don't run from coexisting with the manatees, such as county
[56:44] and crystal-reversy economies depend on coexisting with manatees using the same waterways.
[56:51] And I believe we've been very good hosts of the manatees here.
[56:57] And so I just want to make sure that we don't allow this species, allow an endangered
[57:04] or threatened species to become a new surround-dollar economic necks.
[57:10] And we keep things in perspective that, yes, we need to be careful that, but it's really not.
[57:18] It hasn't been historically has not been a major issue. One last thing, and I'll get quite about this.
[57:27] It was mentioned the amount of money that we've put toward the Crystal River Boardwalk last night at the Crystal River City Council meeting.
[57:35] They are very anxious to break ground on this on the ground portion, they are anxious to get rolling on there on their waterfront portion.
[57:44] They have got a couple issues with property owners that they are trying to alleviate some concerns there.
[57:56] I would like to see, I know that we have done our part financially.
[57:59] But I would like to see if this board would support Randy or staff contacting Dave Renell
[58:10] and just offering our support in his conversations to try and close that, you know, just let them know that the county is behind them.
[58:19] That would a full complete waterfront portion to that boardwalk is good for crystal river, it's good for citrus county.
[58:28] And even though it may be kind of a feel-good gesture, I would think that would be a good thing for county staff to contact him.
[58:39] I know he's going forward with kind of a last-edge effort to try and make that a complete waterfront.
[58:45] And we stay out of the conversation.
[58:46] It's their project, but at least let them know that the county's here to support them and their efforts to get a good project done.
[58:53] And just a comment on that, if anybody does make contact, I would do it very soon.
[59:00] They're setting up a meeting, probably this week with the last property owner that's
[59:04] a little resistance.
[59:06] So I would try to do that beforehand before they make that meeting.
[59:10] And that's all I remember.
[59:11] Now, the last property, just get a little resistant.
[59:14] What's the burden of also?
[59:16] So, you know, we keep talking about veterans, you know, Chris River.
[59:19] We've already extended our hand to Christopher ever, the previous board has extended their hand to Christopher ever.
[59:24] We have given them, you know, we have promised them a $2.1 million for the Riverwalk.
[59:30] I don't mind extending again to them.
[59:33] But again, I want to see more of this project moving along.
[59:39] I think that they have some real issues with that project.
[59:42] I'm not so sure they're going to meet all the federal standards for that project.
[59:45] But again, I think that they know we're a force of boredom, I mean, I talk to you a different commissioners of was on the phone yesterday with a councilman over there.
[59:56] But I don't have any issues to extend in our hands again.
[1:00:00] And I don't want to hand them $2.1 million in that project, not be complete, because I do know there's not only one, but there's a couple property owners that are washing on whether they want to do that, because it's going to hinder it's what they use the property force.
[1:00:15] I think there's some big hurdles they still have to jump but I don't have a problem with it
[1:00:21] You know that another word we're here to help them. I mean I do that to a kind of random basis with it with the council
[1:00:27] I'm in there anyway, so with that I'll turn to commissioner kitchen. Thank you, sir
[1:00:33] Well, I wasn't going to talk about that, but since that's where we left off at will for 15 years I worked to get the boardwalk in place
[1:00:41] Okay, so
[1:00:43] And I think our city attorney was involved in the county attorney's involved in that when she was over there as well.
[1:00:50] There should never be a doubt in anybody's mind that the county fully stands behind the city.
[1:00:56] What we have to be careful of is the city's position and I know this from firsthand experiences,
[1:01:01] and they don't really appreciate the county sticking their nose and their business unless they ask for it.
[1:01:06] So we've told them over and over again, we support you in cleaning up King's Bay, we support you in the Riverwalk.
[1:01:12] let us know what we can do to help and they know that and you know I see Dave Burnell quite
[1:01:17] often and I continue to share that. As a matter of fact I'll go further and say it's not
[1:01:22] on our list because they didn't answer it to be on there but I still think redoing their
[1:01:26] downtown Marina is the best thing they could do for their economic development and water
[1:01:31] front access but they have yet come to the county and said what you know what when
[1:01:35] you guys can help about that but I talked about that for years and years I still think
[1:01:40] that's an opportunity, they're missing, but it's their city, they're elected, governing
[1:01:45] body there, and it's their decision to make, but I think we've all said, over and over
[1:01:50] and over and over, over the years that we stand behind them in their projects, just like
[1:01:53] we do with Embrness.
[1:01:54] You know, they have to come and tell us what it is.
[1:01:56] They like to work with us, move on, and we can do it.
[1:01:59] So that said, let me back up for a minute, real quick, Sportsman's Cove.
[1:02:04] I have one concern about the Sportsman's Cove issue, and that is, unlike what we have on
[1:02:09] We're calling Sunset Park or the access to the River Park.
[1:02:13] That part, when they started that about two years ago,
[1:02:16] basically has widespread buy-in from the entire community.
[1:02:19] They've been talking about it.
[1:02:21] They supported virtually every organization down there
[1:02:25] and supported it or whatever.
[1:02:27] We have not even floated the idea of the sportsman's code.
[1:02:31] We have no idea what the residents in that area are going
[1:02:35] to think about if we do put in a major boat ramp in their communities.
[1:02:38] So maybe they'll love it, maybe they won't, but this is one of those issues where I have a problem with the government getting out in front of what the people in the community have asked for.
[1:02:47] So at this point in time, the people in the community have been very outspoken about the sunset park.
[1:02:55] I just think if sports must go have happened, that'd be wonderful. It's a great idea, but I'm just hesitant to get out in front of the ask from the community if you know what I mean.
[1:03:03] Let me back up the boat ramps real quick.
[1:03:07] I fully understand commissioners can art zeal with keeping funds in the county and so on and so forth.
[1:03:13] But here's the issue.
[1:03:15] We have X amount of boat ramps.
[1:03:17] Those boat ramps are full.
[1:03:19] Those boat ramps are used to excess and maximum capacity constantly.
[1:03:24] Putting the boat ramp in at the barge can now is a net new boat ramp that will add.
[1:03:29] It will not distract from the other ramps.
[1:03:31] Okay.
[1:03:32] My thinking is, is this will create access, this will create more, it won't, in any
[1:03:37] effect, be a trade-off, where we pick up X and 1 and lose X at the other.
[1:03:41] I think all these vote ramps are going to be continued to be used, and when Word gets
[1:03:45] out that we have an existing vote ramp, we're adding these additional vote ramps will
[1:03:50] do more.
[1:03:52] Mr. Chairman, just for what it's worth, I have no problem asking other counties to participate
[1:03:56] financially.
[1:03:57] but now leave the county has a project that they think is somehow going to benefit
[1:04:01] citrus county. They're going to be coming down and saying, hey guys, how about giving us some money for our project too?
[1:04:07] So we got to keep in mind that this that the barge can now is in citrus county. The barge can
[1:04:12] out is not the borders to citrus county. The other side of the barge can now is also a citrus county.
[1:04:18] So let's keep that in mind. So I'll back up also to Commissioner Smith's point.
[1:04:23] I agree 100%, I believe that force main project is the kind of thing that we're looking for.
[1:04:28] We know water quality is based on nutrient load, which we've heard is fertilizer and
[1:04:33] septic tanks.
[1:04:34] And this board's done what it's good for fertilizer and septic tanks are what's left.
[1:04:39] So I also agree with that.
[1:04:41] So again, we come back to, at the end of this, a staff's going to be asking where to go.
[1:04:47] And as I see it, there's a few that's been off the list based on what we've talked about
[1:04:52] in the field been added. And I guess what I see happening is we still have the barge can
[1:04:56] have boat ramp for all the reasons debated. The four down beach
[1:05:00] refinements off the artificial reef thing. I think we support the
[1:05:04] scallop bed seating is off the sunset park is on. We continue to support
[1:05:10] Crystal Rivers effort for sediment removal. I don't know where the 31 million dollars
[1:05:13] is going to come from. But we support that. And with adding the forest main
[1:05:18] concept that we talked about, and again, just for clarification, when I talked about extending
[1:05:25] parking at boat ramps, it's not necessarily just told in the sass, it's any place
[1:05:29] that we could potentially help out the capacity of existing boat ramps by finding additional
[1:05:35] parking.
[1:05:36] Thank you, Commissioner Kitchen, and let me throw a couple of things in real quick, I think it's
[1:05:41] for this board to do some things down in the old homicides.
[1:05:47] I think sunset park is a place as a kid that's iron around on with Hampton's still
[1:05:55] go down there quite often to buy from Shellies for you.
[1:06:01] So I have family that they have land down there and really and truthfully have been a red
[1:06:07] steps out for a long time. Okay, and they've never really had a park on the water. Okay, and it's time that if we're going to do something down there
[1:06:16] that would be the one I would jump all over in a heartbeat to make it happen.
[1:06:22] And when we talk about economic, I want to throw a couple things out there real quick, economic development, you know, a Christian river.
[1:06:28] We all must remember, you know, Duke Energy's building three new plants, U.S.G.
[1:06:34] just built a new pad to push all the gyps and over to their side because they do have a plan to build a wall board plan out there.
[1:06:44] So there's things that are going to happen in the north sector,
[1:06:48] west sector, a citrus county.
[1:06:50] And look,
[1:06:52] we have got some investment at the bars canal,
[1:06:56] and there was a idea one time to make it a working port.
[1:07:04] Okay, and we invested about 300,000 or a little bit more than that.
[1:07:09] We're thinking about that boat ramp.
[1:07:12] We might be able to get our investment back out of it.
[1:07:15] Okay, the taxpayers might be able to get their money out.
[1:07:18] If we put that boat ramp there, I promise you, there's a heck of a possibility
[1:07:23] that you can see a marina going there.
[1:07:25] Okay, so I know a couple already that have expressed interest.
[1:07:29] And, you know, if we're going to invest some money, I'm not for a port by no means, okay,
[1:07:35] but we have invested money.
[1:07:37] And I am a businessman and I'm not going to throw $350,000 out of the window.
[1:07:42] Okay, you know, I did vote to keep it a port designation.
[1:07:46] I do believe that that vote ramp is essential to what the state wants to do up there.
[1:07:51] They're going to one, give us property.
[1:07:53] They're two, they're going to match matches.
[1:07:56] And then also they're going to put a lot of infrastructure in, for activities up there, you know, everybody doesn't have a boat in such a county in state of Florida.
[1:08:06] So they depend on fishing from the bank.
[1:08:09] And that is a great place to fish from the bank for a lot of different tough species.
[1:08:15] Like we can name all kind of things that come up in there.
[1:08:18] But I think that I'm with Commissioner Tiffton, Commissioner Smith,
[1:08:28] on keeping these projects in the line, adding the force may not there, because I think that is a tremendous asset to getting nutrients load off of these rivers and the money that the state is giving to us.
[1:08:45] Okay, I'm going tomorrow to the spring's, you know, home assassins, the next one on the
[1:08:53] list on starting to fund that to get some nutrients left off, okay, and, you know, we're
[1:08:59] going to invest our money in Sunset Park when you'd also be working down there to clean
[1:09:03] that waterway up.
[1:09:05] And so that force up there would be a great idea, and especially if we can put a line
[1:09:10] in next to it and put a reclaim water and a decay energy, that then that's a win for
[1:09:15] if you're counting all the way around. So I'll always commission a kitchen. I'll keep
[1:09:19] in these, the boat ramp, sunset property, force main, kind of how we have it, take away the
[1:09:30] seating project right now, the sportsman's coat, needs to come off. It keeps the artificial
[1:09:38] reef. I'm a farm believer that we need to do everything we can for the builders in this
[1:09:44] We do have some artificial reefs offshore, but if we could get some pleasure to ensure where we could have more better, she's out.
[1:09:52] I'm off for that soon.
[1:09:55] Yes, sir, just a couple of notes here.
[1:09:58] The as far as Homassasagos and Sunset and I look, I'm excited.
[1:10:03] We're going to invest some money around that area.
[1:10:06] As far as Sunset Park goes, I want both.
[1:10:09] I want to add to that. I want, I'm great, okay. The Homassas Group is put forth a tremendous effort.
[1:10:18] I am all about doing some property acquisition down there, getting the public access to the Homassas Serer.
[1:10:24] I'd love for them to be able to put their boat in its force was covered. Anyway, I want both of them.
[1:10:30] The force main project on 19, it's been my understanding or have been told in the past
[1:10:37] that property owners, along 19, would have expressed an interest in sharing cost to run
[1:10:45] utilities up that direction.
[1:10:48] If that's the case, I would like to approach some about doing that rather than spending
[1:10:53] our restore money, even if we're going to, maybe they do the match part with the state.
[1:10:59] I don't know, but I have heard that I have been told that those property owners with
[1:11:06] have an interest in sharing the cost of running utilities up 19 if they're, if property
[1:11:10] owners are going to realize the economic benefit of having utilities run across their property
[1:11:15] and they're willing to make the investment in it, then I'd rather not use this found money
[1:11:20] from a store to do that.
[1:11:22] Well, yeah, I'm more of the same thing and I've heard the same thing.
[1:11:26] level of what the funding is. I don't know. I don't think realistically we're going to be able
[1:11:33] to get to quite that level. Based on what I'm hearing right now, I'm kind of throwing some
[1:11:38] rough numbers together and we can refine this because there's some of these projects that I mean,
[1:11:44] I just don't know whether the numbers you get. I use commissioner comments. Me and dollars, for example,
[1:11:50] on across wherever and I need to get Mr. Bernal from that number of forming and there's
[1:11:56] some other numbers that need to be found up. But I think we've got something that we can
[1:12:07] work up for your further consideration and I get better handle on that.
[1:12:11] One last comment. The Fort Island Beach boat ramp now, we have had some conversation about
[1:12:18] that that is any improvements at that ramp, not necessarily parking because my understanding
[1:12:25] is that that triggers a federal environmental study or something along those lines so much.
[1:12:31] If I use, if I use restore money, it's going to, I'm incredibly wrong. I think it is
[1:12:39] we can get about 10 additional boats, but the rules, the rules, the rules are going to be
[1:12:44] brought down on us because of putting in those 10.
[1:12:47] And we think there's a better and easier, a better way to fund it than to use federal funds
[1:12:53] on that.
[1:12:54] Also, I mean, it would be something that has me budgeting and I'll come and budget, but
[1:13:00] okay.
[1:13:01] Now, what about dock improvements out there, anything along those lines?
[1:13:06] Is that trigger the same kind of study if we get into it with store funds?
[1:13:10] And the recommendation and restore committee is to use it for big impactful projects because of the rules that are involved because we, right now, right now we want to go out there and do the improvements to repair the storm damage to the boat ramp and the dots.
[1:13:29] We're waiting on a core engineers from which makes no sense to me now.
[1:13:34] If we had, if this were county money and not family money, I just grabbed and do it and asked for forgiveness later.
[1:13:43] Because in my opinion we're just wish to know what was there and I think we've got right to do that.
[1:13:48] Okay, but since I've got payment involved in it, I've got to make sure that we are eligible to be reimbursed to a family.
[1:13:55] and the throne of the federal agency in there just is going to additionally
[1:14:00] come out of the issue. I don't want to do that. I'm just trying to get the most
[1:14:03] bang for it but, Commissioner, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know you're very
[1:14:08] aware of this, but for the benefit of the new board members, I feel I need to
[1:14:12] throw this out. When the board unanimously basically supported the pursuit of the
[1:14:24] up was existing businesses on that property.
[1:14:29] And, correct me, if I'm wrong Mr. Chairman,
[1:14:31] this is our position, my position has changed.
[1:14:34] And that is, as we are 100% behind this initiative,
[1:14:39] we don't want anything that would occur to impact those businesses.
[1:14:44] In other words, we would hate to see a business
[1:14:45] go out of business because we acquired a partner's
[1:14:49] on something down there.
[1:14:50] And from the beginning, and I believe Chairman Carram
[1:14:54] was in agreement with us. We would not do anything and take any steps that would cause that to happen.
[1:15:00] So, I'm just laying that out there so that everybody's aware of it, because as we start down this path, if we're in agreement to continue moving forward, that was one of the prerequisites that however this was structured, it wouldn't make it so, I give an example of the county, you know what happens if the county ends up buying a building that a business is in, we have to bid out that opportunity for other businesses to be in that business, and I would hate to see established businesses affected by that, so we have to be real careful.
[1:15:30] as we support this move forward with this that it's structured so it might take a combination
[1:15:34] of deals you know so I guess what we're saying is if we're all in agreement that we want
[1:15:39] to do this we just need to be careful how we structure it and put it together so that we all
[1:15:44] end up with what we think we're going to you know end up with and that was almost too much
[1:15:48] kitchen great point I agree 100 percent you know that they they they have put many many years
[1:15:55] and building that business at long working the waterways.
[1:16:00] So there's no way in, and I would put any business in jeopardy,
[1:16:04] especially that business at all because my family would hang me
[1:16:08] for giving me something like that, okay, because they're also working.
[1:16:11] And I grew up on the water working, okay.
[1:16:13] So I know how hard of a business it is.
[1:16:15] It's a growing, long days, nights.
[1:16:19] So I support everything that's down there, I'll continue to support
[1:16:22] everything that's down there and there's no way that I would harm a business
[1:16:26] that's flourishing and bringing good economic impact to that area by no means.
[1:16:32] So, can we hear as any other discussions?
[1:16:36] Can I ask does the administrator have, I was just, I was just, I was about the next.
[1:16:42] Well, here we have a direction.
[1:16:44] Here are the projects that I've heard you want delineated and a little more,
[1:16:51] or thought be put into the cost, the numbers, and the structure.
[1:16:57] The crystal of the boardwalk, which has been there before, the artificial reef fishing
[1:17:03] habitat creation, the sportsman's cove boat ramp, the sunset park acquisition, and I
[1:17:14] want to reiterate something that was said earlier, please note since these are federal rules
[1:17:19] I know there's been talk about using a non-profit or not.
[1:17:24] I don't know the impact of these federal rules, or on that, I mean, I think it's a cleaner
[1:17:29] deal if we let that business buy their own business property.
[1:17:36] I think the Fed's understand that better include the dockage because frankly, I don't recommend
[1:17:42] that I won't recommend that the county being involved in releasing business, we do a lousy job
[1:17:49] And I definitely don't want to be a dogmaster.
[1:17:51] I've been there before and I didn't work well.
[1:17:55] I know, city that I was in.
[1:17:57] We got the cost for the barge canal boat ramp.
[1:18:01] We got the Kings Bay, a sprinkle of water quality treatment.
[1:18:05] We got the U.S. 19 first name, the Duke.
[1:18:09] And we got the city of Crystal River boat ramp for a million dollars.
[1:18:14] And I'm assuming a 50-50 match, assuming that all that goes
[1:18:18] and we can get some contributions in it.
[1:18:22] I think we're in the ballpark for making it structure around the, around what we're
[1:18:28] going to be receiving in the store funds.
[1:18:31] I think we're in the ballpark, and I can't tell you how to do some moves.
[1:18:34] Now I would like to see Justin as the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the sportsman's
[1:18:42] kind of in the country.
[1:18:43] We're about ram now.
[1:18:43] We'd love to have them all and hopefully in time, we can get all these boat ramps.
[1:18:48] work and put it into place. But I would like to see him kind of the bottom of the
[1:18:53] the wish list and the others of which one's up.
[1:18:56] Well, I, you know, the sportsman's code about ramping the Chris River by ramp. Well,
[1:19:01] really don't know where that's going. We don't have much information on that. So I want
[1:19:05] to see them at the bottom of the list at this point.
[1:19:08] Well, and we have to do some refinement because I'm, I'm over in the morning, but I'm looking
[1:19:15] And it matches and contributions, which I don't know.
[1:19:17] I know on the board you can out boat ramp that we have had, there have been discussions
[1:19:22] with the state over a couple of years, it's going to be, we believe, on the green ways
[1:19:27] of trails planned.
[1:19:28] So we're comfortable that they're all going to make a contribution there.
[1:19:32] I don't know what the willingness or their funding availability is because the state budget
[1:19:38] is pretty tight for the next few years.
[1:19:40] use for any additional boat ramps, but we'll have to ask, I mean right now I am over
[1:19:47] on it without some kind of match on some of these projects.
[1:19:52] And that's kind of what I was getting at it, you know, I knew that we were kind of over.
[1:19:55] So that was how to level slide to the bottom, just to make sure that we're in our parameters
[1:20:00] and getting the other projects done.
[1:20:05] The sportsman scope, even if we take off the boat ramp part of it, that property, that
[1:20:12] property acquisition there, gets us into a conversation with Senator Simpson, who wants
[1:20:19] a facility for he wants restroom facilities closer to the head waters.
[1:20:24] the sunset park area is further down river where there's already
[1:20:32] restrooms facilities, written quickly, but as having a meeting on Friday with
[1:20:38] Senator Simpson, what he's looking at is we're working right now trying to
[1:20:43] figure out something he actually wants a bathroom at the head, okay, not even at
[1:20:49] He wants something that's very close to where everybody is parking, where it's very easy access to go to the restroom,
[1:21:00] where she just sits in the water.
[1:21:02] He feels that will help the people in his life also.
[1:21:05] So we are trying to accommodate Jeff as working on that now.
[1:21:08] So we're trying to accommodate something right off the fifth bowl that they could almost swim to go to the restroom.
[1:21:14] Okay, I should support Ms. Kover, so that's you know, I didn't want to throw that out there.
[1:21:19] So that's where he would like to see one that this very close to where everybody's hanging out where that they can get easy access to to help the nutrients.
[1:21:28] Okay.
[1:21:30] We'll leave it at that.
[1:21:31] I'm going to comment, Mr. Chairman.
[1:21:33] Yes, sir.
[1:21:34] Thank you.
[1:21:35] I think what's important about this has been great discussion.
[1:21:39] I think what's important is when you made our presentations of legislative delegation,
[1:21:43] You're able to stand up and say the entire board, you know, endlessly supports this.
[1:21:48] I think, you know, it's great having these discussions and you can't have too many discussions
[1:21:52] but in the end it has to come down that it's going to be given take and we need to, you know, once
[1:21:56] we come together to say this, we think is the best use of the money, you know, we'll do as much
[1:22:01] as we can with what we can, we should try to be as much as possible, we should try to be
[1:22:05] unanimous on this.
[1:22:06] I just want to throw up one little thing, just for folks to start thinking about, as
[1:22:11] As we move along, I know this is really going to be turning into quite an interesting exercise.
[1:22:15] Let's let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's say example the sunset park or access to the river.
[1:22:20] Um, there might be things that there might be state funding available, we might be able to use or restore funding.
[1:22:24] It might be interest down there that dealing with businesses and stuff like that.
[1:22:28] So I'm just encouraging everybody to think out of the box, you know, perhaps we might not be able to use federal money dealing with non-profits down there
[1:22:37] in the operation or something, but perhaps state money, we could be used through an unprofit,
[1:22:45] perhaps there's other avenues, so all I'm saying is that if we see going one avenue, if
[1:22:49] it doesn't work that way, there might be, as long as the county's in support, last year
[1:22:54] the county would operate, would own and operate the park, but we don't want to be in the
[1:22:58] business leasing and dock leasing, yet I think there's much to be said for a working
[1:23:03] waterfront down there. So if a local group down there, a nonprofit is formed or is now formed
[1:23:11] and wants to take that on, I think if the county somehow or another backed that up with
[1:23:16] our blessing, there might be a way to have that group somehow or another work with the management
[1:23:21] of the things that the county doesn't want to. So again, it's early out there, but I guess
[1:23:25] what I'm just trying to say is we need to kind of keep everybody keep their thinking cats on
[1:23:29] say instead of saying we can't do this we have to say this is where we want to get to.
[1:23:33] Where do we have to make anything line up to get to.
[1:23:35] Thank you.
[1:23:35] Appreciate it coming.
[1:23:37] Yes.
[1:23:37] From a federal perspective the only thing I want to make sure is we have a clear delineation
[1:23:42] and from a federal perspective the federal project for example there I would like to see
[1:23:47] is to buy the property that makes it clean the feds will on the other stuff.
[1:23:52] Then we can work on the other stuff.
[1:23:53] What I don't know the answer to is whether they're going to put in strings on this
[1:23:58] would say we have to continue to own it, or there are any restrictions as it relates to
[1:24:03] the least it, because unfortunately with federal money comes federal rules and we're just
[1:24:08] going to have to figure that out.
[1:24:11] The other one that I want to make sure of is non-profits are great and they have a great
[1:24:16] intent.
[1:24:17] Okay, but the non-profit has got to be sustainable over many years.
[1:24:22] Governments are going to be here in 100 years, the non-profit, I'm not so sure about.
[1:24:26] And if if if if you know the nonprofit ever goes away I don't want the call for taxpayers like county anything
[1:24:35] Well, thank you, Mr. Oliver. We appreciate that. Well, one thing I would say
[1:24:41] Let's take it one step at a time
[1:24:43] The first step as he is is acquiring the property and then we'll go to step two step three to make sure
[1:24:50] everybody's covered, everybody's covered, everybody's happy down there. I think if we take it one step at a time, this is a great community. We work well together and I think that we're going to make this happen.
[1:25:04] And you know, one thing I want to throw out here that I've been thinking about and, you know,
[1:25:10] I do believe that if that marsh can out butt ramp when it goes, I think you're going
[1:25:15] to see the possibly the Coast Guard, want to put it to the facility out there.
[1:25:20] You know, they're kind of hindering on the with the Kitchie River right now, sometimes they
[1:25:24] have to deal with ties.
[1:25:26] And I think that once that butt ramp is built, not facilities put in, I think you're going
[1:25:30] to see some activity.
[1:25:31] And I definitely think you're going to see such a county that would keep some money and if they invest it out there, so I'm kind of excited about about that.
[1:25:40] So what's that in the other comments?
[1:25:43] Yeah, being that, I'm a post start member and I'm very familiar with the station of the 90 town.
[1:25:47] Not that I've been stationed there, but they've always talked about moving their facility over near FWC, and that's been going on for years.
[1:25:54] So, and going out of yanketown is very times consuming, getting out to the golf with any
[1:26:01] to respond.
[1:26:02] So, I do see something like that going on.
[1:26:04] It's going to take a few more years, obviously, with air budget, they're kind of in the
[1:26:07] Coast Guard budget every year, but I do see something like that coming.
[1:26:11] Well, hopefully the drop train is going to put the money back in, but with that we appreciate
[1:26:18] that because, you know, I forgot, Brian, you're still with the Coast Guard, we're glad
[1:26:24] to definitely have you as an active member,
[1:26:27] and we look forward to working with the Coast Guard
[1:26:28] to make sure we can get something done.
[1:26:31] So that's a plus.
[1:26:33] So with that, to make sure there's any other comments,
[1:26:36] I think, Randy, you have a good direction.
[1:26:38] I do.
[1:26:39] I would expect that this will come back to you
[1:26:42] in February at a board meeting.
[1:26:45] May take some refinement, but not later in the first meeting
[1:26:49] in March, so we can hit the time frame set up.
[1:26:51] Thank you.
[1:26:52] With that we are going to go open to the public, come on up Rodney, I know you want to talk.
[1:27:00] And we would love to hear from you.
[1:27:03] This is a matter of homicassism.
[1:27:06] Mr. Rodney McCrae has been a mayor there for quite a number of years.
[1:27:10] I know you put me on a spot.
[1:27:12] One of the commissioners, I saw the attorney cranes a little bit when Randy said,
[1:27:19] If it was up to me, I'd just replace that doc out there with no permits.
[1:27:25] And mine's you have some other meetings.
[1:27:27] Yes, Tommy Cringe.
[1:27:29] Yes, indeed.
[1:27:31] I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for from input from the public.
[1:27:38] But if I'm here to help you rank these projects, I would put Sunset Park right at the top.
[1:27:43] My first question was going to be, where did Sunset Park come from?
[1:27:48] But I found out that our Yankee friend back there, not that there's anything wrong with that.
[1:27:56] Came up with Sunset Park as a name way back in the day.
[1:28:00] There were several concerns and I won't spend the commission's time on all of them, but
[1:28:05] we have talked with Randy Randy has been a very great help in getting as far as we've gotten
[1:28:10] with this thing as you have.
[1:28:12] the issue of the county getting the leasing business,
[1:28:15] we don't want the county in leasing business, see that.
[1:28:18] Quite frankly, nothing to rock it to worry about this,
[1:28:21] but we don't want the county involved in it at all.
[1:28:24] We want you to purchase the property for us,
[1:28:26] but we would like to have the run of things down there.
[1:28:29] And we've put things mechanisms in place
[1:28:31] that will allow us to do that.
[1:28:33] And if we ever fall behind and can't do that,
[1:28:36] then there's another item that was talked about in its NMSB
[1:28:39] that would be put in place that if the society that took it over could no longer do it
[1:28:46] then there would be a mechanism in there that would provide for the funding of the parts.
[1:28:53] So that's to be discussed, but I'm absolutely thrilled that you guys are getting involved
[1:28:57] with us to help us purchase that thing with these money or matching money from a state or
[1:29:02] but it's just I'm excited really excited about it. The sportsman's property from what Randy
[1:29:11] had said he wanted to see the money if I remember correctly what he said. He wanted to see those
[1:29:20] money from the restore to the purchase to property not to build the infrastructure on the property
[1:29:27] But to purchase a property, Clarepha, Brandy, Brandy, Brandy, Brandy, you want me to introduce
[1:29:33] Chair?
[1:29:33] Yes, I mean, if you ever thought so.
[1:29:35] I mean, I thought so.
[1:29:35] That was what Commissioner Canards suggested, because the little, like a funding was to use the,
[1:29:41] because we don't have enough money to fund all those projects,
[1:29:44] including that.
[1:29:45] We also don't know to be fair at this point if there's any state participation that may be available
[1:29:51] to fund that, but what the original did that I talked about was to put
[1:30:00] I would note that that property is uniquely shaped.
[1:30:06] Well, homocess is unique in and of itself, but we won't go there. That's a piece of property that is at the present, not developed.
[1:30:17] They've got a lot of grandfathering zoning there that they could put in 40 something mobile homes.
[1:30:28] I think if you bypass the trying to purchase that property now, it may be lost.
[1:30:34] And there's not any other land down in Homassasso that has the facilities that could be put in that place.
[1:30:41] So I think that don't try to figure out what to do with it, he'll buy it and let us run it.
[1:30:49] We're hopefully going to run the other park.
[1:30:52] The same organization could take over that one and fund doing the infrastructure there and put
[1:30:57] the ramp, put the docs in, put the parking, whatever.
[1:31:00] But please try to buy the land.
[1:31:02] Put that on a higher scale and at least get the land bought, so it's out of the
[1:31:12] And the last, but not least, is I'm with you on the barge canal, right?
[1:31:19] Don't give it up.
[1:31:22] And if you can get leavey county and the rest of those guys to go along with it,
[1:31:26] then that's just going to be even better.
[1:31:27] But I think that's, if it's not needed today, it's certainly going to be needed tomorrow
[1:31:32] just like the one at sportsman's.
[1:31:35] And if you let it go, you might not ever get it.
[1:31:37] But, hey, thanks for the opportunity to stand up here and talk to you.
[1:31:45] Commissioner, you're the district for Crystal River?
[1:31:48] Yes, sir.
[1:31:48] All right.
[1:31:49] After the meeting, you'll take a break.
[1:31:50] I'd like to talk to you personally about the couple issues there.
[1:31:54] Yeah, you bet.
[1:31:55] You bet.
[1:31:55] You bet.
[1:31:56] You bet.
[1:31:56] You bet.
[1:31:56] You bet.
[1:31:57] Next speaker,
[1:32:02] please.
[1:32:03] Make sure we get please everybody.
[1:32:05] If you're a green card out, take who you are, your address, so the Clerk and Court has all your information.
[1:32:14] Please.
[1:32:14] I have some notes here.
[1:32:16] That's fine.
[1:32:16] I'm being out for you.
[1:32:17] The make sure we fill the green card out to hand it in.
[1:32:19] I did.
[1:32:20] Yes, sir.
[1:32:20] Thank you.
[1:32:21] My name is Steve Tresnek.
[1:32:22] I am the Vice President for a Level Fishing Club.
[1:32:26] It's called Citrus Fishing Club.
[1:32:28] We have approximately 75 members.
[1:32:31] The reason why I'm here today is to support the barge canal.
[1:32:35] all the other areas are in need of help also, and we've recognized that. But the fact that
[1:32:43] the land is available up there is a big cost issue. The parking that Brian was talking
[1:32:50] about is five times worse than we used to, because I fish out of there all the time, and
[1:32:56] I've got a 19-foot boat in getting it in and out of there's a problem, but parking is another
[1:33:02] issues. So it just needs to go forward. That is the area. As for economics goes, a lot of
[1:33:12] the people that fish the barge can now. After they fish the barge can now, they go down
[1:33:19] in the crystal river and they get lunch, they buy some bait and stuff for the next trip out,
[1:33:26] everything. So it is being supported. It's not like it's being thumped out. But you have to
[1:33:32] Remember, that is part of the county up there like you were talking about up and across
[1:33:36] to bridge.
[1:33:38] So we have to keep those people, I think, that because the land is so valuable, now all the
[1:33:44] way out, 40, that a lot of businesses will sprout up as soon as that large canal gets moving.
[1:33:54] I just want to make a little comment about these are notes that were given to me by different
[1:34:00] people know order. They're just some ideas and thoughts. Some part was made about trying
[1:34:09] to get a party boat up there, and that's, I know that's a pines guy thing, but the water
[1:34:15] is deep water verbal. If you try to do that at a crystal river or you try to do it out
[1:34:20] of hermosacis, it's much more difficult to admit to me for a bigger boat up and down
[1:34:26] areas so the barge can now would be a great opportunity for that.
[1:34:37] I'm not going to go through
[1:34:38] these the items one by one because it doesn't make any sense but I'm just going to read
[1:34:43] it right again that our fishing club, the people all of the fishermen that I've talked to,
[1:34:50] think that the barge can now is needed now, has been needed for several years. I've been
[1:34:55] for eight years and I know that for the last four years it just seems like it's worse and worse and worse.
[1:35:01] So I would try to encourage everybody to get that project moving as soon as you can.
[1:35:08] Thank you for being here. We appreciate it. Next speaker please.
[1:35:19] It's a nice mirror.
[1:35:22] I'm not the NBA team.
[1:35:26] Sunset Park. You guys hold on to paperwork.
[1:35:29] That was the first name I gave to that park.
[1:35:33] The access to a river committee has morphed over the last two years or more into many things and it has involved everyone in the community every group, the River Alliance, the Civic Club, the Heritage Council, the Fisherman's Guide, every one of those groups are represented in that committee.
[1:35:58] The vision for the park, since that park, because Moa Park completed, that's a no story,
[1:36:08] was that as it turns out, the old homosasa, historical preservation society, would like
[1:36:17] to run that park.
[1:36:19] They want it as a working fishing community, everybody stays forever and they would like to run, particularly, the museum.
[1:36:33] There's a historical building on the property that they would like to convert into a museum.
[1:36:38] And that would be a great little tourist destination for anybody in the county.
[1:36:47] I mean, we have stuff parked in bonds all over over Massasa, fishing gear, all kinds of antique
[1:36:56] going back hundreds of years.
[1:36:59] That everybody is said, we know where this is.
[1:37:02] We'd love to have a spot to put it in.
[1:37:06] I'd say in all of that, I didn't know what, since that part was for a minute, aside from that,
[1:37:15] what are the priorities, and the reason why sportsmen's clothes became important
[1:37:24] put everybody in old home and size that loves that spot. Nobody is going to be happy when this
[1:37:32] developer puts 46 mobile homes there. That is going to be a mind-bodling experience to you guys,
[1:37:42] because this rule would be full of people. But aside from all of that,
[1:37:51] there's the new committee,
[1:37:53] Oh, and the preservation is a 501, C3, by the way, the old historical preservation society is a 501.
[1:38:04] They currently own the water tower, then you guys pass over to them.
[1:38:11] But the enforcement's code property becomes important for the restoration project of the river.
[1:38:20] They will need a spot to put all of this staging equipment to start that process.
[1:38:27] So we're all hoping that somewhere is confined, somebody can find some seed money to help
[1:38:33] this new group, the Homosasa Restoration River Restoration Project, so that they can get
[1:38:41] gone.
[1:38:41] I know that there haven't been meetings this week at Clearwater with Howard Miller, Gator
[1:38:49] Dredging, and that is going full force.
[1:38:53] They are meeting me a few times a week, so we are really there, and the President of New
[1:38:59] President now is Steve Vingai.
[1:39:03] I would like to finish up to say, he's a great guy, he's a hard worker, and he's a very
[1:39:12] Thank you.
[1:39:13] Thank you.
[1:39:14] Thank you.
[1:39:14] Thank you.
[1:39:18] Thank you.
[1:39:20] Thank you.
[1:39:21] Uh-huh.
[1:39:23] Again, my name is Stephen Guy.
[1:39:25] I live in almost asum.
[1:39:27] And when this all first started, and I saw Crystal River Crystal River Crystal River Crystal River Crystal River.
[1:39:30] I'm like, really?
[1:39:32] What about us?
[1:39:33] Uh, it is nice to see that you are thinking about us.
[1:39:35] So as far as Sportsman Co goes, please consider that.
[1:39:42] If for nothing else than whatever, you know, Rodney Rodney Rodney said,
[1:39:45] I just said it's a great piece of property.
[1:39:50] It's going to go away.
[1:39:51] 40 mobile homes up on blocks, come on.
[1:39:54] Yes.
[1:39:56] So consider that.
[1:39:58] Commission, I've never launched a boat ramp, a boat at McRays.
[1:40:02] So I'm just talking here.
[1:40:04] I've talked to folks though that this past summer we didn't an hour and a half to launch or to put their their votes
[1:40:10] I'm not sure if additional parking fixes that I again. I've never done this here. So, sorry
[1:40:17] I don't know but but it is bad at the ramp and I'm just not sure additional parking fixes that
[1:40:24] mixture clean water. We can have all parks in the world
[1:40:27] If our rivers are down the tubes, it doesn't do so any good
[1:40:32] St. Chris Orber is working very hard on doing what they can. Our new project can
[1:40:38] hom assess the river. Models of theirs, identically, we're going to try to use
[1:40:42] gatoridrudging. We're going to try to use the same process to clean up the river.
[1:40:47] We do need a staging error, as that was just mentioned, and enforcement code would work
[1:40:52] for that. Now, gator pays for that right. That's not free. There will be a lease agreement.
[1:40:59] Money comes back to the county. I don't know how much I don't know numbers
[1:41:03] But it's just a possibility something to think about they're gonna need spot. They're gonna pay for it
[1:41:09] Okay, all the money that's coming from that is not local money. It's a state money
[1:41:13] We have a senator who owns a house on the home of Sassarita
[1:41:17] That's not a lock. I'm getting money, but it's sure it doesn't hurt. Okay, so I think we're gonna move forward on all this
[1:41:23] for some of the beef.
[1:41:28] Wow.
[1:41:29] I will finish it.
[1:41:30] Not a minute.
[1:41:31] Mr. Oliver, I know you're concerned somewhat about just cleaning the canals and just
[1:41:36] helping the canals are an integral part of our rivers nowadays.
[1:41:41] Whether they're good bad to there, cleaning them does help the river overall.
[1:41:48] We're hoping also to extend what they've done in up in Chris the River to the actual river
[1:41:55] in home sense of.
[1:41:56] We're not just taught we're hoping that we're not just talking like an ounce, we're talking
[1:42:00] more than that.
[1:42:02] So going forward, I think this project, and we're going to push this project forward, we
[1:42:07] may come and ask for a little seed money, I mean there's surveys, there's some things we
[1:42:11] have to do as a group that we need some help with.
[1:42:15] But most of the funding will be state, but we need to move forward with the fourth name, with getting septic cancer.
[1:42:23] It's all the whole thing in y'all.
[1:42:27] You're going to go ahead and wrap up.
[1:42:28] You get my point.
[1:42:29] Thank you.
[1:42:30] Thank you.
[1:42:31] Next speaker, please.
[1:42:40] You're in a bad situation.
[1:42:42] Everybody in such a county does not have a boat.
[1:42:45] It was stated up there.
[1:42:47] So a boat ramp would be a last on my wish list and a lot of other people's.
[1:42:53] Okay, since that part is a people-driven project which will benefit citizens and visitors and it is a wonderful project.
[1:43:02] I was here when they first came, I was here when they came back, I think it should be one of the top things that you put in there since that part.
[1:43:12] Now, the benefits of putting a forced main. It will be beneficial for years to come to all citizens and visitors by keeping our waters cleaner.
[1:43:21] One of the topics discussed at the Commissioners' goal setting retreat was mortar and
[1:43:26] so similar to all of the citrus county.
[1:43:30] This is a crossing time-lead venture, but it needs to get started somewhere.
[1:43:37] Since we were reminded by Mr. Oliver that this is found money, let's use some of this
[1:43:44] down right for a foreshman budget up US-19.
[1:43:49] And the other months, you also get a rare news change
[1:43:54] for additional RB sites, most of the boys can now.
[1:44:00] Could we make sure that the new boys' main goals
[1:44:03] all the way up there, so they have to hook up to it.
[1:44:08] Because they have, if we bring up their one year,
[1:44:11] or 265V from the moment period, according to what we agreed to with them, to sign up and
[1:44:18] we have a customer, a paying customer, a big paying customer.
[1:44:24] Okay, are there any opportunities to the grant money if we were to do the forced main?
[1:44:31] Okay,
[1:44:34] let's see, doing this with doing these two projects, the forced main and the sunset.
[1:44:40] One noise project, one sound project, funding will be increased, but yes, we are going to still do crystal river.
[1:44:48] You know, that's in the center.
[1:44:50] But one of the things in your mission statements says you are going to promote the best quality of life for our citizens.
[1:45:00] We think about spending this found money, think about all of the citizens. Is it going to benefit people in a mess, floral city, her nando, you know, citrus brings, heavily hills, these type of projects will benefit clean water needs to start and a forced main project will start to keep our clean water clean. Thank you.
[1:45:28] Thank you.
[1:45:29] Next speaker, please.
[1:45:47] Mr. Chairman, there was a board with little say and say, by the bill.
[1:45:53] My name is Pixie Hollins, owner and operator of such as money and timber, property
[1:45:58] loaded, locate them in the west side of the crossword barge canal.
[1:46:02] I'm very excited about the old comments here today.
[1:46:07] I think there's an opportunity here for improvement of the entire citrus county, whom
[1:46:13] sass area, Christian area, and hopefully on the Northwest part of Sitzers County.
[1:46:20] The first thing I'd like to talk about is your reef project.
[1:46:24] I'm all in favor of restoring the funds to continue the reef project.
[1:46:30] It's kind of been on a bans because the economics and there's material sitting there
[1:46:35] from the U.S. 19 bridge demolition that's sitting on state-gringly trails, which I'm
[1:46:41] I want to talk to you all about the easement later on today, if you're in the board meeting,
[1:46:46] they can be deployed as soon as you'll get the funding to take it out there.
[1:46:53] I've also worked with several counties and talking to them about a joint effort in Citrus County
[1:46:59] to make reef balls upon the course where the bars can now have concrete available there.
[1:47:06] we have barge access there to deploy reefs, whether in Fernando, Levy County, or doing effort
[1:47:14] in all three.
[1:47:15] And that's a very viable opportunity to do that.
[1:47:21] When you talk about the cross-forward bars, you can now boat ramp.
[1:47:25] It is a direct access to the water fishing habitat out there, and it's about 12, 14 foot deep.
[1:47:35] The manatee population up there is slam and none, if any, and y'all have the property up there
[1:47:43] and it's owned by the state of Florida.
[1:47:46] I think there's an opportunity there, or I saw some funds that I'm not going to get thrown out
[1:47:51] of here in a minute.
[1:47:53] I think there's an opportunity that y'all have at least, that you got to do the green-way
[1:48:00] photo-foked for the VP folks for this program.
[1:48:04] And if some of these funds aren't going to be not used or the projects not being used
[1:48:11] period, maybe there's an opportunity there to say, let's build this boat ramp, make it small,
[1:48:20] so it can grow, maybe four holes or six holes, but make it so you can expand it, start
[1:48:28] That's your parking small, but you can expand it.
[1:48:33] And maybe take some of this money if you don't use all of it for the program.
[1:48:37] Maybe some of this other money and help the green way, which is right across the bars canal,
[1:48:42] to put their very wanting black top road from U.S. 19 out to the end of the Gulf of Mexico,
[1:48:50] which we've called Drupal, the amount of people to use that.
[1:48:54] Because when that landmark road gets bad out there,
[1:48:57] People just don't want to drive down the nasty wet dusty limelok road to go out to the end of the barge canal and that's been on one of their wish list for a long, long time.
[1:49:12] And I think it would also give you a better partnership with the DEP on the landlays you're going to have to do with the boat ramp.
[1:49:21] I think it would be a win when I'm sure everybody.
[1:49:25] It is far.
[1:49:27] And yes, I have been and they have been in touch with me in the United States Coast Guard
[1:49:32] on putting up a Coast Guard station on a cross-word barge canal.
[1:49:37] I do know they are moving their boat, bigger boat, to the F-D-B-C.
[1:49:41] But their long-term goal is to have their own station with their own land, with their own
[1:49:47] access and not probably share it with the F-D-B-C.
[1:49:50] I'm also spoke to the school system, the long time ago, about taking their fishing school
[1:49:58] or their education school out on Fort Island Trail and moving it to a safer habitat
[1:50:03] or safer not in arms way out there on it.
[1:50:08] Fort Island Trail gets pretty rough out there, especially during hurricane season.
[1:50:13] Up on the cusp for a barge canal.
[1:50:15] Up to there.
[1:50:16] there. As far as the—there's been some discussions of port citrus. We are open, and we'll
[1:50:30] continue to have open arms to opportunities here for Citrus County, whether it be private
[1:50:36] and public partnership or private to enhance access to the Gulf of Mexico for industrial
[1:50:44] We're working with the pipeline people as we speak today, we're working with the Matt
[1:50:49] people who are in junction with the pipeline people to bring take Matt's in and out.
[1:50:54] We're also working right now with the large reprojects for taking govers down to sink
[1:51:00] be chair.
[1:51:04] The programs in Christopher River, I'm all for getting those better, making a bigger
[1:51:13] parking area, but believe me, if you'll shut three down and somebody thinks you don't open
[1:51:18] up a new one, I don't think you're able to get in permitted. I've been here too long, I know
[1:51:23] with the protection of this, save the manatee, et cetera, et cetera, with that, I'm very supportive of any type of projects we can do to restore beaches, to restore boat ramps, but a boat ramp up on the barge canal, and also I think it's good to have extra places for people to see, as y'all talked about home assess the springs, also Christian River,
[1:51:52] So the waterway is economic gateway, whether it's for the tourism side or the industrial side.
[1:52:00] I appreciate it.
[1:52:01] I appreciate it.
[1:52:01] Thank you.
[1:52:02] Alex, yes.
[1:52:03] Next speaker, please.
[1:52:08] Going once, twice we'll go ahead and close the open to the public and we will go ahead and start
[1:52:16] addressing the comments to Mr. McKerrick Kitchen.
[1:52:19] I just want to say some real quick Mr. Chairman, great meeting today, great comments from
[1:52:24] public just two or three general comments. First of all, it's not about the east side and
[1:52:29] the west side. It's not about crystal river and you know whatever, it's about impact to
[1:52:35] coastal communities. That's what the restore funds all about. Not every county in Florida is
[1:52:40] getting this money. Not every county in the coast in Florida is getting this money. It's the ones
[1:52:45] that we're perceived to have some type of impact from the spill. So it would only make sense
[1:52:51] that much of this is driven by water and recreational issues on the water.
[1:52:56] So just kind of reminded everybody of that.
[1:52:59] The other is when it comes to these projects, most of these projects were brought to us.
[1:53:03] So when somebody says, why don't you do this for these folks, and these folks, I'd say that
[1:53:08] people that are home assassinated two years ago started on this concept of whatever we're
[1:53:12] going to call it now Sunset Park or whatever, but they stayed with it and they built a
[1:53:18] bond and kept it rolling. And that's how things get done. So, you know, it's very difficult,
[1:53:24] you know, to come up with the last, you know, not once in the last minute, but it's time
[1:53:28] goes long, say, well, why don't you do this and why don't you do that? This has been in the process
[1:53:32] for quite a while. We always want to look at it, but I just think those clarifications need to be made
[1:53:36] that it was coastal related. So, thank you, Commissioner Smith.
[1:53:41] But actually, I really enjoyed the speakers coming up and I just want to re-enrate something
[1:53:46] that was bought up was about the Old Homassassa Heritage Council and one of the things they
[1:53:53] talked about was the Restoration Project. Well, two things. You should always advertise when
[1:53:57] your meetings are so people know and you have a GoFundMe page that you should consistently
[1:54:03] every time you talk in front of the public, let people know there's a GoFundMe page to help with
[1:54:07] the Restoration Project of the Water Tower and I just want to give you guys a little boost about
[1:54:12] Otherwise there's a couple of issues I've never heard of the Matt's terminology.
[1:54:21] So if you would, after we're done, I'd like to run more about that, but it's mostly
[1:54:26] a whistle.
[1:54:26] You know what that is, is when they're laying the pipeline, they're woodmats, and they lay
[1:54:33] down so they can get equipment in and out.
[1:54:38] Okay.
[1:54:41] And again, this is mostly the west side of the county and everything, so as a guy who lives
[1:54:45] on the east side of the county and I've been on a boat other than military, maybe 10 times
[1:54:49] of my entire life.
[1:54:51] You guys, by now, how many boat ramps and where there should be, all of more about as the
[1:54:55] dollars and making sure that the people in the community are on both sides of the county
[1:54:59] participating.
[1:55:01] So I think this is good meeting today.
[1:55:03] Thank you.
[1:55:06] just one comment on what misparers that started bringing up it. You talked about the
[1:55:14] boat ramp being only for people that use boats and I kind of disagree with you. The
[1:55:19] reason why is what I said before about safety of our citizens. One example is the
[1:55:34] issue is the full-hour on beach traffic that you have with the boat trailer is down there,
[1:55:41] and it always impedes our people visiting the beach.
[1:55:47] If we leave the eight summer that traffic down there makes it easier for our citizens, and
[1:55:52] it's also like if you pay the road or your street, who does that benefit, it benefits those
[1:55:57] people on that street and not necessarily the whole county, but we're still going to go ahead
[1:56:00] and go forward with those projects because it is important for the whole community.
[1:56:06] So that's one of the reasons why I think that program is very important because it does
[1:56:10] alleviate a lot of issues at other locations throughout the county.
[1:56:14] And like Mr. Kitchen said, these are funds that are for coastal areas.
[1:56:22] These don't affect city of embarrassed, like the view of the city of Christopher River.
[1:56:27] That's so.
[1:56:28] Thank you.
[1:56:29] Commissioner.
[1:56:29] It's an art.
[1:56:30] Well, I thought we were going to get to one meeting without talking about road repaving,
[1:56:36] but let's do 11 hours.
[1:56:40] A couple of comments here.
[1:56:43] Mr. Holland's mentioned the Reefball Project, which I absolutely love.
[1:56:49] When I was President of the Coastal Conservation Association, we really pushed this
[1:56:54] and we're very, very close to getting it done to try and start putting these things in the water out there.
[1:57:04] I like that that idea is there and I would love to see our local CCA chapter as well as possibly the state organization,
[1:57:14] get involved and help to whatever degree that they can.
[1:57:17] we actually had support from one of the local concrete manufacturing companies that said
[1:57:25] that they would, they had staff and they would fill these molds at the end of day with trucks
[1:57:30] coming in with extra concrete and they said, you know, we'll fill them, we'll pop the molds,
[1:57:35] they'll be sitting there, you guys do something with it. So, I absolutely love the idea.
[1:57:41] At this point, looks like we're getting a barge canal boat ramp, so again, I will echo what I've already said, and I hope that we can get some financial support from our friends to the North, and hopefully we will see a Coast Guard station up there as well. I would like to see that happen.
[1:58:04] Mr. McCray and Mr. Cohen,
[1:58:08] I would again support buying both of those properties as I've
[1:58:14] already said.
[1:58:15] I think that at some point in the future, hopefully it will be used for a home assessor
[1:58:24] river cleanup project, but if at some point, if the county decided that we wanted to
[1:58:30] would aid that property get it out to a developer that wanted to do something very nice with it.
[1:58:37] We could do that at that point I would think, but I would again just echo your support that
[1:58:45] we should be looking at buying both of those properties.
[1:58:48] Thank you, Commissioner.
[1:58:49] Come on.
[1:58:49] And I'll wrap it up.
[1:58:51] First what I want here is clean water, so I want to make it, you know, about the clean waterways.
[1:58:55] Until you get nutrients left off these waterways, it's just going to keep going and
[1:59:00] south on us, so the force management is a great idea. Water up due to a great idea. It's
[1:59:07] something that has to be taken care of, because we are getting to a minute some amount of
[1:59:11] funding from the state. And until, and we have been, this board has been putting their feet
[1:59:16] forward with different projects as far as fertilizer, things to that nature, and we've got to
[1:59:22] keep moving forward. And this is one way to show the state that we're doing our part and then they'll
[1:59:28] funding us to, we've got to take one step at a time or one property at a time. We can only
[1:59:36] fund so much, we can only buy so much. So I do support both properties, down at home,
[1:59:41] SaaS up, but again, it's got to be one property at a time and then we can move forward from
[1:59:47] that. And last but not least, I don't have a problem with a smaller boat ramp in building a bigger,
[1:59:53] But I don't think I think the fun news here at the time, so I'm not sure how that would work, whether you
[2:00:00] Bill, there's smaller scale than you, where you can expand. I think you're probably better off to go ahead. What's your thoughts on that, Jeff?
[2:00:10] The current plans that we have for the barge come out have four days, and then I'm
[2:00:16] sitting beside the bay, you know, this lives on both sides with a lot of access for
[2:00:19] boats.
[2:00:21] And so the total project is almost over 200 parking places.
[2:00:25] We have the first phase of this, is to build over 60 parking places.
[2:00:30] So we would not even have the ability and infrastructure for the boat ramps, and that would
[2:00:35] not phase the boat ramp construction because the majority of that is a lot of that's mobilization giving the people there
[2:00:41] and to build another sea wall that are going to feed the 50 feet is the entire mobilization so to kill you to keep that barge back up.
[2:00:50] But we're all going to phase the parking as necessary to see if it works if it doesn't work and don't build 200 parking places if it doesn't work.
[2:00:58] Okay, thank you. With that, I'm gonna wrap it up. You can
[2:01:03] miss your share of the comments. With that. So you have to see it one. Okay,
[2:01:08] with that, we're gonna join the meeting.
[2:01:17] Yeah, that's very easy.
[2:01:29] To change the name of the pot and this is your part.
[2:01:34] Yeah, I have that. Okay, can you change the whole process of the head to the bottom of the
[2:01:38] head to the bottom of the head. Yeah, you need the other one.
[2:01:42] Just make up your mouth. Just make this up.
[2:01:45] I'm done. I'm done. I'm done.
[2:01:46] I'm done. That's why I said you're right.
[2:01:48] The access to the riverfront.
[2:01:50] John didn't make it in.