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Levy County recognizes
Operation Green Light
for Veterans Week - Nov 4 through 11
Levy County Veterans Service Office Director Olajuwon White looks at Levy County Commission Chair Desiree Mills shortly before the start of the meeting on Tuesday (Nov. 5), where one of the first things approved on the agenda was the Operation Green Light for Veterans Week proclamation.
Story and Photo
By Jeff M. Hardison © Nov. 6, 2024 at 10:30 a.m.
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BRONSON – Levy County Veterans Service Office Director Olajuwon White found the Levy County Board of County Commissioners in agreement with his request to proclaim Nov. 4 through 11 as Operation Green Light for Veterans Week
In Levy County.
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A 4-0 vote of approval on Nov. 5 by Levy County Commission Chair Desiree Mills, and commissioners Matt Brooks, Tim Hodge and Rock Meeks led to the adoption of the resolution. Commission Vice Chair John Meeks, always a supporter of positive matters regarding United States military veterans, was absent Tuesday (Nov. 5) due to illness.
The motion by Commissioner Matt Brooks, seconded by Commissioner Rock Meeks, to adopt the proclamation was easily approved 4-0.
The proclamation notes:
● Levy County residents have great respect, admiration and the utmost gratitude for all the men and women who have selflessly served our country and this community in the Armed Forces; and
● Contributions and sacrifices of those who served in the Armed Forces have been vital in maintaining the freedoms and way of life enjoyed by the people; and
● Levy County seeks to honor individuals who have made countless sacrifices for freedom by placing themselves in harm’s way for the good of all; and
● Veterans continue to serve the community in the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, religious groups, civil service, and by functioning as County Veterans Service Officers in 29 of the 50 states in the United States of America to help fellow former service members access more than $52 billion in federal health, disability and compensation benefits each year; and
● Approximately 200,000 service members transition to civilian communities annually; and
● An estimated 20 percent increase of service members will transition to civilian life in the near future; and
● Studies indicate that 44 to 72 percent of service members experience high levels of stress during transition from military to civilian life; and
● Active military service members transitioning from military service are at a high risk for suicide during their first year after military service; and
● The National Association of Counties encourages all counties, parishes and boroughs to recognize Operation Green Light for Veterans; and
● Levy County appreciates the sacrifices of the United States military personnel and believes specific recognition should be granted’
Therefore, the Levy County Commission proclaims that the week of Nov. 4 through 11, 2024, shall be known in Levy County as “Operation Green Light for Veterans Week.” This is a time to salute and honor the service and sacrifice of men and women in uniform transitioning from Active Service.
County commissioners encourage people to recognize the importance of honoring all those who made the immeasurable sacrifices to preserve freedom by displaying a green light in a window of their place of business or residence from Nov. 4 through Nov. 11.
Gilchrist County Commission
set to agree with FDOT to accept
amended $6.3 million road grant
By Jeff M. Hardison © Nov. 3, 2024 at 7:45 a.m.
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TRENTON – The members of the Gilchrist County Board of County Commissioners tomorrow (Monday, Nov. 4) are scheduled to consider adoption of a resolution to accept another $469,399.69 grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in the Small County Outreach Program (SCOP).
A 5-0 vote at the Oct. 21 regular twice-monthly meeting of the County Commission led to the resolution being drafted for approval at the Nov. 4 meeting, as noted in a previous story.
The first part of this particular SCOP grant required this added amount to cover the low-bid shortfall to complete the project, where this project shows a total cost of $6,289,399.69, according to records.
This project is for the design, construction and other services required for the resurfacing of Gilchrist County Road 138 from U.S. Highway 129 to State Road 47 in Gilchrist County.
The purpose of SCOP is to assist small county governments in repairing or rehabilitating county bridges, paving unpaved roads, addressing road-related drainage improvements, resurfacing or reconstructing county roads, or constructing capacity or safety improvements to county roads, according to records.
According to Florida Statutes related to SCOP, “small county” means any county that has a population of 200,000 or fewer individuals.
Also, according to Florida law, funds allocated under SCOP are in addition to any funds provided pursuant to Florida Statute 339.2816, which relates to the Small County Road Assistance Program (SCRAP).
This resolution anticipated for adoption Monday results from work by the Gilchrist County Commission with the FDOT to serve all of the residents and visitors of Gilchrist County who use this road. It is one part of a comprehensive road maintenance and construction program in this county.
This action on Monday (Nov. 4) is among the many acts the County Commission is expected to complete as it strives to serve certain and specified needs of all residents of, and visitors to, Gilchrist County with services that local government leaders perform as outlined in federal and state laws.
Levy County
Announces Final Debris Pickup
This set of branches and other trees’ remnant on Northwest 100th Avenue just north of 55th Street in Jemlands is among the yard debris from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
This limb is about a foot thick and about 20 feet long. This thin slice through it is by a skill saw and a Stihl handsaw that has a 10-inch blade. Someday, that limb may be finished being cut and burned. Many of the other trees and limbs that were blown down on The Ink Pad property have been cleared or burned.
The Levy County Road Department is scheduled to start its final round of debris pickup, according to a press release from Levy County Manager Mary-Ellen Harper. The last day to put out debris will be Friday – Nov. 8. Crews will then begin picking up the final round of vegetation debris only. Please call the Road Department at 352-486-5124 to schedule pickup of construction and demolition debris, Harper noted. The branch seen here will not make it for county pickup, but instead will be dealt with by the property owner singlehandedly, probably by handsaw and burning in a proper burn area.
Photos By Jeff M. Hardison © Oct. 29, 2024 at 3 p.m.
Williston thanks CRA member
for 21 years of service
Williston CRA Director (and city planner) Laura Jones (left) speaks about the presentation to be made to CRA Chairman Nick Williams (right) as City Council President Michael Cox is seen holding a framed certificate of appreciation on Tuesday night (Oct. 22)
Story and Photos By Jeff M. Hardison © Oct. 24, 2024 at 3 p.m.
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WILLISTON – After 21 years of voluntary service to help the City of Williston as a member of the Williston Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), Nick Williams accepted a certificate and plaque Tuesday night (Oct. 22) during a presentation ceremony in Williston City Hall.
Williams most recently has served as chairman of the CRA. Other members of the CRA include Vice Chairman Kenneth A. “Ken” Schwiebert, Treasurer Jonathan Lewis and members Stephen M. McMillen and Mike Langston.
The presentation Tuesday evening began with Williston City Council President Michael Cox asking Williston City Planner Laura Jones to the front of the City Council meeting room.
Planner Jones also serves as the CRA director. Other city staff members involved with the CRA are Nicole Bouse, who serves as secretary, and Williston City Attorney Kierston Ballou, who serves as the attorney for the City Council as well.
CRA Director Jones announced that Chairman Williams has decided to move out of the Williston city limits, and therefore is not able to serve on that agency’s board.
Jones said the City Council wanted to assure that it publicly acknowledged Williams work with the CRA. The CRA is responsible for helping the city improve blight and slum areas of the city to help the local economy, as well as to benefit the health and welfare of the whole city, and especially improve the quality of life in certain specific areas.
Jones said Williams has been instrumental with the CRA with its improvements on downtown Williston; and Heritage Park, including the Dr. Kenneth A. Schwiebert Pavilion, which is named after the retired dentist who serves on the CRA. To see the July 7, 2021 story, photos and video from the unveiling of the naming of the pavilion, click HERE.
Another improvement at Heritage Park, beyond the significantly widened sidewalks is a statue in honor of a horse of Williston fame -- Foolish Pleasure.
To see the March 24, 2022 story, photos and video titled “Horse memorialized as part of battle against slum and blight; Evening of stars shine despite rain,” click HERE.
Williams has been involved with CRA progress at other places in the city where improvements have been made as well, including the demolition and clearing of a former pawn shop building that was condemned.
City Council President Cox presented a certificate of appreciation to Williams on behalf of himself and the other City Council members – Vice President Darfeness Hinds, and council members Debra Jones, Meredith Martin and Alexa Haniff-Riccio. Vice President Hinds was absent from the Oct. 22 meeting.
City Planner and CRA Director Laura Jones shows City Council President Michael Cox and CRA Chairman Nick Williams the acrylic award to be presented to the chairman who is moving out of the Williston city limits.
The certificate was for Williams noted it is from 2003 through 2024 and is presented from the City Council for Williams’ devotion, his leadership and his service on the CRA for those two decades-plus.
The plaque to Williams for his 21 years of dedicated service to the Williston CRA was presented to him.
After the ceremony, members of the Williston CRA (from left) Member Mike Langston, Vice Chairman Ken Schwiebert, Chairman Nick Williams and CRA Member Stephen M. McMillen pause for a photo opportunity. CRA Treasurer Jonathan Lewis was absent from the Oct. 22 Williston City Council meeting and is not pictured.
Levy County keeps working
on single lot splitting ordinances
Moments after the start of the Oct. 22 meeting of the Levy County Board of County Commissioners, the five members are seen on the elevated stage in the auditorium at the Levy County Government Center in Bronson. The commissioners are (from left) Commissioner Matt Brooks, Commission Vice Chair John Meeks, Commission Chair Desiree Mills, Commissioner Tim Hodge and Commissioner Rock Meeks.
Story and Photos By Jeff M. Hardison © Oct. 23, 2024 at 9:30 p.m.
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BRONSON – The Levy County Board of County Commissioners -- Chair Desiree Mills, Vice Chair John Meeks, and commissioners Matt Brooks, Tim Hodge and Rock Meeks completed several actions and considered a potential set of ordinance amendments related to dividing singular lots on Tuesday (Oct. 22).
Levy County Planning and Zoning Director Tara Howell, who is relatively new to this role and was not the director during the previous set of workshops leading to the drafted ordinance considered on Tuesday.
Levy County Planning and Zoning Director Tara Howell speaks with the County Commission about proposed amendments to the county ordinance related to splitting lots.
Levy County Engineer Andrew Carswell stand at the lectern as he explains a finer point to the Levy County Commission in regard to easements.
D- Attorney Walker Bullock sits in for Levy County Attorney Nicolle M. Shalley who was absent from the Oct. 22 regular Levy County Commission meeting.
This is different from dividing a parcel of land into more than two parts, because then it reaches the level of development known as subdividing.
Splitting one lot involves consideration of how the property owners will have access to roads, and how emergency vehicles might have access to both properties.
There was some discussion about whether the property owner must allow a 60-foot wide easement or a 30-foot easement, or some point in between. County commissioners John Meeks, Matt Brooks and Rock Meeks shared opinions that when a person buys land in rural Levy County, they must know they are not in an urban setting.
An ambulance or fire truck may not be able to reach them.
John Meeks said that if a person wants to be 10 minutes away from a hospital, then they should live in Alachua County because there is no hospital in Levy County. The closest ones are in Alachua or Marion counties.
Attorney Walker Bullock was sitting in for Levy County Attorney Nicolle M. Shalley.
The commissioners took a 20-minute break during the public hearing regarding approval of a propose set of amendments to the ordinance related to lot splits.
Attorney Bullock was tasked with finding whether allowing a mere 30-foot easement for singular lot splits would cause any issues with the mandatory minimum 60-foot width for rights-of-way in other forms of development in Levy County.
Only one member of the public spoke to the County Commission about the amendments to the lot-splitting ordinance. However, it did not take long to learn he had planned on more than having one division of his 200 acres, hence his potential development leaned more toward regulations for subdivisions than single lot-splitting.
There are a number of areas in Levy County today with extraordinarily long driveways or private roads that are not accessible by a fire engine, and some that would present too much of a challenge for an ambulance.
Commissioner Rock Meeks said he had spoken with longtime Levy County resident Tom Carter who once told him that he chose to live in rural Florida. People must take personal responsibility, Rock Meeks said as he agreed with Carter.
So, rather than depend on every other person in Levy County to make sure he has whatever benefits from living in an urban environment might bring, such as better police protection, better fire and ambulance services and the like, it is up to the individual to have enough self-reliance to take care of himself in rural settings, and to understand that he might lose his life by not reaching a hospital in time, then that is part of living in rural Levy County.
Therefore, splitting a lot may not mean the county to must require a 60-foot wide easement to exist – leading up to the government-maintained roadway.
Levy County Department of Public Safety (also known as Levy County Fire Rescue) Director Mitch Harrell speaks with the County Commission and receives two, 5-0 votes of approval on Oct. 22 to requests he makes for the department and for the good of all Levy County residents and visitors.
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