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Community center fee structure
to be reconsidered
CPD has radio issues
Comprehensive Plan set for amendments

Chiefland City Commissioner LaWanda Jones on Monday evening (Sept. 22) tells other city commissioners why she wants the elected leaders to reconsider the rental fee structure for the Tommy Usher Community Center. Commissioner Lance Hayes is seen her listening.

Story and Photos
By Jeff M. Hardison © April 23, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.
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     CHIEFLAND – Within 30 minutes, the five members of the Chiefland City Commission on Monday night (April 22) completed old and new business for one of the biggest cities in Levy County.

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     City Commissioner LaWanda Jones succeeded in having her four colleagues reconsider the recently adopted fee structure for people and organizations renting the Tommy Usher Community Center from the city.
     After a 10-minute meeting of the Chiefland Planning Board, which includes the same people – LaWanda Jones, Chris Jones, Norman Weaver, Rissa Johns and Lance Hayes – they agreed to follow a recommendation that they may to themselves as the Chiefland City Commission – Mayor John Christopher “Chris” Jones (Group 1), Vice Mayor Robert Norman Weaver (Group 5),  City Commissioner Lewrissa “Rissa” Johns, City Commissioner LaWanda Jones and City Commissioner Lance Hayes,
     Police Chief D. Scott Anderson brought the five leaders into awareness about a police radio issue.
Comprehensive Plan set for amendments
     City Manager (and Ex Officio City Clerk) Laura Cain read information to the City Commission members as Deputy City Clerk Belinda Wilkerson recorded the meeting minutes, just as they had a half hour before when the Chiefland Planning Board had met.
     The North Central Florida Regional Planning Council (NCFRPC) is scheduled to complete a thorough review of the Chiefland comprehensive plan pursuant to state guidelines. This is to determine if changes to the city’s Comprehensive Plan are necessary. 
     The NCFRPC is going to help the city with amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, which must be completed and submitted to FloridaCommerce by the deadline of May 1, 2025.
     FloridaCommerce was formerly known as the Florida Department of Commerce. The NCFRPC is the agency the city pays as an independent contractor because it does not have a city planner on staff who can perform the required tasks.
     Comprehensive Plans are Florida’s method for growth management, which the state’s leaders recognized long ago is needed to preserve natural resources and to help all of the state’s residents and visitors to enjoy a quality of life that has better odds of success with managed growth, rather than a helter-skelter method of property development. 
     The Chiefland Planning Board meeting started at 5:30 p.m. on April 22 in the City Commission Meeting Room of the Hardy R. Dean Sr. Municipal Building, which is also known as Chiefland City Hall (and is a former bank building). The audience was relatively empty except for a journalist.
     The Planning Board members voted unanimously to recommend to themselves, when they would sit as the Chiefland City Commission members that night at 6 p.m., that they move forward with what is required by law.
     And as anticipated, by a 5-0 vote during the City Commission meeting, which began at 6 p.m., the five people voted to accept the recommendation from the Planning Board and to send the NCFRPC’s City of Chiefland Comprehensive Plan Evaluation and Appraisal letter to FloridaCommerce in regard to updating and amending the city’s Comprehensive Plan as required by state law.
     As a result of the actions, a letter will be sent to FloridaCommerce noting the city’s recognition that some amendments to the plan must be made due to state laws enacted since the last time the city’s Comprehensive Plan was updated.


DStill wearing his Fiber by Central Florida vest over his Central Florida Electric Cooperative (CFEC) shirt, Chiefland City Attorney Woodroe Blake Fugate checks out his laptop about 10 minutes into the Chiefland City Commission meeting on April 22. Fugate, a partner in the Fugate and Fugate Law Firm, had served as the CFEC Board of Trustees attorney at a meeting immediately prior to the City Commission meeting that night. The senior partner of that firm is attorney Norm D. Fugate.


The Chiefland City Commission (from left) are seen during the discussion about the current rental fees for the Tommy Usher Community Center. They are (from left) City Commissioner LaWanda Jones, City Commissioner Lance Hayes, Mayor Chris Jones, City Commissioner Lewrissa Johns and Vice Mayor Norman Weaver.

Community center fee structure to be reconsidered
     City Commissioner LaWanda Jones said she feels the 4-1 vote to increase rental fees at the Tommy Usher Community Center was premature.
     She was the lone dissenter in that vote. She had brought the topic of rental fees that people pay the city for use of that facility to be placed on the agenda when it was discussed and voted upon earlier this year.
     The $500 flat fee was “a bit much” without upgrades that can happen, LaWanda Jones said.
     Improving the public address system and adding a projector to be available for use by renters, for free with the rental fee, are improvements that should occur before increasing the fees.
     The fee of $250 for a half-day, she said, is not as much of an increase in rental fee in contrast with the $500 fee for a full day.
     After more discussion about this topic, the City Commission chose to put this on the May 6 agenda for even more discussion with possible action.


Chiefland Police Chief Scott Anderson tells the City Commission about some radio transmission problems, a potential cure that may soon happen, and what may be required if that does not work.

CPD has radio issues
     Police Chief Anderson said there have been a few instances recently where the Chiefland Police Department radio system did not work well. In one case, an officer was on foot using his mobile device and communication between him and dispatch was lost.
     In another case, a CPD cruiser was pursuing a subject going toward the Town of Otter Creek and communication was lost, Chiefland Police Chief Anderson said.
     The chief said he is bringing this to the attention of the City Commission because CPD officers’ safety is paramount to him. Without reliable, continuous radio service, the officers are at more risk as they conduct their duties, which include dangerous situations on occasion where loss of radio service can cause unwanted results.
     The chief said he knows the Levy County Sheriff’s Office, which is the agency dispatching CPD except for weekdays, is improving its system. The CPD itself serves as the dispatcher during weekdays, but nights and weekends the CPD depends on LCSO for radio service.
     The LCSO radio system improvements are in the $8 million range, he said. However, that work will not be completed for about a year now.
     Mayor Jones aske the police chief for the city’s options now.
     Clayton Drew, a leader in the Levy County Fire Rescue, is seeking to expedite the portable radios for the CPD, Anderson said. The chief said this may help, but he does not know yet.
     Another choice, he said, is for the city to buy a radio system for the CPD – however, it must work with the LCSO system because of the shared dispatch duties.
     The CPD dispatch ends at 5 p.m. each weekday, Anderson said, and the county is still dispatching over its “same old radio system” for now.
     Yet another option, he said, would be for the CPD to have its own dispatch crew for 24-hours-a-day with a new radio system.
      The LCSO is part of the Florida's Statewide Law Enforcement Radio System (SLERS) is a single, unified digital radio network that meets the radio voice communications needs of state law enforcement officers and other participating agencies throughout the state. The LCSO became part of that in 2003 or 2004, Anderson said.
     The mayor asked the police chief how much it would cost to make changes. The chief said he is conducting research to see the cost for a solution, and Anderson anticipates having more information to present at the May 6 regular City Commission meeting.
     If the new mobile radios given to CPD by the LCSO between now and then, the problem will be resolved enough, Anderson said. 
     The chief let the mayor know that the CPD radio system is 20 years old. He has given his mobile unit to a patrol officer.
     In addition to giving up his portable unit, the CPD’s major, captain and lieutenant have given their portable radios to the patrol officers, too, Anderson said, as a stop-gap measure for better radio service for them in the interim.
     Those portable units are the M/A-Com Harris P7100 Series type, the chief said.
     No matter what, the chief said, whatever the CPD uses must be compatible with the SLERS. That is the bottom line. If it does not work with the SLERS, then any other radio system is “dead in the water” as far as being something that can be considered for use by the CPD.
Meeting rescheduled 
     The Chiefland City Commission normally meets twice a month -- the first and third Monday of the month starting at 6 p.m.
     With the second regular monthly meeting in May set to be the same day as Memorial Day, the five leaders unanimously voted instead to have that meeting starting at 6 p.m. on May 28 – a Tuesday -- rather than May 27.
     The Chiefland Planning Board meets starting at 5:30 before the regular City Commission meeting on occasion. For more information about Chiefland Planning Board meetings, contact City Hall.

Legislators enjoy
‘Taco Tuesday’ in Levy County

State Sen. Keith Perry (left) and State Rep. Chuck Clemons listen to four commissioners thank them for their service, especially regarding the bill to stop China from buying real estate in Florida. Levy County Commissioner Rock Meeks was absent from the April 16 meeting.

Story and Photos By Jeff M. Hardison © April 18, 2024 at 6 p.m.
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     BRONSON -- Two members of the Florida Legislature who have represented Levy County shared insight Tuesday (April 16) at the Levy County Commission meeting, and then enjoyed tacos with the commissioners and others.
     Florida House of Representatives Speaker Pro Tempore Charles Wesley "Chuck" Clemons Sr. (R-Newberry, Dist. 22) and State Sen. Keith Perry (R-Gainesville, Dist. 9) both shared pearls of wisdom during the regular twice-monthly meeting of the County Commission
     Florida House of Representatives District 22 includes all of Levy, all of Gilchrist and part of southwest corner of Alachua County.
     Florida Senate District 9 includes all of Levy County and Alachua County, and the southern part of Marion County.
     Rep. Clemons is not only the representative for part of Florida, but he serves as the Speaker Pro Tempore for the whole Florida House of Representatives, which means he stood in when the Speaker of the House was absent.
     The legislative session is over for 2024, and both men cannot serve because of term limits.


Monica Romero, a co-owner of Las Micheladas Mexican & Seafood of Ocala, prepares to begin serving food during ‘Taco Tuesday’ in Bronson. Juan Carlos Romero, not related to Monica, is the other co-owner pf the restaurant.


Levy County Commission Public Information Officer Mary Ellen Harper is seen with one of the types of salad dressing available for the ‘Legislative Luncheon’ that was held in what used to be the Bronson High School Cafeteria and is now part of the Levy County Government Complex.


Standing on the other side of the table where people prepared their salads and tacos buffet style on Tuesday (April 16) are (from left) State Sen. Keith Perry, Levy County Coordinator Wilbur Dean, Levy County Commission Chair Desiree Mills and Levy County Vice Chair John Meeks. County Coordinator Dean asked the blessing via prayer before the meal.

     During the meeting before the meal, Sen. Perry and Rep. Clemons provided an overview of the Florida Legislature’s accomplishments this past session.
     The budget for the state government this year is $117 billion. There were 1,900 bills introduced and 325 bills passed both houses. Before it becomes law, the governor must approve the action.
     A new Levy County Emergency Operations Center, home of Levy County Emergency Management, may see the governor approving funds to build it, given the two state houses adopted that in the budget. The governor, though, does have the power to line-item items in the budget.
     Among the actions Sen. Perry brought to help the people of Florida was Senate Bill 88, which he introduced.
     As a result, as noted during a March 29 press conference, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the new law effectively ending squatters' rights in the state. The changes go into effect July 1.
     Sen. Perry said he calls the new law “the Relocation Bill, where we will relocate you (squatters) from that house to jail.”
Rather than just the civil eviction process, property owners can go to a sheriff’s office, fill out a form, and the squatter will be relocated.
     Sen Perry reminds people that filling out a form with false information can land them in the same jail under the charge of lying under oath.
     Clemons said he has seen members of the Levy County Commission in Tallahassee many times, representing the county in the state’s capital city as they advocate for the residents and visitors of Levy County.
     Clemons served eight sessions. He was able to do so because of redistricting.
     This session, he said, the state leaders looked at 1,900 propose bills. The session is not 12 months long, he added.
     There are six weeks of committee meetings before the session starts, and then 60 days “to transact the people’s business,” Clemons said.
     Clemons said there are times when he must vote “Yes” or “No” on a proposed bill. There is no “Easy Button” and there is no “Maybe Button,” he added. Leaders must decide, he said. That is why they are elected as leaders.
     During his talk about being a leader, Clemons mentioned that Sen. Perry has “a true north.” The idea of “one true north” as a metaphorical phrase suggests that the person provides a sense of direction, stability and moral guidance in the speaker's life, much like the North Star has historically provided direction to travelers. It conveys a deep sense of trust, reliance and admiration for the person being described.
     Clemons said leaders will find that people do not agree with their choices or decisions 100 percent of the time.
     “It’s not quite as easy as it seems (to be an elected state leader) as it seems or as you read about in Hardison(Ink.com),” Clemons said. “He makes it look easy.”     
     HardisonInk.com Owner and Publisher Jeff Hardison took time to let the audience know that he has watched those two state leaders in their current districts and elsewhere. 
     “Everywhere I’ve seen them,” Hardison said, “they’ve done very well.”
     Both gentlemen simply do the things reported, Hardison said, and while some may see this as “easy,” that may just be from the positive end results that appear as final products of their difficult work.
     All four county commissioners present expressed their gratitude to the senator and the representative for their work in Tallahassee.
     Both Clemons and Perry thanked their staff members for their work, which helps these leaders in their service to the people of Florida.

Sidewalk stalls, airport projects progress

Levy County Road Department Administrative Coordinator Alice LaLonde seeks and receives approval for three requests she makes to the County Commission on April 16.

Story and Photo By Jeff M. Hardison © April 17, 2024 at 7 p.m.
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     BRONSON -- Levy County Road Department Administrative Coordinator Alice LaLonde found the four County Commissioners voting to approve three requests she made in regard to transportation to, from, in and around the county during the twice-monthly regular meeting on Tuesday (April 16).
     Commission Chair Desiree Mills, Vice Chair John Meeks, and commissioners Matt Brooks and Tim Hodge all voted in favor of granting her requests.
     County Commissioner Rock Meeks was absent.
     LaLonde asked to remove the Levy County Road 40 (Follow That Dream) sidewalk construction project from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Work Program and to reapply at a later date.
     The FDOT was willing to fund the project at $482,268 to build a sidewalk that would have been five-feet wide next to CR 40 from U.S. Highway 19 to Sapp Street, as well as a five-feet wide sidewalk on the west side of the county road to Riverside Drive.
     Back in 2016, Yankeetown School applied for the sidewalk to be built, LaLonde said. The request was awarded in 2020.
     The engineering work to build the sidewalks is completed, LaLonde said.
     That $482,268 funding for construction was approved on April 20, 2022, according to records.
     No company bid on the project, despite requests for bids being published twice. The construction would cost an estimated $1.7 million to complete – more than 400 percent beyond what is funded.
     LaLonde said that people who want this sidewalk should not abandon hope. This project is just set to be reapplied for at a later date. This is a federally funded project, and more funds may be applied, she said.
     On a happier note, the County Commission also approved LaLonde’s request to have Passero and Associates be the company to perform grants administration, project coordination, and management of archeological, cultural, historical and environmental resources study for the project at the George T. Lewis Airport on the island of Cedar Key.
     These studies are for the entire airport to support a future resiliency project and for future development at that airport, according to the FDOT Aviation Projects Division.
     The fee for this work to be completed is not to exceed $102,000, according to the FDOT documents.
     During discussion about this, Vice Chair Meeks made sure that listeners heard that the project is funded by the FDOT’s Aviation projects, which are separate from FDOT projects on state roads.
     The third request also related to the George T Lewis
Airport. 
     Passero and Associates were approved to conduct Hurricane Idalia damage assessment, repair recommendations, engineering design, bidding documents preparation, bidding services and construction administration and observation at the airport in this regard.
     The project is not to exceed $79,530, according to the FDOT documents.

More lifesaving devices added
Elevator phone fixed
Videotaped meetings planned

Gilchrist County Sherif’s Deputy M. Simpson (left) and Deputy J. Williams prepare to assure everyone is safe during the April 15 Couty Commission meeting. Deputy T. Sanders, often serving in this capacity, had the evening off.

Story and Photos
By Jeff M. Hardison © April 16, 2024 at 7 p.m.
     TRENTON – Except for some planned discussion about the County Commission’s response to a lawsuit against the county from a truss company, and one of the two public participation sessions, the Gilchrist County Commission on Monday evening (April 15) wrapped up its meeting within an hour.     Among the actions and information from that meeting were steps to move forward with adding 25 automated external defibrillator (AED) devices; the single phone in the only elevator in Gilchrist County getting fixed; and the County Commission starting to work toward having meetings recorded on videotape for viewing by the general public.

AEDs

Gilchrist County Fire Chief James Campbell shares information with Gilchrist County Commission before a motion by County Commissioner Kenrick Thomas, seconded by Commission Darrell Smith, met with a 5-0 vote of approval to accept a grant to pay for the AEDs.

     The County Commission previously accepted a grant for $47,125. Information provided by Gilchrist County Fire Chief James Campbell and County Clerk Todd Newton showed that by the county contributing about $2,000 to this, there will be 25 new AEDs placed throughout Gilchrist County.
     An (AED) is a medical device designed to analyze the heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock to victims of ventricular fibrillation to restore the heart rhythm to normal. Ventricular fibrillation is the uncoordinated heart rhythm most often responsible for sudden cardiac arrest.
     Essentially, these devices can save lives that would have been lost to heart attacks.
     Chief Campbell said there are also some older AEDs in the county already. They will be checked and replaced if needed.
     The latest version of AED can be connected to the ambulances’ technology for a continued monitoring of care as the patient is taken to a hospital in Gainesville or elsewhere. There are no hospitals in Gilchrist County, Levy County or Dixie County.
     After replacing the existing units, Chief Campbell said, the other new units will be placed where people congregate – such as schools, Hart Springs and the like.
     The County Commission unanimously approved Chief Campbell’s request.
Phone Repair

Gilchrist County Clerk Todd Newton explains the situation in the Gilchrist County Courthouse that left him no choice other than what he told the five other elected leaders on Monday evening.

     Gilchrist County Clerk Todd Newton said the county courthouse is the only building in Gilchrist County with an elevator. Elevators in Florida must have a two-way communication system in case they stop working.
     The phone in the elevator in Trenton stopped working, he said. It could not be fixed by anyone, and there was an extensive search to find a person or company that could fix whatever is wrong.
     Kings III Emergency Communications agreed to install the cell phone in the elevator, Newton said, and they will monitor and maintain it.
     The cost is $184 for initial connection and installation, he continued. Then the cost is $40 a month to monitor and maintain it. 
     There is no other option to satisfy the state’s mandatory minimum requirements for communications in an elevator during an emergency breakdown, Newton said.
     Gilchrist County Attorney David Miller “Duke” Lang Jr. made certain that this choice as a sole provider was within the required legal bounds.
     The County Commission voted 5-0 to approve this purchase.
Videotape Future
     County Clerk Newton spoke with the County Commission Monday, and by June there is hope to have the meetings on videotape and published on YouTube.com.
     This would allow people to see videotapes of the meetings. The county is not yet at the point of live meetings broadcast.
     Clerk Newton said that he spoke with Suwannee County, and it uploads its meetings to YouTube.com for no cost.
     The County Commission endorsed Newton moving forward with this to provide people another opportunity to see and hear their elected leaders in action.
     The City of Williston has live meetings able to be viewed on YouTube, and people can participate in those meetings from their homes via Zoom.
Other Action
     Among the many other action by the Gilchrist County Commission on April 15, by 5-0 votes of approval, the County Commission approved the following:
     ● The Gilchrist County Soil and Water Gilchrist Soil & Water Conservation District is granted use of Hart Springs Park and Campground on Tuesday, June 18, for lunch. The Association of Florida Conservation Districts and the Florida Conservation District Employee Association are taking the lead in working with the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Southeast Region to present the Annual Regional Meeting June 16-18 in Gainesville. On Tuesday, June 18, there is a Florida Aquaculture Tour for attendees. During this tour, guests will learn about the clam and oyster industry by boat in historic Cedar Key and then enjoy lunch at one of Florida’s second magnitude springs (Hart Springs).
     ● As a matter of policy, to appoint the county administrator as the county’s planning director or to have the county administrator designate his or her designee as the county planning director. County Administrator Bobby Crosby said North Florida Professional Services is the contracted company for planning.
     ● Approved an ordinance stablishing a 35 mile-per-hour
speed limit on Southwest 10th Street from Gilchrist County Road 341 West To Southwest 80th Avenue.
     ● Approved three travel requests by Gilchrist County Extension Agent H. Tyler Pittman, Ph.D. They follow. A travel request for April 24-26 to attend the Florida Chapter of the Wildlife Society Annual Conference/Meeting as an executive board member (president elect) of the Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Pittman will be teaching a half-day workshop at the conference on invasive species management and pesticide license requirements. A travel request for July 14-18 to attend the National Association of County Agriculture Agents Conference in Dallas, Texas, to present extension work related to irrigation and nutrient efficiency of vegetable crops in North Central Florida. And a travel request for June 9-11 to present extension work at the Florida State Horticultural Society Conference in Orlando. While the conference will be held from June 9-11, Pittman plans to only attend for the day of presentations. While the estimated costs for these trips were submitted based on the federal schedule for travel, the County Commission, per the policy it always follows, is using figures based on the state schedule for travel expenses.

Levy County Tire Amnesty Day
succeeds again

Raymond Castell of the Levy County Solid Waste Department is seen for a moment in between times Saturday morning (April 13) when he was checking in Levy County residents who brought tires to the Levy County Solid Waste Transfer Site.

Story, Photos and Video By Jeff M. Hardison © April 13, 2024 at 2 p.m.
Updated April 17, 2024 at 10 a.m.
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     BRONSON – Once again, Levy County government has succeeded in a mission to recycle tires.
     The 2024 Levy County Tire Amnesty Day on Saturday (April 13) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and held at the Levy County Solid Waste Transfer Site between Bronson and Williston, brought in lots of used tires that might have been put in a less desirable location if not for this event.



In this video, watch as tires are grabbed by a big machine operated by Wesley Parker of the Levy County Solid Waste Department. Within the first few seconds of the video, notice how a Levy County resident delivers tires from a trailer that dumps them in the pile. Then, within this 1-minute and 13 second video, notice how Damien Mitchem of the Levy County Solid Waste Department moves tires with a small front-end loader. Also in this video, two Levy County residents are seen as they unload tires from a trailer. Click on the PHOTO to see and listen to the video.
Video By Jeff M. Hardison © April 13, 2024 at 2 p.m.
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     Raymond Castell, Damien Mitchem and Wesley Parker, all of the Levy County Solid Waste Department worked together to log in the number of tires as well as which part of the county where they originated and then put them into semi-trailers for transport.
     Levy County residents did not have to pay the normal fees for dropping off these tires. Giant tractor tires were excluded from the fee-free option.
     And this was limited only to be for residents of Levy County, and not for commercial interests.


Damien Mitchem of the Levy County Solid Waste Department (at left with tire in hands) helps a couple of Levy County residents unload tires from their trailer.


A truck pulling a trailer full of tires backs up to the area to unload tires as another pickup truck an empty trailer leave the area for tire recycling on Saturday. One of the Levy County Solid Waste Department’s semi tractor-trailers is seen in the background.


Wesley Parker of the Levy County Solid Waste Department operates a machine that grabs tires and moves them into a waiting semi-trailer.

Wesley Parker of the Levy County Solid Waste Department agrees to a photo opportunity after he was seen on the ground near the tires after operating a machine that grabs tires and moves them into a waiting semi-trailer.

     UPDATE: On April 16, Levy County Commission Vice Chair John Meeks (at the twice-monthly County Commission meeting) said the tire amnesty this year resulted in 114 Levy County residents bringing 1,988 tires to be recycled.

Tammy Hale Is Inducted Into Rotary

Seen here are (from left) Gilchrist County Rotarian and Membership Chair George Lastinger, Tammy Hale and Rotarian Sponsor Holly Creel. Tammy Hale was inducted as the newest Gilchrist County Rotary Club member during the April 8 meeting held in the Gilchrist County Woman's Club’s Clubhouse in Trenton. Rotarian and Membership Chair Lastinger conducted the induction ceremony. Hale previously has worked for the Gilchrist Sheriff's Office and is currently employed in the Office of the Gilchrist Clerk of the Court. She and her husband also own a cleaning business in Gilchrist County. Tammy is sponsored by Rotarian Creel. 
Information and Photo Provided By Holly Creel, Rotarian
Published April 11, 2024 at 8:15 p.m.

Rotarians hear about Sheriff’s Office
With added links at the end

Pausing for a photo opportunity after the March 25 meeting are (from left) Rotarian Ryan Clemons, Rotarian Richard Stratton, Rotarian Mark McEntire, Rotarian Shelby Jackson, Rotarian Colleen Caudill, Rotarian and the newest member of the City of Trenton's Hall of Fame - Doug Beach; GCSO Capt. Scotty Douglas; Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz, GCSO Lt. Todd Holley; GCSO Capt. Sheryl Brown; and Gilchrist County Undersheriff Robert Willis.

Story and Photo Provided By Colleen Caudill, Rotarian
Links at the end By Jeff M. Hardison 
Published April 9, 2024 at 7:15 a.m.
     TRENTON – The Gilchrist County Rotary Club finished its series of county department head guest speakers with a program presented by the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office.
     For that March 25 meeting, Chef Jason Fuchs served country style potpie, classic salad, dessert and sweet and unsweet tea.
     After lunch, there were a few updates for the club including: Rotarian member Doug Beach being inducted to the City of Trenton's Hall of Fame Doug Beach; the welcoming two new members - Colleen Caudill and Mark McEntire; and praising volunteers who helped during the quilt festival held in downtown Trenton on the Saturday before (March 23). 
     The guest speaker for the March 25 meeting was Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz and a few other team members from the Gilchrist Count Sheriff’s Office. He spoke passionately about his team and how proud he is of the current state of the county.
     During the past 12 years, the crime rate has continuously decreased each year. The sheriff also touched on how much the Sheriff’s Office loves to be involved with the community, practicing public speaking, being involved in education, prioritizing school safety, and being active and available during public events.
     GCSO Undersheriff Robert Willis spoke briefly about their team as well, which has the motto “One Team, One Mission.”
     The GCSO has a team made up of 75 differently skilled individuals working together to serve the community.
     The presentation showed the new jail that is being built should be finished in June. It will bring many benefits to the county and increase safety.
     Members of the GCSO touched on county resources and how they can get stretched on the weekends due to an influx of visitors. Gilchrist County has 18,000 local residents; however, on weekends, there can be an upwards of 10,000 more people in the county, according to information shared by the Sheriff’s Office at the meeting of the Rotary Club of Gilchrist County.
LINKS
     Publisher’s Note: On May 22, 2023, HardisonInk.com published an exclusive story, photos and video about the sheriff speaking to the Gilchrist County Rotary Club. To see that complete coverage from a year ago, click HERE.
     To see only the included exclusive video where the sheriff says how he feels about the county as well as where and when he compliments Gilchrist County Judge Sheree Lancaster, a Rotarian, click HERE.
     HardisonInk.com is the daily news website that earned first and second places statewide in 2023 from the Florida Press Club for outstanding journalism in the category Independent News Site (all circulation sizes). This most recent win heralds four for four years of placing in the top three in that category with the FPC contests entered by the 14-year-old daily news website.
Linked Story, Photos and Video By Jeff M. Hardison © May 22, 2023
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