Citizens Came Out for Buckhorn-Sopchoppy Town Hall Meeting

Commissioner Kessler held a town hall meeting on January 29 in the Buckhorn/Sopchoppy area.  The Greater Mt. Trial P.B. Church graciously allowed the meeting to be held in the church’s activity room.  About 40 people attended, and the discussion was lively and civil.  One said afterward, “The town hall meetings are wonderful opportunities for citizens to share their ideas and concerns with each other.”

Growth, which appears to be uncontrolled, was a concern to many.  The ugly sprawl spreading up and down Highway 319 in the Crawfordville area was likened to Tallahassee and Miami.  Kessler said that if the County had followed its own comprehensive plan, we would not be in this mess, but the votes of three commissioners have repeatedly changed that plan.

Several people talked about the pros and cons of Wakulla County’s public lands.  Kessler explained that the county receives substantial sums in lieu of taxes from agencies that manage public lands and that the county enjoys many other benefits from the parks, forests, and other government lands within its boundaries.  He also said that how the county chooses to develop its private lands is largely determined by the County Commission.  Between 2000 and 2007, Wakulla County’s agriculturally zoned acreage shrunk nearly 43% due to comp plan changes and rezonings.  He wondered how this will affect the many people who live here because they appreciate the county’s rural character.

The new sewer expansion projects prompted the most discussion.  Questions raised included:

1) Why could the City of Sopchoppy get grants to pay for most of the sewer hook-up and access fees but Wakulla County could not get those same grants for Wakulla Gardens?

2) Will hook-up costs and access fees for properties between the Sopchoppy city limits and the new Buckhorn development also be paid for with grant money?

{sidebar id=1}3) Why could the City of Sopchoppy’s sewer project pay for the removal of old septic systems while Wakulla County’s project in Wakulla Gardens does not?

4) Why doesn’t the County offer some relief for residents living outside the Sopchoppy city limits to help lessen the overwhelming burden of hooking up to the new sewer lines?

Commissioner Kessler said, “The residents throughout the county should not be put at risk of losing their homes because of sewer access costs.  A payment schedule of three years, as previously proposed, would be a great financial hardship for many.”  He proposed some possible solutions and asked Tim Barden to work on this issue.  (Barden is Director of the Office of Budget and Management and was present at this meeting.   County Administrator Ben Pingree has routinely attended these meetings and has dedicated County staff to resolve citizens’ concerns.)

Many of those at the meeting were worried about environmental damages that might be caused by the proposed widening of a portion of Mt. Beasor Road.  Commissioner Kessler said that County procedure allows them to have a voice and that any future road clearings would come before the County Commission.

A citizen asked about an incremental tax scheme for infrastructure improvements for subdivisions, including Wakulla Gardens, that has been proposed by another commissioner.  The question was:  How much money would this plan cost the County in lost revenue?

One landowner voiced frustration about infrastructure that he and his wife claim was placed on their private property without their permission.

The next town hall meeting hosted by Commissioner Kessler will be Tuesday, February 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the County Commission meeting room in Crawfordville.

- Submitted by Karla Brandt 

This article originally published on February 13, 2008.

Written by :

Karla Brandt

 

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