Medart Town Hall Meeting with Wakulla County Commissioner Howard Kessler is Held

On Tuesday, August 28, the Best Western Motel in Medart hosted the fifth in a series of town hall meetings organized by Commissioner Howard. Nearly 50 citizens attended. County Administrator Ben Pingree was also present. The big issues were neighborhood road paving, dangerous intersections, budget hearings, communicating with county commissioners, and the relationship between county commissioners and the public.

Road Paving, Dangerous Intersections, and Traffic

County road infrastructure needs to be fixed. Traffic congestion on 319 is getting worse with the continued approval of more development. “My biggest peeve is people who do studies and tell us how many more trips we can have on 319…it’s a parking lot now.”

Shell Point Road and Spring Creek Highway are getting a lot of traffic, too. Trucks are tearing up Shell Point Road. “We pay significant taxes but get very little in county services.” Shell Point Road is scheduled for repaving, but that might be just the stretch between 61 and 98. Mr. Pingree said Spring Creek Highway is being repaved with state money from a program that may be cut.

{sidebar id=1}A resident said about Old Shell Point Road: “I don’t see why [it] should be paved…it’s a waste of county money to pave it right now.” Kessler said the board has approved purchasing the right-of-way on this road but the amount offered wasn’t sufficient for some landowners.

The centerlines on many roads needs to be repainted, especially those with school bus traffic through residential neighborhoods. Some 40 buses go down Wildwood Drive every morning, and it’s been 8 or 10 years since the road was painted. ”It would be nice to let those drivers know which side of the highway belongs to them.” Perhaps money from the sheriff’s budget could be used to purchase a road striping machine for the county.

The Winn-Dixie and Wakulla High School entrances need traffic control lights. Kessler said that there was a new realignment plan in Medart where 319 meets 98. The new plan brought 319 to the east of the convenience store/gas station and aligned with the high school’s driveway. A traffic light was planned at that new intersection and was a good thing, according to the County’s Traffic Safety Committee. Kessler pointed out that most of the traffic heading south on 319 turns to the west and that diverting this traffic in front of the high school may not be the best solution. He asked the citizens to consider a realignment that would align 319 and Jack Crum Road and proposed that two traffic lights be installed: one at the high school and one at a new 319/98/Jack Crum Road intersection. He said the realignment issue would be coming back to the board in September and citizen input is welcome.

Another dangerous intersection is the one in Wakulla Station.

Thanks for the newly approved road paving scheduled for Panacea. When will Tower Road paving begin? Kessler said a cost analysis has to be done and submitted to the BOCC; Lawhon Mill is first on the paving list.

Donaldson-Williams Road needs to be widened. Kessler said the county may not have the right-of-way to do this, but he will inquire.

When will Staten Road be paved? We have the right-of-way and the approval for paving it. Staten Road is on the priority list the board had approved several years ago.

Kessler said there is a workshop on neighborhood road paving coming up (no date has been set yet). “If you have an interest in paving, it’s imperative that you show up,” he said. Kessler said that he clearly remembered that when the Board of County Commissioners asked the citizens to agree to the one-cent sales tax, discussions and expectations centered on plans to pave neighborhood roads. That was the bill of goods the citizens were sold. After the voters approved the tax, a road list was developed, with input from many county agencies and departments, to “take the politics out of road paving.” Kessler said that he would research the board’s action regarding Staten Road and encourage the board to honor its word to the citizens. He stands committed to paving roads such as Old Bethel and Cooperwood where poor conditions at times impedes ambulance access. (In one instance, a road grader was required to get an ambulance in and out of an unpaved road.) Mr. Pingree said the road issue is incorporated into the budget process. The Capital Improvements Plan shows what roads will be paved in the 2007-2008 fiscal year and beyond. Hearings on the budget on September 4 and 17 begin at 6 p.m. and will be followed by regular board meetings. Kessler suggested that Mr. Pingree look into starting the board meeting on the 17th earlier to allow more time for the budget hearing.

Budget and Budget Hearings

The public has been shut out of the budget process this year, said a citizen. Time constraints for the two scheduled budget hearings may prevent some citizens from being heard. Mr. Pingree said the budget hearings on Sept. 4 and 17 will go “as long as there are people there to speak.” He added that the budget has been online and in his office “for months.” In addition, there may not be enough room in the Commission chambers for the citizens to attend the board’s public hearings. At another hearing, about 50 citizens could not enter because of insufficient room. A suitable room should be provided for future public hearings, especially the upcoming budget hearings. Mr. Pingree said he would look into that for the budget hearing scheduled for September 17. Someone asked, “How can tax revenues increase by millions and millions but there’s a crunch in the budget?”

Relationships Between Commissioners and Citizens; Conduct at BOCC Meetings

One citizen said that commissioners seem to be the most difficult people in the world to get through to. When he asked, “What’s the most effective way to do this?” Many in the crowd responded, “Next election!” Kessler said he doesn’t have an answer. Even when staff or counsel gives advice, they may or may not take it. There are many 5-0 votes, Kessler said, but what catches the public’s attention are the hot issues. There is a gap between what the citizens have said they want (in the visioning report) and how the commission votes.

What’s Commissioner Kessler’s personal agenda? “An operational audit is good for our county, like it’s good for any business. I can’t bring it up for another year because I was on the losing side, according to our new rules of procedure.” A citizen said this rule is preventing commissioners from doing their job – representing the people. The Commission’s mission is to keep people out of it, in the dark. It’s a slap in the face.

Some commissioners don’t pay any attention to people who speak to them. “That’s a good point,” Kessler said. “You can disagree, but ask, how would you like to be spoken to? It’s not a one-way street.” He said when he was in San Francisco recently, he watched municipal meetings on TV, and said every person who spoke was listened to with respect and without snide comments from the officials or the audience.

A citizen said the same people are up there all the time, and they lose credibility; “you have to respect the process. Work with them, and you might get something,” this person said. Kessler said, “You respect the office whether you agree or disagree or like or don’t like.”

Citizens shouldn’t bring up personal matters at commission meetings. “I totally agree,” said Kessler. A citizen commented that commissioners were elected to govern, not so the citizens could control their personal lives.

Another citizen said commissioners have been heard making terrible comments to citizens, and it’s hard to respect them. That attitude filters back to people watching meetings at home.

The statement was made that the information provided to citizens by commissioners isn’t always accurate. When discussing The Flowers sewer reimbursement agreement, for example, two commissioners gave out totally false information at the BOCC meeting when it was approved. Another citizen suggested getting new residents to register to vote and explain to them what’s going on at election time; take voter registration forms to park events and to church.

Added yet another: Holding a public hearing on a document no one – not even those who were supposed to vote on it – had seen is a farce. (This referred to the emergency meeting of the Planning & Zoning board to consider an EAR (Evaluation & Appraisal Report) required by the state Department of Community Affairs.) If the county wants people to respect them, it’s got to be a two-way street. Another person wrote a letter thanking the BOCC for abiding by the rules and not approving the EAR document.

“I speak at meetings in good faith and because it’s my civic duty,” said one attendee. “I am offended by those people who apologize for me -- telling me how to present things. I have no apologies.” Kessler responded that it’s their right to turn off the TV, but he’d rather have opponents at the meeting than staying home. “Also, speak privately to commissioners,” he said. “That’s very important.”

Other Issues and Problems

• When will the Skipper Bay Bridge be reconstructed? Kessler said the county is working on it.

• Chairs in the BOCC Chambers are uncomfortable.

• How about a bowling alley or a game room or a movie theater for the young people? Kessler said if private enterprise sees a potential for profit, it’ll happen. Someone in the crowd offered their 10 acres for a drive-in theater. “Okay. We heard that!” Kessler said.

• Flooding resulting from new development around existing houses is getting to be more and more of a problem. Houses are being built in natural flow-ways, and small developments don’t need drainage permits. “The County is responsible for a comprehensive stormwater plan, but it’s not in place,” Kessler said.

• Providing legal services to indigent clients is required by state law if public defender has a conflict of interest. Counties are required by state law to provide office support for alternative counsel. The legislature recently changed the law and now counties are required to support the entire public defender’s office. This is called “insourcing” – they’ve hosed us under the guise of saving us money. It’s probably not in the county budget. It’s another unfunded mandate. Is it legal? Kessler responded that the state says counties aren’t managing their tax revenues properly, yet it’s demanding that counties pay for more stuff.

• The School Board is doing a good job but there’s no parental involvement. Input could make it even better. The School Board meets at the same time as the BOCC. “We should look into that,” Kessler said.

• The Wakulla Springs/Tallahassee sprayfield controversy cost the county a lot of money. Why did the county have to pay when Wakulla Springs is owned by the state? Kessler said it wasn’t just Wakulla Springs that was affected; it was our groundwater generally. It was important for us to let the City of Tallahassee know that Wakulla County would block their sprayfield permit. The State spent a lot, too.

• Why did the county hire an expert when a citizen very knowledgeable in this area volunteered to do this work for free? “We have a very rich pool of expertise here. Why the county didn’t use it, I don’t know,” Kessler said. “Maybe as the relationship between county and citizens improves, unpaid citizens can participate more fully.”

• The poor quality of the sound in the broadcasts of Board of County Commission meetings was mentioned. Mr. Pingree said that the audio system was being worked on and is expected to function properly at the next meeting.

• The county should re-examine the county dump (landfill) to try to make it more eco-friendly by improving and increasing recycling programs and by making it easier to drop off and/or collect recyclables. Could prisoners be put to work in the county’s recycling program? Walton County taxes tourists one cent on the dollar to pay for garbage service, which is free to residents. Mr. Pingree said the county has hired a consultant to look at the entire waste management system.

• What’s Commissioner Kessler’s agenda he’d like citizens to get behind? Kessler responded by holding up three fingers. “That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “The idea is to have five people, with five different minds, to discuss things. How much of that do you see at BOCC meetings? The common question every time we vote: ‘Is this good for the county?’ That’s lacking now. For my discussion items, I’m given three minutes to speak. What kind of discussion can you have in three minutes?”

• Kessler observed that the Hometown Democracy ballot petition is being circulated in the room. This initiative would prevent local governments from changing their land use plans unless such changes are approved by voters. “I’m not saying I’m for or against it,” he said, “but a lot of citizens are frustrated when the government keeps ignoring them and their objections to growth. Citizens don’t want massive sprawling unidentified globs.”

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 30, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Mt. Olive Primitive Baptist Church activity room at the intersection of Spring Creek Highway (CR 365) and Bloxham Cutoff (SR 267).

- Submitted by Karla Brandt

This article originally published on September 17, 2007.

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