Below are the news briefs from the Leon County Commission meeting that took place on June 13, 2023.
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The Commission approved a number of items all together in the consent agenda. One of the items was ratifying the Commission’s preliminary actions during the Homelessness Workshop. As approved during the Workshop, an additional $500,221 will be provided to expand emergency shelter operations. In addition, the board directed staff to develop a countywide ordinance, making it unlawful to hold a sign or display advertisements in a median of a road.
The Commission approved the report on the Officer-in-Resident Programs, declining to provide $40,000 in funding. The report cited a number of reasons for recommending denial, including Officer-in-Resident Programs are usually established by local governments that employ law officers. Leon County Government does not employ law enforcement officers.
The Commission approved authorization for the County Administrator, or designee, to negotiate the engineering service fees for the Magnolia Drive Phase 2 Construction project. The project will construct a concrete trail from Pontiac Drive to Diamond Street. Along with the construction, the City of Tallahassee will be installing an underground electric system, street lighting and signalization at the Magnolia Drive and Jim Lee intersection.
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The Commission unanimously voted to accept the County Administrator Vincent St. Long’s reorganization of county staff. Through this reorganization, the Administrator will be able to assess job vacancies anticipated through retirement or attrition, and consider where and how those vacancies might be filled. This agenda item was pulled from the consent agenda to allow for discussion due to controversy surrounding the Administrator’s hiring decisions.
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The Commission unanimously voted to approve the renaming of the Northeast Branch Library in honor of former Leon County Commission Bruce J. Host who has been an advocate for the County’s public library system.
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The Commission voted to approve the funding request of $1 million from the Tallahassee Housing Authority to address the funding gap for the third phase of the Orange Avenue Apartments redevelopment project. This funding will assist the Tallahassee Housing Authority in securing tax credit funding through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.
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The Commission unanimously voted to approve the continuation of allowing virtual citizen comments during Leon County Commission meetings, regardless of Leon County no longer being designated as an area of high Covid transmission by the CDC. The fiscal impact of the pandemic procedures is an estimated $3,500 per year.
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The Commission unanimously voted to approve the appointment of citizens to the Advisory Committee for Quality Growth, Board Adjustment & Appeals, CareerSource Capital Region Board, Council on Culture & Arts, and the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Commission. This action was done to fill vacancies on each board, committee and council.
Leon County Commission Meeting Briefs: June 13, 2023 added by Tristyn Leigh on
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I think we need to create a Committee to research and produce a report that will determine whether or not we have too many Committees. Then a Task Team to discuss whether or not we have too many Task Teams… then a Commission to look into whether or not we have too many Commissions… and don’t forget an Advisory Board to advise us on whether or not we have too many Advisory Boards.
It doesn’t appear that any ordinance proposed to address homelessness and/or panhandling has never been and will never be enforced or effective. Homelessness and panhandling has become an economic model that allows local municipal and county governments to draw down federal tax dollars to address (insert wink here) the problem… ergo, there will never be a solution to the problem. The bigger the problem, the more federal tax dollars you get… see how that works.
Some things are for sure and some things are for certain….you will never see your property taxes decrease while this bunch is in charge.
The county has too many committees, boards, and councils. Filling the vacancies isn’t a problem. We need to make them all vacant. Why do we need a “committee for quality growth”? Why don’t we have a “committee for quality time”? If we are going to keep one, lets keep the one with the most comic relief. The Council on Culture and Arts… in Tallahassee.
Now that’s comedy!
Will they actually enforce not begging in the median? Ive never seen it done. Does it even stop it? Are they going to arrest people?