UPDATE
This item has been removed from the Leon County Commission meeting agenda.
Original Report
After a request from the Golden Eagle Homes Association (HOA), the Leon County Commission is set to approve the Leon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) jurisdiction over traffic enforcement within the Golden Eagle neighborhood.
Golden Eagle is a private community located north of Bannerman Road and west of Thomasville Road in northeast Leon County.
In July 2023, staff was contacted by the HOA regarding options that would allow State traffic laws to be enforced by local law enforcement on the private roads within Golden Eagle.
Pursuant to State statute, the LCSO does not have traffic control jurisdiction over private roads. However, Section 316.006(3)(b), Florida Statutes (F.S.), provides that a county may exercise jurisdiction over the private roads in the unincorporated area of the county if the county and the party owning or controlling the private roads provide for county traffic control jurisdiction by a written agreement approved by the board of county commissioners.
The law further requires that the county consult with the sheriff prior to entering into such an agreement.
According to the agenda item, LCSO has been consulted and has agreed to enforce State traffic control laws upon execution of an agreement.
On August 2, 2023, the HOA Board of Directors voted to adopt a resolution to have state traffic laws enforced by LCSO within the Golden Eagle
Community and authorized the County and LCSO to proceed with the development of an agreement.
Under the agreement, the County will not assume any maintenance responsibility. Maintenance, repair, and signage associated with the private
roads remains the sole responsibility of the HOA. The HOA will also be responsible for installing any stop or speed limit signs the County determines necessary to enhance traffic safety within the subdivision.
The agreement does not entitle the HOA to any specific level of law enforcement presence or activity within the subdivision. LCSO will provide the same level of traffic enforcement in the Golden Eagle Community as to the general public. Specifically, LCSO will determine the allocation, disposition, assignment, and function of law enforcement within the subdivision based on its established prioritization criteria for any such speeding or other traffic related complaints.
The HOA may, however, request to employ off-duty LCSO deputies for traffic
enforcement during a specified period. If LCSO authorizes off-duty deputies to provide this extra level of enforcement, the Golden Eagle HOA will be responsible for payment for these services based upon a rate negotiated with LCSO. The provision of such services would be addressed in a
separate agreement between the HOA and LCSO. As such, the County would not be involved in the negotiation or payment of any of these services.
The item will considered by the Leon County Commission on September 12th.
UPDATED: Leon County Commission to Approve LCSO Jurisdiction Over Golden Eagle Roads added by Steve Stewart on
View all posts by Steve Stewart →
This does not have resident approval and will surely cause the current board and new president to be booted out of office . Golden Eagle is a golf course community which allows residents, including unlicensed minors, to drive non-street legal golf carts on its private streets. Including those belonging to the country club itself. The County will either not allow this or cannot selectively enforce which vehicles to target. The neighborhood already has speedbumps and private guards who have records of every single car entering the community and the driver or owners info. They need to beef up their own private security and HOA enforcement fees instead of becoming a daily revenue center for the County who will spend the fine revenue elsewhere. This is all a ludicrously stupid idea and will be grossly unpopular.
I think Steve is mistaken. The only thing I see on the Commissions agenda is an item to direct staff to negotiate with the Golden Eagle HOA. Any agreement will have to be then approved by the HOA and the County Commission in separate votes.
David Hawkins
@Steve – Yes, that’s my point.
Progressive candidates don’t vote in favor of law enforcement.
Golden Eagle is a gated community. The only vehicles on the roads, other than occasional service vehicles, belong to the residents. If there are traffic issues, talk to your neighbor causing the problem. Leave LCSO out of the issue.
Golden Eagle residents want to employ off-duty LCSO deputies? It seems to me that it would be less expensive to just not vote for progressive candidates.
“the County will not assume any maintenance responsibility. Maintenance, repair, and signage associated with the private roads remains the sole responsibility of the HOA.”
THIS is how it should be. The City and County should make the HOA’s take care of the Roads, Sidewalks and Signage of their Subdivisions stop taking the over.