Below are the news briefs from the Leon County Commission meeting held on October 8, 2024.
The Board approved Consent Items 1-20.
General Business
Agenda Item 21: The Board voted unanimously to accept the Leon County Detention Facility (LCDF) Needs Assessment Final Report (Report) which provides an analysis and recommendations to effectively manage the population of the facility over the next 25 years. The recommendations of the Report primarily focus on system improvements to the criminal court case process which consist of the Courts, State Attorney’s Office and Public Defender’s Office to ensure continued adequate space in the LCDF. The item also recommends annual updates be provided to the Board on the efforts to implement the recommendations detailed in the Report.
Agenda Item 22: The Board voted unanimously to adopt a proposed Ordinance to prohibit the retail sale of dogs, cats, and rabbits in unincorporated Leon County. The Board voted to schedule the first and only public hearing for December 10, 2024, at 6:00 p.m., to consider adoption of the proposed Ordinance.
Agenda Item 23: The Board voted unanimously to adopt a resolution establishing the J.R. Alford Greenway (JRAG) Citizen’s Committee to update the Greenway Management Plan. Pursuant to Florida Statutes, a land management plan must be updated every 10 years with input from a citizen’s committee which consists of community members, professional stakeholders, County and State staff, and a County Commissioner. The Board voted to appoint Commissioner David O’Keefe to serve to serve on the citizen’s committee. The land management plan will be brought back to the Board for approval before submitting to the State for final approval.
Agenda Item 24: The Board voted unanimously for the nomination of 35 eligible applicants to the Governor for appointment to the three seats on the Children’s Services Council of Leon County (CSC). There is currently one vacant seat on the CSC and two upcoming vacancies due to expiration of terms of Paul Mitchell and Mark O’Bryant on December 31, 2024. Both Paul Mitchell and Mark O’Bryant are eligible for and seeking reappointment.
Public Hearings
Agenda Item 25: The Board voted unanimously to conduct the first and only public hearing to consider an ordinance amending the Official Zoning Map from the Bradfordville Office Residential (BOR) zoning district to the Bradfordville Commercial-1 (BC-1) zoning district, for a 0.92 acres portion of a parcel located at 6785 Thomasville Road which currently serves as a surface parking lot. The proposed Ordinance would return the parcel to the previous zoning district to allow for additional uses that enable the redevelopment of the subject parcel.
Agenda Item 26: The Board voted unanimously to conduct the first and only public hearing to consider an ordinance amending the Official Zoning Map from the Light Industrial (M-1) zoning district to the Single Family Detached, Attached and Two-Family Residential (R-3) zoning district, for an approximately 18.51-acre parcel located at 4767 Capital Circle Southeast (SE). The proposed Ordinance would allow for the placement of a residential redevelopment at the subject parcel.
Agenda Item 27: The Board voted unanimously to conduct the second and final public hearing for the Federal Fiscal Year 2023 Small Cities Community Development Block Grant opportunity. The item proposes leveraging a portion of the County’s State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) allocations for the next three fiscal years (FY 2025 – FY 2027) in the amount of approximately $520,000 to secure a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant for housing rehabilitation. The combined CDBG and SHIP funds totaling $1.27 million would support the rehabilitation of 13 homes and up to $100,000 per home.
Leon County Commission Meeting Briefs: October 8, 2024 added by Steve Stewart on
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The CSC is the biggest scam. Only group that can raise property taxes without being elected. They have done nothing. Too bad there isn’t a legal way to shut them down.
So, now the CSC has existed so long that the terms of board members has expired? Are you kidding me!
Exactly what good has the CSC done since it was started? The only things I can think of are; they hired a high-paid director and bought a bunch of expensive office furniture. Can anyone add to this list of “measurable accomplishments?”
This is a great story because it explains why those of us (few) that pay taxes are going to have less money in 2025 after we “pay our fair share”. Property Taxes, way up, home owner’s insurance, way up, car insurance, way up, health insurance, way up. It’s our local elected officials desire that we live, if we can, pay check to pay check to support the third generation government dependent group so they don’t have to work. I believe if you don’t work you don’t eat But the liberals believe otherwise
Agenda Item 27: If what you mean by “Housing Rehabilitation” is the same as what I think it means, you are talking about spending $100,000 on Rebuilding a Dilapidated Home bringing it up to standards and making it nice and livable then we are on the same page because that is what I have been saying since I started running for Office back in 2015. To ME, that is the closest you can get to owning an “Affordable House” plus you are bringing a Community back to what it once was.
I say we need to build a New BIGGER Jail, a lot bigger. And use IT. We use the Jail we have now for the Short Timers, 5 to 30 Day Stays. To help pay for it we stop spending money on the failed Programs that have been designed to prevent Crime and to try to convince the youth from going down that path and redirect it towards building the new Jail. I would also like to see a special Bail Fee created. If you get arrested and your Bail is set at $10,000 the Bail Bondsman adds a $100 Bail For every $1,000 the Bond is. The $100 Fee goes towards the building of the New Jail. Even though the Bondsman only charges 10% of the Bond, you still pay the $100 per $1,000 fee making it $1,000 for the Bond and $1,000 for the Bail Fee for a total of $2,000 to Bond out. If you can’t afford it, don’t commit the Crime. It is all up to the Law Enforcement, the District Attorney, Prosecutors and Judges do what needs to be done to lower the Crime Rate.