Light-up McIntosh December 15
Light-up McIntosh will begin at the Civic Center at 6:30 p.m. The event will host Santa Clause and an area choir from six local churches will sing.
06.09.06 -- Town Council Meeting June 8
Friday, June 09, 2006
By CHER PHILLIPS
McINTOSH -- The McIntosh Town Council officially told residents Thursday night the council has empowered its code enforcement officer be proactive in his search of code violations. Council members discussed upcoming water rate changes and the council heard the first reading on new town laws that would redefine the codes for the historic district, as well as the land development code.
According to citizen complaints during the meeting, Code Enforcement Officer Art Davis worked a 40 hour work week and wrote no code violations. Resident Fred Del Russo addressed the council voicing his concern that Davis threatened to make him remove several Sago palms from his yard because they did not meet a corner visibility setback that Davis told him the town required.
Del Russo said Davis told him he'd pull the palms up with the town's backhoe. Davis denied he made the statement.
An argument broke out between town council members Jim Strange and Joe Phillips and Del Russo, with Strange taking offense with Del Russo for bringing his concern to the council. Strange admonished him for not calling him at home before he complained to the council. When Del Russo got his phone out to ask for Strange's number, Strange scolded the public for having a phone on and told Del Russo if he wanted his number, it was in the phone book.
Phillips took offense with Del Russo bringing a subject the resident was angry about before the council. But then Phillips turned around and took his own frustration out in the public forum over an argument between his wife Susan Phillips and another citizen board member that apparently happened in Del Russo's front yard. Del Russo said he'd already apologized to Susan Phillips for the argument.
In a February town council workshop meeting, the council hashed out what kind of water rate changes they wanted to make later this year. Though the three teired water rate change was never detailed in minutes of the February workshop, Council Member Frank Ciotti was adamant at the time that residents be informed of the rate change in June in order to plans their budgets. He made good on his plans Thursday night.
The water rates in McIntosh have not been raised in about 10 years and the last time they were raised, they were reduced the next year because the rates caused a hardship for the town's elderly. McIntosh has the lowest water rates in Marion County.
The town also heard proposed new ordinances that would detail the kinds of paint colors and roofs, as well as what kind of vehicles could be parked in the historic district in the future. Not discussed but apparently part of the ordinance is an allowance that would detail how McIntosh could expand the historic district.
In past response to a petition to ban expansion of the historic district, council members have said they absolutely do not want to expand the historic district and Historic Board Chairman June Glass has said in discussion that it would not be legal. The petition amendment vote will take place in the McIntosh Civic Center on July 11, 2006. The vote will give the town's residents the power to cap expansion of the historic district. As it stands, historic district homes must adhere to federal and local guidelines that control everything from what color paint to the type of roofs -- and in the proposed ordinances, what kind of vehicle can be parked in the historic district. The amendment to town charter would limit the expansion to homes bordering the existing district and include them only if the owners' chose to be included.
The council also heard a number of changes to the land development code which effect zoning and other changes to future new homes built in McIntosh.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
JULY 11, 2006 -- Amendment Petition vote for banning expansion of the historic district.
Others TBA.
posted by Cher @ 12:32 AM,
0 Comments:
Editor
Editor and Publisher:
I'm Cher From McIntosh, FL I'm a graduate student at the University of Florida working on a master's degree in Mass Communication. While I was finishing my undergrad degree in journalism last year, I reported on McIntosh, Fla. for an in-depth reporting class. I figured that the reporting and the public record files should go somewhere people can access them. Reporters don't report to keep the information they find to themselves. Some of that reporting is included here in a forum that allows response. McIntosh suffers because with no news coverage, the local government and the rumor mill have too much potential to run rampant over residents. I moved to McIntosh in the fall of 1999. My profile
About This Blog
The primary purpose of this blog is to accurately reflect what happens in town public meetings and dispel rumors. I record the meetings and make them available for download. One of the goals of this blog is to offer residents a place to voice opinions. The comments, views and opinions expressed there are not necessarily those of the editor.
