swampjet
Well-known member
Janis attended today's Citrus County Board of County Commission meeting, and learned the following, which greatly impacts our actions at this Thursday's Public Workshop in Lecanto:
BOCC Chairwoman Vicki Phillips made the announcement today that the Public Workshop regarding the proposed Noise Ordinance is not so much a "workshop" as it is an informational meeting designed to answer the public's questions about not only the 27-page proposed Noise Ordinance, but also the 20-page proposed Nuisance Ordinance.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THURSDAY'S WORKSHOP -- nor do they plan to attend the second Public Workshop scheduled for Tuesday, March 15th, at the Courthouse in Inverness.
ONLY COUNTY STAFF WILL BE PRESENT AT THE WORKSHOPS, and they will be available basically just to answer questions. They will take input from the public, but "STAFF HAS NO INTENTION OF CHANGING ANYTHING BASED ON THESE WORKSHOPS. ANY CHANGES MUST BE ADDRESSED BY THE BOARD MEMBERS (COMMISSIONERS) THEMSELVES."
The actual PUBLIC HEARING will be held on April 12th, at 5:00 pm, during the regularly scheduled County Commission meeting. A vote by the Commissioners on the proposed Noise Ordinance cannot take place until after that Public Hearing, but that vote could happen just after, or weeks later.
Chairwoman Phillips apologized for apparently misleading citizens by calling Thursday's meeting a "Workshop" and giving the public the wrong impression that they could influence the Commissioners by speaking out at this and next Tuesday's events.
She also acknowledged that she has been surprised to learn that so many people are interested in this, especially as it affects airboats, and believes that the airboat portion of the Noise Ordinance discussion will be just a very small portion of the meeting. She pointed out that the Workshop will address not only the Noise ordinance but also the proposed Nuisance ordinance.
Based on this new information, I'd like to suggest that those of us who can attend Thursday night or next Tuesday afternoon should still do so. Our focus should be on asking questions that cause County Staffers to re-think their own positions, but realize that these are NOT the people who will vote on the ordinance.
THE CRITICAL MEETING FOR ALL OF US WILL BE TUESDAY, APRIL 12TH, AT 5:00 PM, IN ROOM 100 OF THE CITRUS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 110 N. Apopka Avenue, Inverness.
Meanwhile, keep the letters and emails flowing to the individual commissioners themselves. Phone calls and PERSONAL VISITS TO THE COMMISSIONERS would help even more! Some EXCELLENT points are being made in the letters I've been seeing, and I'm PROUD to be aligned with such a great group of positive, responsible airboaters!
Thursday night will be our first chance to come together to strategize. I look forward to seeing many of you there. I just don't want you to push yourselves to make it to this meeting if it means decreasing your chance of attending the April 12th Public Hearing.
We will also give this matter our full attention at the annual CCAA meeting on Saturday, March 19th, just before the cookout at Armante's. Please bring every airboater you know!
Thanks to all of you for helping get the word out! This is not going to be over quickly -- please continue to stand with us!
Bob Hoover, President
Citrus County Airboat Alliance
BOCC Chairwoman Vicki Phillips made the announcement today that the Public Workshop regarding the proposed Noise Ordinance is not so much a "workshop" as it is an informational meeting designed to answer the public's questions about not only the 27-page proposed Noise Ordinance, but also the 20-page proposed Nuisance Ordinance.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THURSDAY'S WORKSHOP -- nor do they plan to attend the second Public Workshop scheduled for Tuesday, March 15th, at the Courthouse in Inverness.
ONLY COUNTY STAFF WILL BE PRESENT AT THE WORKSHOPS, and they will be available basically just to answer questions. They will take input from the public, but "STAFF HAS NO INTENTION OF CHANGING ANYTHING BASED ON THESE WORKSHOPS. ANY CHANGES MUST BE ADDRESSED BY THE BOARD MEMBERS (COMMISSIONERS) THEMSELVES."
The actual PUBLIC HEARING will be held on April 12th, at 5:00 pm, during the regularly scheduled County Commission meeting. A vote by the Commissioners on the proposed Noise Ordinance cannot take place until after that Public Hearing, but that vote could happen just after, or weeks later.
Chairwoman Phillips apologized for apparently misleading citizens by calling Thursday's meeting a "Workshop" and giving the public the wrong impression that they could influence the Commissioners by speaking out at this and next Tuesday's events.
She also acknowledged that she has been surprised to learn that so many people are interested in this, especially as it affects airboats, and believes that the airboat portion of the Noise Ordinance discussion will be just a very small portion of the meeting. She pointed out that the Workshop will address not only the Noise ordinance but also the proposed Nuisance ordinance.
Based on this new information, I'd like to suggest that those of us who can attend Thursday night or next Tuesday afternoon should still do so. Our focus should be on asking questions that cause County Staffers to re-think their own positions, but realize that these are NOT the people who will vote on the ordinance.
THE CRITICAL MEETING FOR ALL OF US WILL BE TUESDAY, APRIL 12TH, AT 5:00 PM, IN ROOM 100 OF THE CITRUS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 110 N. Apopka Avenue, Inverness.
Meanwhile, keep the letters and emails flowing to the individual commissioners themselves. Phone calls and PERSONAL VISITS TO THE COMMISSIONERS would help even more! Some EXCELLENT points are being made in the letters I've been seeing, and I'm PROUD to be aligned with such a great group of positive, responsible airboaters!
Thursday night will be our first chance to come together to strategize. I look forward to seeing many of you there. I just don't want you to push yourselves to make it to this meeting if it means decreasing your chance of attending the April 12th Public Hearing.
We will also give this matter our full attention at the annual CCAA meeting on Saturday, March 19th, just before the cookout at Armante's. Please bring every airboater you know!
Thanks to all of you for helping get the word out! This is not going to be over quickly -- please continue to stand with us!
Bob Hoover, President
Citrus County Airboat Alliance