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Tempers flair at City Counci
City leaders spar over trip to Washington.
By JEFF M. HARDISON
jhardison@lakecityreporter.com
City Councilman George Ward lashed out at City Councilman Jake Hill Jr. Monday evening about a comment Hill made at the previous regular Lake City City Council meeting.
Hill had said he felt City Manager Scott Reynolds was rewarding Natural Gas Director Steve Baltzley by taking Baltzley to Washington, D.C., for three days and two nights.
Ward said previous councils had been diligent in controlling travel budgets, questioning every request to assure the right staff went on trips.
Calling the November trip a “reward,” Ward said, was an insult to Reynolds. Baltzley was essential to the trip to relate to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.) his first-hand knowledge about “overly restrictive” federal regulations in regard to conversion of vehicles so they can use natural gas as fuel, Ward said.
“I feel that if we can’t send our brightest and best informed employees to lobby for our needs,” Ward said, “we are certainly wasting our representatives time and our citizens’ money, and I will never be an advocate for either.
Hill’s response after the meeting was brief and to the point.
“Scott (Reynolds) is their hero,” Hill said. “He can do no wrong.”
Also Monday, one of Reynolds’ pet projects was moved along.
The first of two readings required to adopt a resolution to designate certain sections of Lake City as “Brownfields” was met with unanimous approval Monday evening by City Council.
Normally, a resolution takes only one reading to adopt, but City Attorney Herbert Darby felt the state statute required two readings before adopting this resolution, Reynolds said.
The resolution authorizes the city to participate in a program with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to redevelop areas that were previously developed. The term “Brownfield” reflects actual or perceived soil contamination, according to DEP.
The state gives developers tax breaks and other incentives to encourage job growth in areas designated as “Brownfields.” The state also helps developers fund contamination removal.
In other action by City Council, it:
n Adopted a resolution to accept a bid from Meadors Construction Co. for $2.9 million for construction of the Sisters Welcome Road Reclaim-Reuse Water System.
n Adopted resolutions for two change orders to the 2006 Community Development Block Grant for Target Distribution Center, which decreased the cost by $4,569 to total $336,124, and added 40 more days to complete it.
n Agreed to move forward with action for a voluntary annexation of almost 19 acres into the city limits. The request was from Westfield Group for property on Duval Street (U.S. 90) known as Village Square — near Northwest Real Terrace.
n Permitted the Jingle Bell 5K and Family Fun Run from 3 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 13. Proceeds benefit the Guardian Ad Litem program. Lake City Police will direct traffic to help runners who will start and end at the Guardian Ad Litem building, 406 N.E. Lake DeSoto Circle. Runners will go up Laguna Drive to Duval Street (U.S. Highway 90) and follow a path bordered by Patterson Avenue, Washington Street, and Hernando and Madison avenues.
n Awarded an annual contract bid to G.H. Hunter Inc., the sole bidder, to supply gasoline and diesel fuel for the city’s fleet for approximately $550,000.
n Approved payment of $6,515.50 to City Engineer Henry Sheldon for the month of November for his consulting services.
n Accepted a drainage and maintenance easement agreement from the Columbia County School Board to reduce flooding problems in the area of Northwest Maitland Terrace and Labonte Lane. The easement over the School Board’s property is for utilizing a stormwater detention pond to reduce the potential for flooding.
n Approved the continuation of a health insurance contract with Blue Cross/Blue Shield for employees, although the premiums went up by 15 percent. Employees will absorb 3 percent of that cost, meaning the city will cover the other 12 percent increase in health insurance.
Hill had said he felt City Manager Scott Reynolds was rewarding Natural Gas Director Steve Baltzley by taking Baltzley to Washington, D.C., for three days and two nights.
Ward said previous councils had been diligent in controlling travel budgets, questioning every request to assure the right staff went on trips.
Calling the November trip a “reward,” Ward said, was an insult to Reynolds. Baltzley was essential to the trip to relate to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.) his first-hand knowledge about “overly restrictive” federal regulations in regard to conversion of vehicles so they can use natural gas as fuel, Ward said.
“I feel that if we can’t send our brightest and best informed employees to lobby for our needs,” Ward said, “we are certainly wasting our representatives time and our citizens’ money, and I will never be an advocate for either.
Hill’s response after the meeting was brief and to the point.
“Scott (Reynolds) is their hero,” Hill said. “He can do no wrong.”
Also Monday, one of Reynolds’ pet projects was moved along.
The first of two readings required to adopt a resolution to designate certain sections of Lake City as “Brownfields” was met with unanimous approval Monday evening by City Council.
Normally, a resolution takes only one reading to adopt, but City Attorney Herbert Darby felt the state statute required two readings before adopting this resolution, Reynolds said.
The resolution authorizes the city to participate in a program with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to redevelop areas that were previously developed. The term “Brownfield” reflects actual or perceived soil contamination, according to DEP.
The state gives developers tax breaks and other incentives to encourage job growth in areas designated as “Brownfields.” The state also helps developers fund contamination removal.
In other action by City Council, it:
n Adopted a resolution to accept a bid from Meadors Construction Co. for $2.9 million for construction of the Sisters Welcome Road Reclaim-Reuse Water System.
n Adopted resolutions for two change orders to the 2006 Community Development Block Grant for Target Distribution Center, which decreased the cost by $4,569 to total $336,124, and added 40 more days to complete it.
n Agreed to move forward with action for a voluntary annexation of almost 19 acres into the city limits. The request was from Westfield Group for property on Duval Street (U.S. 90) known as Village Square — near Northwest Real Terrace.
n Permitted the Jingle Bell 5K and Family Fun Run from 3 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 13. Proceeds benefit the Guardian Ad Litem program. Lake City Police will direct traffic to help runners who will start and end at the Guardian Ad Litem building, 406 N.E. Lake DeSoto Circle. Runners will go up Laguna Drive to Duval Street (U.S. Highway 90) and follow a path bordered by Patterson Avenue, Washington Street, and Hernando and Madison avenues.
n Awarded an annual contract bid to G.H. Hunter Inc., the sole bidder, to supply gasoline and diesel fuel for the city’s fleet for approximately $550,000.
n Approved payment of $6,515.50 to City Engineer Henry Sheldon for the month of November for his consulting services.
n Accepted a drainage and maintenance easement agreement from the Columbia County School Board to reduce flooding problems in the area of Northwest Maitland Terrace and Labonte Lane. The easement over the School Board’s property is for utilizing a stormwater detention pond to reduce the potential for flooding.
n Approved the continuation of a health insurance contract with Blue Cross/Blue Shield for employees, although the premiums went up by 15 percent. Employees will absorb 3 percent of that cost, meaning the city will cover the other 12 percent increase in health insurance.
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D D D wrote on Dec 2, 2008 8:25 AM:
Great response Jake??? I'm thinking that you are in over your head Hill! Elected by the majority, representing the few (saw that a couple of weeks ago, made sense). Good for you Mr. Ward! Someone needs to start the education process with Hill. Maybe in the future, he'll actually do some research, focus on the issue and the community (not his personal vendetta with Reynolds), look to the future and weigh out the pros and cons...BEFORE HE OPENS HIS MOUTH AND INSERTS FOOT! Odds are Hill won't last the full 4 years. He ran on the ticket of being a local and supporting the whining few. Now he needs to actually do the job, which will require him to understand the responsibility of the position and educate himself to perform his duties as required. Jake Hill, look at the BIG picture, in that picture there is more than one person (Jake Hill Jr. wanting two terms for a retirement check). An entire District and the future of its tax payers are in that picture too. Read that line again Jake, an entire District, even the ones that you said require nothing from the City, even those that pay the most in taxes. Jake, we are all watching you, both on the job and off the job. "