CITRUS CRUSADER

By John Labriola - Citrus County Commissioner Jeff Kinnard backed off his proposal for a development moratorium last week as the commission adopted new rules to prevent former commissioners from lobbying the board in light of a recent controversy over a development project.  Instead of an 11-month pause on development, Kinnard said he would bring back a proposal incorporating several ideas to mitigate the effects of new development in fast-growing Citrus County. He said the legislation will include having developers set aside more land for recreation, drainage and utilities, requiring them to build roads to support increased traffic, and instituting mobility fees. "Where I hope to land on this is somewhere forward of the status quo but short of a planning pause or a stop or a moratorium," he said. "We can do better and I hope that we will do better." Commissioner Diana Finegan withdrew her motion to prohibit county commissioners and staff from lobbying the state on...

By John Labriola - The Citrus County Commission will be tackling a number of development and lobbying issues on Tuesday as a hearing on the controversial Tuscany Ranch project has been postponed.  Commissioners were scheduled to vote this week on the 5,000-unit project, which would be built along Lecanto Road (C.R. 491) near Forest Ridge Boulevard, but the developer requested a delay. Instead, commissioners will discuss a proposal by Commissioner Jeff Kinnard to enact an 11-month moratorium on new large-scale residential developments in the county, as well as new applications that would increase housing density.  His proposal comes after the failure this legislative session of state legislation that would have required roads to be built or upgraded before new neighborhoods or commercial projects could move forward. Citrus County is experiencing significant development and population growth, which it lacks the infrastructure to deal with. Also on Tuesday, the commission w...

By John Labriola - The Citrus County Library System will be introducing a new restricted access library card for minors by the end of 2025 that will give parents more control over what their children read. Library Director Adam Chang announced the initiative at last week's Library Advisory Board (LAB) meeting. He said parents will have the option to obtain a new card for their minor children that will allow them to check out only items in the library's juvenile section and bar access to adult computers.  The county will announce the new cards on social media, in a press release, and with signs at the libraries. The new application form also will make it clear that there are two choices. Parents will have the option to select either the restricted card or the all-access card for their children, and parents of children with a regular library card could switch to the new restricted access version. Chang said the Hillsborough and Marion county libraries have similar systems. LAB ...

By John Labriola - The Citrus County Commission last week postponed action to address a growing controversy involving a legislative funding request that did not go through the proper channels.  Commissioner Diana Finegan, who is proposing two ordinances to restrict inappropriate lobbying activities, tabled them on April 22 so she could bring them back at the commission's May 13 meeting when Commissioner Jeff Kinnard, who was absent last week, will be present.  Her legislation would forbid county commissioners, Planning and Development Commission members, and county staff from lobbying the state on behalf of a developer, and prohibit former county commissioners from lobbying the county for six years, in keeping with a Florida constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2018. Finegan's proposals are in response to a controversy involving former County Commissioner Ruthie Schlabach, who served one term on the commission before losing reelection last year. As a lobbyist for The...

By John Labriola - The Citrus County Commission will meet on Tuesday, April 22, to discuss a pair of proposed ordinances by County Commissioner Diana Finegan to forbid county commissioners, Planning and Development Commission members, and county staff from lobbying the state on behalf of a developer, and to prohibit former county commissioners from lobbying the county for six years. The suggested legislation reflects a 2018 voter-approved state constitutional amendment that prohibits public officials from lobbying for compensation during their term in office and for six years after they leave office. Finegan’s proposal comes a few weeks after a controversy arose involving former County Commissioner Ruthie Schlabach, who served one term on the commission before losing reelection last year. As a lobbyist for The Southern Group, Schlabach convinced Commission Chairwoman Rebecca Bays to persuade County Administrator Steve Howard to secretly sign a $3 million appropriations request to...

By John Labriola - Citrus County voters thought they had seen the last of former County Commissioner Ruthie Schlabach after her humiliating election loss last year. Sadly for the public, Schlabach is still finding ways to cause problems for the county.  The latest controversy involves her role as a lobbyist for The Southern Group. Last month, she convinced the commission's current chairwoman Rebecca Bays to nudge County Administrator Steve Howard into secretly signing a $3 million appropriations request to the state legislature to widen County Road 491 on behalf of the lobbying firm's client, Metro Development Group, which has an open application to build a 5,000-unit project along 491 called Tuscany Ranch.  In an email to Howard, Schlabach asked him to sign the funding request as soon as possible.  “That way, we can show you the money!” she wrote. The problem is that the rest of the commission never approved or even knew about the request, a serious breach of protocol, ...

By John Labriola - Parents soon could have more control over their children's reading choices under a proposal to be discussed at the next meeting of the Citrus County Library Advisory Board (LAB) in April.  The issue came up during last week's meeting of the LAB, which meets every other month. Board member Edith Ramlow, a College of Central Florida librarian, said parents should be given a choice of allowing restrictions to be placed on their children's library cards to prevent them from checking out certain books.  "I'm not advocating for changing everybody's record. I'm just saying have parents be able to choose to have that option or make that option available," Ramlow said. "Basically, it would just be something that the family can decide upon, but what's lacking here is communication between that family and library staff." The discussion came after a majority of the library board voted at their December meeting to allow more than 2...