Moratorium, lobbying restrictions on agenda Tuesday

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 will discuss several other proposals arising out of a controversy involving the Tuscany Ranch project. 

In March, former County Commissioner Ruthie Schlabach, as a lobbyist for The Southern Group, convinced Commission Chairwoman Rebecca Bays to persuade County Administrator Steve Howard to secretly sign a $3 million appropriations request to the state legislature to widen Lecanto Road on behalf of the lobbying firm's client, Metro Development Group, the developer of Tuscany Ranch, without informing the full commission. The funding request was withdrawn by the commission last month after it came to light. 

Commissioner Diana Finegan has three ordinances to prevent similar situations from arising. One would forbid county commissioners, Planning and Development Commission members, and county staff from lobbying the state on behalf of a developer. Another would prohibit former county commissioners from lobbying the county for six years, in keeping with a Florida constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2018. And her third proposal would require those lobbying the county to register as lobbyists.

Commissioner Janet Barek also has three proposals on the agenda: to fire Howard, censure Bays and have the county attorney file an ethics complaint against Schlabach for violating the state lobbying ban on former elected officials.

Finally, Commissioner Holly Davis is proposing an ordinance to prohibit commissioners from communicating with developers outside of hearings and to require disclosure of any such communications.