Moratorium mothballed, lobbying restrictions coming

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 behalf of a developer because it lacked commission support. But the commission approved her other two proposals to prohibit former commissioners from lobbying the county for a period consistent with the state constitution and to require those lobbying the county to register as lobbyists. Both measures will return to the commission in the form of ordinances.

Finegan's proposals aim to prevent a repeat of a controversy that arose in March, when former County Commissioner Ruthie Schlabach, a lobbyist for The Southern Group, convinced Commission Chairwoman Rebecca Bays to persuade County Administrator Steve Howard to sign a $3 million state appropriations request 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 The funding request was withdrawn by the commission last month after it came to light. 

The controversy drew substantial public comment last week, with most residents criticizing how it was handled.

"There needs to be accountability and consequences for the actions of all those involved for not holding themselves and others to the highest ethical standards," said John Woods of Citrus Springs.

But the commission shot down a proposal by Commissioner Janet Barek to have the county attorney file an ethics complaint against Schlabach for violating the state lobbying ban on former elected officials. Only Commissioner Finegan supported it. 

Finegan said Schlabach's lobbying could have cost the county millions by obligating it to pay for most of the cost of widening Lecanto Road, of which the state would only have financed a small fraction. But Bays said it was "shameful" to accuse Schlabach of doing something to intentionally hurt the county.

Barek's other proposals to fire Howard and censure Bays got no support.

Commissioner Holly Davis also withdrew her motion to prohibit commissioners from communicating with developers outside of hearings.