By Terry Witt -Spotlight Senior Reporter
The annual Levy County Legislative Delegation hearing was held without Levy County Commissioners Tuesday due to a big communications failure.
State Sen. Jennifer Bradley and State Rep. Joe Harding failed to inform county staff about the important hearing until Friday.
By then, it was too late to change the board’s schedule. Several major public hearings were scheduled for the board meeting.
Commissioners were unable to present the county’s list of legislative issues and requests to the two state lawmakers that represent Levy County.
“Today was our legislative delegation hearing. I’m not happy about that. I’ve gotten over it,” said Commission Chairman John Meeks, adding a few minutes later, “It was a major communications failure.”
Meeks got the board’s okay to approach the lawmakers after the fact with a request for a state appropriation to fund a fishing pier and observation deck at the Bird Creek Boat Ramp near Yankeetown.
The ramp was rebuilt last year with state board improvement funds. The late County Commissioner Mike Joyner had pushed to finish the project.
Meeks said he would like to ask for more money to build the fishing pier on the neighboring Wekiva River along with the observation deck.
Regarding a second unrelated issue, Meeks believes the county will use federal funds to pay for the new public safety radio communications system at the sheriff’s 911 office.
“I don’t see the state giving us any money for that,” he said.
But he said he wants to ask for money to build the fishing pier and observation deck at Bird Creek Boat Ramp. He thinks the county might get it done if Bradley and Harding lend their support.
Commissioner Matt Brooks asked if Meeks was open to other issues being brought to the attention of the two lawmakers since the board wasn’t present for the legislative delegation hearing.
Brooks plans to offer several ideas for consideration.
The county has never run into a communications problem of this sort in the past where state lawmakers scheduled a legislative hearing in direct conflict with a county commission meeting.
County Coordinator Wilbur Dean said he talked to School Superintendent Chris Cowart earlier in the morning and Cowart indicated they hadn’t received advance notice either.
The hearing is generally held at this time of the year to give county and city officials, along with residents, an opportunity to present issues of local importance to the two state lawmakers who make up the legislative delegation.
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Board of County Commission Regular Meeting October 5, 2021; Posted October 5, 2021
