Visitors to the Chiefland City Commission sat six feet apart in six chairs to prevent transmission of the Covid-19 virus. It was a sign of the times.

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

            Responding to the potential threat of the Coronavirus, Chiefland City Commissioners Monday voted to close their lobby at City Hall and conduct business with customers through the drive through window until further notice.

            The also decided to close all three of their city parks, the Charles Strickland and Eddie Buie recreational centers, Delma Locke Skatepark and  the Tommy Usher Community Center until further notice.

            Commissioners decided to continue holding board meetings in City Hall using the same type of precautions as Monday night with just six chairs for the public spaced six feet apart.

            City Manager Mary Ellzey said city staff used a tape measure to determine the spacing. She said about four more people could sit in the lobby during board meetings with the same spacing required if need be.

            After the meeting ended, City Commissioner Tim West said goodbye to everyone with an elbow bump instead of a handshake. Handshakes are one way the virus can travel to another person.

            The board took those precautions on advice of City Manager Mary Ellzey who felt they were necessary to protect the public and staff from the Coronavirus and the disease it causes known as Covid-19.

            Chiefland City Hall was constructed years ago as Levy County State Bank. When the bank changed its name to Drummond Community Bank and moved north in the city, Chiefland commissioners bought it.

            The bank drive-through continues to be a working part of the building but it has never been used to limit employee contact with members of the public.

            Ellzey said city employees would continue to work at City Hall Monday through Thursday at the usual hours but they would have no face-to-face contact with customers except through the drive-through window until further notice.

            Commissioners also followed Ellzey’s recommendation for staff to work with customers who are late paying their utilities bill or facing disconnection. Customers directly affected by the Cornavirus through sickness, quarantine, job loss or termination would be eligible. She said the city would work out a repayment plan for late fees and would work with customers on suspending disconnection.

            “I do not recommend suspending late fees and disconnections citywide. This is only for people affected,” she said.

            She said customers would have to provide documentation showing how they were impacted by the virus.

            Ellzey said on average 20 to 24 people fall into the category of failing to pay their utility bill on time each month. Some are repeat offenders. But the city recognizes some customers may be impacted by the Coronavirus.

            Acting City Attorney Blake Fugate, who replaced his father Norm Fugate, said the city was making all the right moves.

            “I think you are ahead of the curve as far as fees and charges and trying to work with people. My guess is you are going to be mandated by the federal government or state government; they may force that on you here in pretty short order. Make sure you keep documents because sooner or later if the city is to recover any lost revenue you’re going to need documentation,” Fugate said.

            Commissioners decided not to waive the 3 percent credit card charge on utility customers that pay with plastic money. In February there were 200 credit card payments totaling $13,000. In January payments totaled $15,000.

            No M-Cores Decision

            The board discussed but took no action on either endorsing or opposing construction of the Suncoast Connector toll road through the Chiefland area.

            Officials from the Florida Department of Transportation say the agency is interested in the city’s position on whether the toll road should be built through or around Chiefland.

            The state has proposed building a toll road, also known as a Multi-Use Corridor of Regional Economic Significance (M-CORES) through the Chiefland area but hasn’t settled on a final route.

            At the previous commission meeting M-CORES representatives presented a map of the west coast of Florida showing the Suncoast Connector running from Citrus County north along U.S. 19 to Jefferson County. An alternative route would send the toll road traffic north to Dixie County then east on County Road 349 in Dixie County and finally north again. The map wasn’t designed as a route map. It was a map showing co-location of the toll road with U.S. 19, but for all intents and purposes it was a route map.

            Commissioner Rollin Hudson said he is opposed to the toll road bypassing Chiefland and leaving all the businesses in town without enough highway traffic to support them.

            The other four commissioners, Tim West, Mayor Chris Jones, Lewrissa Mainwaring and Norman Weaver expressed no direct opposition to the road but weren’t ready to commit to endorsing it in a letter either.

            Commissioners are being asked to make a formal recommendation to County Commissioner Matt Brooks, Levy County’s representative on the Suncoast Connector Task Force, on where the city stands regarding the proposed toll road. Brooks would pass the recommendation on to DOT.

            The Florida Department of Transportation appears interested in co-locating a toll road along U.S. 19. The plan is to retain U.S. 19 as a free road with the Suncoast Connector running alongside it. The agency hasn’t said how many lanes of toll road traffic it would build alongside U.S. 19.

            On a related matter, Levy County Commissioners recently voted to designate Goethe State Forest as being off-limits for construction of a toll road. The vote was 4-1 to adopt that position. Residents made the request.

            Commissioner Lilly Rooks voted against the motion. She wanted the board to declare all of Levy County off-limits to a toll road. The board showed no interest in her plan.

            Buying Fire Engine

            Chiefland Fire Chief James Harris said the United States Department of Agriculture has notified the city that it plans to award the fire department a grant of $260,033 to purchase a new $502,000 fire engine.

            But there’s a catch. Agency officials say they are waiting to find out if Congress will fund the grant. Harris doesn’t know if Congress will fund the grant considering everything that’s going on with the Coronavirus.

            Commissioners gave Harris permission to research other grants to make up the difference between the USDA grant and the rest of the money needed to purchase the fire engine – $238,860.

            The main fire engine for the city is so old it could be considered an antique.

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 City of Chiefland Regular Meeting March 23, 2020; Posted March 23, 2020