BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — A year after the commission had a similar conversation, Dougherty said he doesn’t believe the county is getting all it pays for from the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council.
Each year the county renews its agreement with the council for comprehensive planning services related to land use and future planning. The request from Executive Director Scott Koons for $23,500 to cover these services arrived like clockwork.
According to Dougherty, the work isn’t as timely, and people have been left waiting.
“As we continue to move forward with them, it just seems like the service drops off,” he said. This is corrected when the commission discusses other options, he said, but only temporarily.
The planning council’s work includes:
—general technical assistance: conducting research, answering questions and assisting with comprehensive plan and land development regulations interpretations.
—amendment assistance: preparing public notices, drafting ordinances, data, and analysis and concurrency review for text and map and amendments to the comprehensive plan and land development regulations.
In addition to the regular future land use and zoning changes, the planning council has recently been involved in discussions to revamp the permit requirements for mining and borrow pits in Bradford County.
Commissioner Carolyn Spooner said the county has been long served by the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, as have many other counties and municipalities. She said the council has delivered on its obligations, and if not, should be given a chance to make amends, saying Koons is surrounded by some of the best planners around.
Dougherty said the planning council office is not staffed, which he knows because he’s at the office next door.
“I think Mr. Koons is probably working as hard as he can. I just don’t think he has the staff. And like you said, with all these other municipalities and counties, I think you could probably find out that some of them are dropping off too because of lack of service,” he said.
It was the consensus of most board members that County Manager Scott Kornegay begin looking for alternative planning services.
