BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
Retired Commissioner Jimmy Tallman came to the November 19 meeting of the Union County Board of County Commissioners to give his thanks to the board and the people in the county who stood by him and prayed for him during his recent health crisis.
He joked that, before the accident where he was so severely burned, he had not missed a meeting in 16 years, then grew solemn in his statements.
“Serving this county for 16 years has been both a privilege and an honor,” Tallman said. “I met many wonderful people from everywhere else when I was in the hospital, but I would not trade places with any of them. I have confidence in the board to keep the county like it is. I am still humbled by the outpouring of love for me while I was hurt – you don’t get that in Boston. To quote the late Marvin Pritchett, “the popular thing is not always the right thing,”
State might dissolve the county
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Bob Cotgreave, a resident of the county since 2017 spoke to the board about a problem he sees in the county.
“The county coffers are drained, more so since West Fraser closed and took 130 jobs with it,” Cotgreave said. “We need to become profitable, or the state will come in and dissolve the county. We all need to work together to bring in jobs. The key is manufacturing.”
Cotgreave suggested that the board hold a special session for the board and county citizens to discuss the matter.
Eric Williams said he had several problems that were being “kicked down the road.” He cited the issue of RVs being allowed on small plots of land, costing the county funds for garbage, law enforcement, and other county services.
“The community is growing, but the tax base is not,” Williams said. “These RVs can’t be taxed, and it needs to be seen about.
Williams also commented on a situation on CR-241, where there were cars, trailers and junk on the side of the road, on county property. He said it was a liability to the county, citing the fact that his mother almost wrecked her car because of it.
Commissioner Donna Jackson commented that she had also been informed of several other close calls in the area.
Second pitch for Liberty Acres
After the public comments part of the meeting closed, the first item on the agenda was a presentation by American Land and Lake Development, a company that first approached the board last month concerning their desire to create a residential development in Union County.
Brian Brown told commissioners that the company wants total transparency in its dealing with the county. He stated that his company uses all local contractors and surveyors and noted that he had recently made a substantial donation to Promised Land Family Ministries and another local church.
“We want to give back to the community,” Brown said.
The project, to be named Liberty Acres, will consist of 18 “ranches” of 10+ acres in size and that there would be deed restrictions on all properties. Brown said that the developer would offer substantial discounts to any county residents that wished to buy a home there (between $7,000 and $15,000). He said the ranches would sell for between $69,000 and $199,000.
Commissioner Channing Dobbs said he was concerned that the project would bring more people into the county but no permanent jobs. He also repeated his concern expressed at the October meeting (when Pete Scerbo of American Land and Lake Development first spoke to the board about the project) that the roads, to be paid for by a fee charged to each homeowner, would end up the county’s to maintain if the agreement fails.
Jackson said she also wanted assurance that the county will not ever have to maintain the roads in the development.
Commissioner Mack Johns said that the land planned to be used for the ranches was swampland and said he felt the development company would leave the county to clean up their mess.
“That area will need retention ponds and other water control measures,” Johns said.
Brown said the company would turn in their application and plans for the project is a week, along with all of the information about the project.
Trail, travel mental health
In other discussion and action, the Union County Board of Commissioners:
- Approved a resolution declaring November 2024 as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month in the County.
- Approved a resolution entering into a construction and maintenance agreement with FDOT regarding the multi-use trail commencing at CR-237 and ending at CR-235. This is an expansion to the Florida Trail, which traverses the state. The FDOT will maintain it on the county right-of-way.
- Approved a new travel policy for county officials and employees, outlining the amounts allowed for meals, mileage, and other travel expenses and outlining how these expenses were to be approved.
- Approved an agreement with Meridian Behavioral Healthcare for the provision of mental health and substance abuse services for citizens of Union County in the amount of $15,000. The provision of such services is required by Florida statute.
- Approved a grant agreement for Hurricane Debby reimbursement.
- Approved a 911 grant agreement paying 100% with no match.
- Tabled three items for later consideration and possible workshops. These were: discussion of the renewal of the county moratorium on the building of new RV parks in the county, the consideration of an updated fee schedule for the building department and a discussion of land development text amendments.
