BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
At a special meeting of the Union County Board of County Commissioners on April 29, commissioners voted unanimously to approve, on second reading, an ordinance extending the moratorium on the acceptance and processing of applications for permits for travel trailer parks and campgrounds in the county for another year.
The subject of the moratorium has been a matter of much discussion by the board for more than a year. Concerns are myriad, including the strain placed on county services (EMS, fire protection, and law enforcement), increased traffic in the adjacent areas, garbage and sanitation issues, the current lack of county code enforcement, and issues on the ad valorem taxes on the properties. The board has been exploring the matter and seeing how other counties handle the businesses. The main concern is reducing safety and quality of life for county residents near the parks/campgrounds.
Grant contract, road improvements, landfill costs
In other actions and discussions at the special meeting:
The board approved a grant contract for Emergency Management that will provide necessary maintenance and updates to the county’s 911 system. The services are grant-funded and will incur no costs for the county.
County Coordinator Jimmy Williams told the board about improvements to CR-238N. Williams said he needed board approval to apply for the FDOT grant-funded project extension. He said the need and subsequent delays were caused by previously unknown problems that have made themselves apparent during the construction process – leading to delays, design changes, and a budget shortfall caused by necessary (and often mandatory) design changes and amendments. The section involved runs from 111th Way to the connection with CR-229 and is sometimes known by its previous designation as G. Fred Andrews Rd. The board unanimously approved the request for a time extension for the project.
Commissioners also approved for the county to “piggyback” on the New River Solid Waste Association’s continued service agreement with Jones-Edmunds for the New River Landfill. County Attorney Russ Wade said such an arrangement was both legal and appropriate and was, in fact, a common practice in such situations. By “piggybacking” in NRSWA’s agreement, the county will save money on its share of costs for the landfill.
