Departments



Articles

Less

City News: CRA Meeting Agenda 12-20-11
December 17th, 2011

City News: CRA Meeting Cancelled
November 30th, 2011

City News: CITY MEETING “IF IT’S NOT IN THE BUDGET, IT’S NOT IN THE BUDGET”
November 16th, 2011

City News: 11-1-11 City Commission Meeting
November 3rd, 2011

City News: CITY OKAYS DRONE PROJECT; COASTAL CLEANUP REVEALS FEWER RECYCLABLES OVERBOARD
October 20th, 2011

City News: Cedar Key City Meeting Agenda
October 18th, 2011

City News: BRIEF CRA MEETING ADOPTS BUDGET, EMPLOYEE MANUAL
October 6th, 2011

City News: COMMISSIONERS ADOPT 2011-2012 BUDGET OVER MAYOR DAVIS’S “NO” VOTE
September 28th, 2011

City News: CEDAR KEY CONFORMS LOCAL LAW TO FLORIDA’S HB 45 PRO-GUN LEGISLATION;
September 22nd, 2011

City News: CITY’S FORMAL BUDGET HEARING PROCESS BEGINS THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 15
September 14th, 2011

City News: WALT BROWN OUT AS BUILDING INSPECTOR; OTHER CITY BUSINESS SEPTEMBER 6 - REVISED
September 13th, 2011

City News: A MARINA WISH LIST FOR CEDAR KEY
August 31st, 2011

City News: BROKEN SEWER PIPES, NEW INSURANCE RATES - BUMP BUDGET WORKSHOP
August 31st, 2011

City News: City Commission Report 8-16-2011
August 17th, 2011

City News: City Meeting Agenda 8-8-2011
August 6th, 2011

More

CITY MEETING - GEORGE OAKLEY CHALLENGES CITIZENS TO UNDERWRITE TREE REPLANTING

CITY MEETING - GEORGE OAKLEY CHALLENGES CITIZENS TO UNDERWRITE TREE REPLANTING

Jean Rigg

The regularly-scheduled December city commission meeting, followed by a postponed meeting of the commissioners sitting as board members of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), together were completed within slightly over one hour Tuesday night, December 20.

During the public comment section which begins the city commission meeting, George Oakley spoke in appreciation of this year`s holiday lighting, mentioning in particular Andrea Dennison, Ronnie Taylor, and Fire Chief Robert Robinson - all of whose efforts Oakley has observed from his residence across the street from the city park.

As a neighbor and close monitor of the park and marina area, Oakley went on to challenge other Cedar Keyans to help underwrite relocation fees charged by the Central Florida Electric Cooperative (CFEC) to replant trees for the city - a charge of $150 per tree which, while modest, is not funded in this year`s budget.

As Commissioner Sue Colson explained in a conversation after the meeting, original plans for the city park and marina area included palm trees along the sidewalk running south from Tom Liebert`s Kayak Cedar Key. The city was able to plant the strip with mature palms when the CFEC agreed to relocate trees threatening overhead wires, trees that otherwise the CFEC would have destroyed.

Now some of those trees have died (the CFEC`s tree removal schedule isn`t necessarily an ideal schedule for transplanting trees), and the city cannot afford the $150 per tree fee to the CFEC to replace them.

George Oakley announced he would make a $150 contribution to the city to underwrite the cost of one replacement tree, and he urged others to make similar contributions. Mayor Heath Davis asked Commissioner Colson to coordinate such donations.

The city commission`s December 20 agenda included a report from Commissioner Dale Register stating that the city has met State of Florida requirements for reimbursement under the grant the city received through the state subsidizing the installation of solar panels on city buildings.

The agenda included two reports by Commissioner Scott Dennison, who could not be present. On Commissioner Dennison`s behalf, Mayor Davis provided a brief update on the proposed American Tower Corporation (ATC) cellular communications tower, and he reported that University of Florida collaboration with the city on marina planning would begin when the students return to classes after the first of the year.

After discussing a request by the owner of two lots in the Cedar Key Cemetery to sell one lot back to the city (a situation which Mayor Davis said had not come before the commission before), the commissioners asked City Attorney Norm Fugate to review existing policies and to recommend any steps the commissioners should take to clarify that cemetery lot owners may sell a cemetery lot back to the city, for the price originally paid for the lot and with the further approval of the cemetery committee, but that cemetery lot owners may not transfer lots to third parties.

Promptly upon adjournment of the city commission meeting, Commissioner Gene Hodges, who serves as chairman of the CRA board, called the CRA meeting to order. Within the context of evaluating funds remaining available to the CRA, Chairman Hodges asked City Attorney Fugate to report back to the board regarding any restrictions applicable to the use of remaining CRA funds.

The board approved Fire Chief Robinson`s request for funds to cover the cost of replacing two-and-a-half inch fire hydrant discharges with five-inch discharges. Chief Robinson`s request for funds to cover several new fire hydrants was approved with qualifications (including the afore-mentioned guidance requested of the city attorney).

Click for printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

 

 

© 2013
Cedar Key News

cedarkeynews@gmail.com