HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN Monday, September 30, 2019 VOL. 100 | NO. 273 | $1.00 YOUR HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1919 An Edition Of The Sun Calming traffic in Sun ‘N Lake Settlement reached Supervisors: Get drivers to slow down between Sebring and billboard company By PHIL ATTINGER Most of them had to do with nar- By MARC VALERO STAFF WRITER rowing roads, or at least making them STAFF WRITER feel that way. SEBRING — Sun ‘N Lake’s Board of The Sun ‘n Lake of Sebring SEBRING — The billboard battle in Supervisors voted Friday to start the Improvement District, created court has ended with a settlement be- process of buying a radar speed sign by Highlands County through an tween the City of Sebring and The Lamar trailer. ordinance on April 16, 1974, has Company, LLC, a billboard company They hope that, plus an arrange- mostly wide roads with no curbs and based in Louisiana. ment for enforcement through the few trees near or overhanging the The City of Sebring filed a lawsuit Dec. Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, pavement. 27, 2018 against the billboard company might get drivers to slow down on People have since driven as fast as contending that a sign on U.S. 27 should district roads. they feel comfortable, no matter the not have been rebuilt after it was de- This vote came after a presentation posted limit, Tice said. stroyed by Hurricane Irma. PHIL ATTINGER/STAFF by Patricia Crews Tice, engineer However, driving is a sensory task, Lamar constructed a billboard on the and president of Creative Resources affected by sight, sound, touch, bal- billboard site around 1987 and around Sun ‘N Lake Supervisors Ray Brooks, at Enhancing Workable Sustainability ance and smell, as well as social and 1994 Sebring adopted a sign code left, and Neal Hotelling, talk Friday at the (CREWS), LLC. After studying traffic psychological factors, she said. that included provisions prohibiting Board of Supervisors meeting about which over the summer on certain roads Rather than use speed bumps, off-premises signs in certain locations. suggestions from a consultant they would in Sun ‘N Lake Special Improvement The billboard site is located within the like to implement to reduce speeding in the District, she had many suggestions. TRAFFIC | 2A area of the code that prohibits off-prem- district. ises signs, the according to lawsuit complaint filed by Sebring. The billboard was allowed to remain under a “grandfathered” provision that prohibited destroyed signs from being rebuilt, the complaint states. City Administrator Scott Noethlich said Thursday that Lamar has agreed to move the billboard no later than Feb. 28, 2021. The billboard is on east side of U.S. 27 south of the Gate convenience store near Lake Jackson. The City Code prohibits new billboards on the lakeside of U.S. 27, Noethlich said. “The intent was they didn’t want a bunch of billboards sitting on the lakeside blocking everybody’s view. During Hurricane Irma, the billboard was blown down. The city ordinance states if the damage is greater than 50% then it cannot be reconstructed at that location, but they did without a permit, he said. In a Jan. 30, 2019 motion to dismiss Sebring’s complaint, Lamar contends Sebring failed to allege that the destruc- tion or damage to the sign was greater than 50% of the sign’s replacement value and the city never related any facts about the replacement value of the sign. SNL approves ALLEN MOODY/STAFF A group prepares to start the stair climb at Sebring International Raceway. $11.3M budget By PHIL ATTINGER Remembering the bravery of FDNY STAFF WRITER SEBRING — Supervisors, with little discussion, approved the 2019-20 fiscal By ALLEN MOODY Many of those who year budget for the Sun ‘N Lake of HIGHLANDS SUN EDITOR participated in the event Sebring Special Improvement District. were firefighters, while It’s a total of $11.3 million to cover the SEBRING — While the there were others who just General Fund, Utility Fund and the Golf events of 9/11 had an wanted to pay tribute to (course) Fund. impact on the lives of all those who lost their lives. General Fund Americans, perhaps no Participants could either In the budget summary, assessments group was impacted greater climb the equivalent of the will account for $3.33 million of the than the firefighter frater- 110 flights of stairs of the $4.29 million General Fund, followed nity, which saw its ranks World Trace Center or walk by $315,00 in fund transfers, $218,500 shrink by 343 in a single a 3K — to correspond with in funds from reserves and $216,500 in day. That was the number the three points the planes “miscellaneous general revenue.” of Fire Department of New hit. Other revenue to the General Fund York firefighters who made Bashoor told the par- includes $75,000 from investment the ultimate sacrifice that ticipants it didn’t really earnings, $65,000 from pool and fitness day. matter if they were able memberships, $60,000 in penalties on Determined not to let to complete the six stair overdue assessments and $14,500 in their sacrifices be forgotten, rotations, which equaled charges for billing services. five Denver firefighters the 110 flights of stairs, or General fund expenses include climbed 110 flights of stairs the 3K walk. $1.27 million to roads and drainage, to pay tribute to those who “It’s no shame if you don’t $602,250 to funds transfers, $543,885 lost their lives on 9/11 in complete all six rotations,” to district administration, $369,000 to 2005, marking the first Bashoor said. “It’s no shame capital outlay, $305,050 to buildings and stair climb to support the if you walk away after one grounds and $297,400 to finance. National Fallen Firefighters step. Your attendance here Other general fund expenses include Foundation. The following today is what’s important.” $295,075 to recreation, $219,800 to com- year 12 firefighters partici- Each participant received munity services, $194,400 to security, pated in the Memorial Stair a card with the name and $100,025 to code enforcement, $75,000 Climb. photo of one of the 343 to vehicle/equipment maintenance and Since then, stair climbs FDNY firefighters and $18,915 for contingency. have become a way to Bashoor said they had the Utility Fund honor those 343 individuals opportunity to symbolically The $2.61 million Utility Fund will and occur all over the coun- complete the firefighter’s bring in $2.37 million from charges for try. On Sunday, Highlands heroic journey. When par- water and sewer services, $60,000 from County Fire Rescue Chief ticipants had finished, they investment earnings and $184,250 from Marc Bashoor brought were asked to ring a bell “other income.” the stair climb to Sebring once and say their firefight- From that, $1.34 million will go to utili- International Raceway for er’s name out loud. ty operations, $510,000 for capital outlay, the inaugural Highlands Bashoor was hopeful the $315,000 for fund transfers, $263,200 for County National Fallen participants would learn a customer service, $175,000 for the Utility Firefighters Foundation bit about the brave firefight- Renewal and Replacement Improvement Stair Climb and Walk. ers who lost their lives. Fund (URRIF) Savings and $13,730 in “I’m honored to be a part “I encourage you to savings. ALLEN MOODY/STAFF of the inaugural event in research your firefighter The URRIF is built up with a Highlands County,” Bashoor A group of firefighters descend a flight of stairs during Sunday’s stair said. BRAVERY | 2A BUDGET | 2A climb and walk at Sebring International Raceway. Classifieds ......................B4-8 Good morning To ....................... A6 Local Sports ...................... B1 Puzzles ................A7-8, B9-10 Viewpoints Jake Snyder Lottery ........................... B6 TV Listings ....................... A9 Weather .........................A10 facebook.com/ twitter.com/ Thanks for reading! newssun.com newssun TheNewsSun A2 | HIGHLANDS NEWS-SUN | September 30, 2019 www.highlandsnewssun.com Firefi ghters Foundation School Board BRAVERY Stair Climb and Walk FROM PAGE 1A was sponsored by the Highlands Fire & EMS and get to know them,” Foundation and began supports LPPD he told the participants. at 8:46 a.m., which was “Every one of them has a the time Flight 11 hit story.” the World Trade Center’s move to Bashoor participated in north tower. the event and said he was Other signifi cant events climbing for Chief Peter J. were marked with an Devane Circle Ganci Jr., who left behind announcement over the a wife and three children. loudspeakers, such as at His two sons have both 9:03 a.m., when Flight By MARC VALERO deter the occurrence of become fi refi ghters 175 hit the south tower; STAFF WRITER such incidences.” in what has become a ALLEN MOODY/STAFF 9:37 a.m., when the The Lake Placid Town common theme in New When participants had fi nished the stair climb, they were asked Pentagon was struck by SEBRING Council had discussed York. to ring the bell once and say the name of the FDNY fi refi ghter fl ight 77; 9:59 a.m., when — The three options for its Last week 301 people who adorned the card they received. the south tower col- School police department — to graduated from the lapsed; 10:03 a.m., when Board of expand at its existing FDNY Academy and 13 of them were children of fi refi ghters who died on Flight 93 crashed near Highlands location, move to the 9/11. Six were children of Shanksville, Pennsylvania; County new Town Hall location fi refi ghters who died from and 10:28 a.m.