City, County to Tackle Utility Master Plan
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A3 SATURDAY/SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26-27, 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1874 | $2 WEEKEND EDITION Lake City Reporter LAKECITYREPORTER.COM >> COLLEGE SPORTS SUNDAY + PLUS PREP FOOTBALL City utility Frier catches Covid part group to attention with of changing All-American collegiate discuss performance landscape 6B impact fees Sean of the South SEE 7A SEE 10A SEE 10A City, county Open for business to tackle utility master plan Joint effort will county commission. hopefully spur This committee will be different from the city’s economic growth. internal By TODD WILSON utility [email protected] advisory commit- Lake City Manager Joe tee, which Helfenberger said the city’s reports joint utility committee that only to the will welcome three mem- Helfenberger city council bers from the Columbia and deals County Commission has the with internal utility issues, potential to break through such as rates, supplies and the gridlock of decades past operational issues. and put everyone on a clear The city’s representa- path to future development tives on the joint committee where utilities are needed. will be Councilmen Chris Currently, Lake City Greene, Todd Sampson and owns the water treatment Mayor Stephen Witt. and wastewater treatment Helfenberger said he had utilities available to devel- high hopes for the joint opers, but the city limits utility committee with the FILE Columbia County is currently taking applications for its next county manager. David Kraus, the interim man- are landlocked by unin- county representatives on ager, is one of the eight candidates that have already applied. corporated growth that board, saying the commu- mostly thrives in Columbia nication between the city County. and the county is good and County accepting applications for next manager The county needs city very important for future water and wastewater con- projects. By TONY BRITT year. cants hoping to fill the position. Commissioners nections to outfit hot devel- “This committee will [email protected] David Kraus, who was an vacant manager position. have the option. The coun- opment areas that are prime allow for joint coordina- assistant county manager, Lisa Roberts, the coun- ty is getting recruiting locations for commercial tion on the regional utility Columbia County coun- was named as the interim ty’s human resources help through the Florida and industrial growth that needs of the city and coun- ty officials are looking to county manager, and has director, said the county Association of County could lead to more career- ty growth,” Helfenberger shore up their administra- guided the county’s day-to- began advertising the posi- Managers in its search. track jobs. said. tive ranks in 2021 by hiring day operations since. tion at the beginning of Roberts said the Florida The joint utility commit- The city manager said a new county manager. County commissioners December and the applica- Association of County tee will see three members one of the first things he Approximately 90 days have not named Kraus as tion deadline is Jan. 15. Managers will assist in the from the city council and expects the committee to ago, Ben Scott tendered Scott’s official successor and Roberts said the appli- application review process three from the county com- address is to work together his resignation as county are currently accepting coun- cation deadline could be by “short-listing” the can- mission. The board’s dis- to map and become famil- manager and notified offi- ty manager applications. extended if there isn’t a didates. cussions and findings will iar with existing utility cials he would be leaving The county has received group of qualified appli- be reported back to the the post at the end of the responses from eight appli- cants to apply for the COUNTY continued on 2A full city council and the full PLAN continued on 2A Brannon ready for retirement Tax collector stepping is evident. rience in the office as a staff mem- down after long career. Brannon has served as the elect- ber, tax department employee and ed Columbia County Tax Collector assistant tax collector before he By TONY BRITT for 16 years, four complete terms. was elected as the tax collector [email protected] He has worked in the tax collector’s after Walker retired. office a total of more than 30 years “I’ve enjoyed meeting people and Ronnie Brannon doesn’t appear and Brannon will be retiring at the helping people,” Brannon said. “I’ve to be a guy that easily gets excited, beginning of January. met folks from all over the state but by uttering the word “retire- Brannon, 66, began his career of Florida doing the same kind of ment,” a smile begins to curl on his with the Columbia County Tax work — a lot of good people in the lips, his eyes shine with anticipa- Collector’s Office in June 1986, state. That’s what I’ve liked most tion, and he begins to speak faster as the ad valorem tax manager about the job, just being around the TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter than normal. Though he won’t say for then-County Tax Collector Ray Ronnie Brannon, the Columbia County Tax Collector for the it, his excitement about retirement Walker. Brannon had 18 years expe- BRANNON continued on 3A past 16 years, will be retiring in early January. Vol. 146, No. 199 Opinion . 4A CALL US: TODAY’S WEATHER (386) 752-1293 Faith & Values . .5A Classifieds . 6A-7A SUBSCRIBE TO 49 24 THE REPORTER: Sports . 10A Voice: 755-5445 Sunny, 2A Fax: 752-9400 Business . 1B 2A SATURDAY/SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26-27, 2020 LOCAL LAKE CITY REPORTER hire somebody that’s fit for be until we fill that position Even though the commis- COUNTY Columbia County.” permanently — whether it sion is conducting a nation- Continued From 1A Robby Hollingsworth, be him or someone else.” al search to seek applicants QUICK HITS District 3 commissioner, The county has immersed qualified for the job, Williams Scripture of the Day Commissioners said they was elected to his seat after itself in several projects and said it’s crucial to get the wanted to make the right Scott made his resignation Ford said it’s important to right person for the job. “And they came with haste, and found Mary, and decision and not rush their announcement. He took get a permanent county “It’s very important,” he Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger...But Mary decision. office in mid-November. manager in the position. said. “You’ve got to have kept all these things, and pondered them in her “Until we select a coun- “Right now, David earned “I think it’s very import- somebody that has a pas- heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and ty manager, David is going a chance at the job and we ant and I want to do it as sion for a small county, praising God for all the things that they had heard to serve as the interim,” got him in as interim and we soon as possible,” he said. that knows about Columbia and seen, as it was told unto them.” said Tim Murphy, District 5 will review all of the applica- Ford did not have a spe- County and knows about — Luke 2:16, 19-20 (KJV) commissioner. “Even if we tions and see what we have,” cific time table for naming utilities and they’ve got to give him the county man- he said. “It will be a decision the county manager but be a good manager. You Thought for Today ager position, there hasn’t we make once we have all expects the process to begin would like to have someone been discussion by the the information, but right in the very near future. that has the management For it is in giving that we receive. board whether or not we’re now David is the interim and “We’ll probably be look- and financial skills in order — Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226, Italian saint going to hire a new assis- he’s an applicant also.” ing at applications, I would to be a county manager and tant in his place or any kind Hollingsworth said it’s think, the second meeting David has those. It’s just a of any other idea.” important for commission- of January,” he said. “I think matter of him proving him- Winning Lottery Numbers Murphy said it’s a little pre- ers to take their time and David is doing a good job at self if he’s the one of that Pick 3: (Thursday p.m.) 5-1-1 mature to have a discussion make a good decision on the this point. He is definitely job. He has an open shot Pick 4: (Thursday p.m.) 3-3-7-5 automatically naming Kraus county manager position. someone I think is high on just like everyone else has.” Fantasy 5: (Thursday) 10-24-28-34-36 as the next county manager “I don’t know if we’re the list as far as I’m con- District 4 Commissioner before county officials even going to be in a hurry,” he cerned.” Toby Witt, too, said Kraus See an error? go through the process to said. “He (Scott) is gone Ron Williams, the District has put himself in the pool The Lake City Reporter corrects errors of fact in news determine who will fill the on Jan. 1, so I’m not in a 1 commissioner, said the of candidates the board will items. If you have a concern, question, or suggestion, county manager position. big hurry — we’re doing commission will probably be consider for the job.