Project1:Layout 1 6/10/2014 1:13 PM Page 1 Softball: Citrus rolls in semis to reach district title game/B1 WEDNESDAY TODAY CITRUSCOUNTY & next morning HIGH 88 Sunny to partly LOW sunny and warm. 62 PAGE A4 www.chronicleonline.com APRIL 28, 2021 Florida’s Best Community Newspaper Serving Florida’s Best Community $1 VOL. 126 ISSUE 202 BOCC tackles busy agenda MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle A Waste Management truck dumps household garbage into the Citrus County Central Landfill on Monday afternoon, April 26. County to seek bids County admin: Stimulus from trash haulers money can’t be used for MICHAEL D. BATES not be other haulers to bid on the proj- paving roads, tax reduction Staff writer ect or ramp up their operations at a price the board is comfortable with. MICHAEL D. BATES The money, he said, can only be The much-discussed universal gar- Commissioner Holly Davis said it Staff writer used for specific purposes. They in- bage collection plan for Citrus County makes sense to move to universal clude assistance to households, small took another step forward Tuesday as trash because the county is growing. County Administrator Randy Oli- businesses and nonprofits and aid to commissioners voted 4-1 to put out an But it comes down to cost. ver made it crystal clear at a affected industries. It can go invitation for haulers to bid. “(And) I don’t think we should go special meeting Tuesday the to the reduction of revenue Commissioners said they need to with one hauler,” Davis said. “We need $29 million in federal stimu- to government services. see what the numbers look like be- some healthy competition. They know lus money Citrus County re- It can also be used to in- fore moving forward. if they provide poor service or are too ceived cannot be used to vest in water, sewer and County Commissioner Ron Kitchen pricey, they know we can pivot.” resurface roads or tax broadband infrastructure. Jr. said it’s crucial the contract has a Commission Chairman Scott Car- reduction. Commissioners have until provision that if the winning bidder nahan voted against Oliver stressed the point Dec. 31, 2024, to decide what doesn’t provide adequate service to the proposal, saying because he’s hearing chat- projects to spend the money. Randy residents, there is an escape clause to he has heard positive ter from people upset about The stimulus package, Oliver rebid. comments about how why their roads are in such called the American Rescue “If we’re inundated by complaints, Marion County works bad shape. See MONEY/Page A2 there has to be a quick method to re- with their haulers solve those quickly,” Kitchen said. and wanted to ex- Commissioner Jeff Kinnard said plore that further be- Rock Crusher under contract, Board nixes vote it’s fine to solicit Scott fore moving ahead bids, but three con- Carnahan with the bid process. County Commissioner Holly partnership with the potential cerns must be ad- Homeowners now Davis’ plan for the county to purchaser. As a result of this dressed: solving the pay a $25 annual fee to offset disposal look into buying the Rock new development, a vote to growing lack of space costs at the landfill. They can either Crusher Canyon Pavilion & Am- seek appraisals and move for- at the landfill; the lit- pay a hauler for curbside service or phitheater took a new twist ward on purchasing the prop- ter control problem take trash to the landfill themselves. Tuesday when she told the erty was not taken. and illegal dumping. Public Works Director Randall board it was already under con- The Chronicle will have much Jeff Kinnard said if the Olney said if the board chooses to tract for private purchase. more on this in Thursday’s company that wins move forward with universal collec- Kinnard Holly Davis held out hope there is edition. the bid process tion, the target date for it to go into Davis — From staff reports doesn’t deliver as promised, there may effect is Oct. 1, 2022. the possibility of a public-private NEWS BRIEF AES Board votes in new principal Citrus County and I know that’s not necessarily district staff was investigating him Hires Lecanto High’s Ernie Hopper feasible.” for several conduct and COVID-19 cases Hopper’s projected sal- policy violations. In the According to the Flor- BUSTER THOMPSON Michelle Leeper, chair of the ary, including benefits, is meantime, the school dis- ida Department of Health, Staff writer AES Board, said she’ll inform the estimated at $115,398, ac- trict has been providing 32 positive cases were Citrus County School District of cording to a school dis- the academy with an act- reported in Citrus County Ernie Hopper became the first the decision so it can start transi- trict email to the AES ing director. full time principal for the Acad- tioning Hopper into the academy. since the latest update. board. After the principal job emy of Environmental Science in Hopper told board members AES board members was posted within the No new deaths were re- Crystal River. he’d like to remain at Lecanto and the school district Ernie school district the first ported, for a total of 438. With a unanimous vote Tuesday, High until its May 26 graduation, began the search for a Hooper time, AES board mem- To date in the county, April 27, after interviewing the but wants to visit AES when he principal after Zachary bers interviewed and 10,918 people have Lecanto High School assistant can in the meantime before he Leonard quit in January as the turned down two finalist candi- tested positive (including principal, seven members of the steps when the summer begins. academy’s lead administrator and dates in March before reposting 97 non-residents). public charter school’s board ap- “I can’t give you that date,” he teacher of almost four years. the job in April. Six new hospitaliza- pointed Hopper to the job. said. “I want to be here tomorrow, Leonard resigned as school See AES/Page A5 tions were reported, for a total of 710 hospitalized. Totals reflect prelimi- nary reports received by the state, and are subject to revision. CR approves rezoning for car dealership INDEX brother-in-law and Councilman Council votes in charter committee, backs YMCA lease Pat Fitzpatrick; Classifieds . .C8 I Rocco Foley, a public claims Comics . .C7 BUSTER THOMPSON entire lot’s future land use as Citizen members adjuster and fiduciary wealth ad- Crossword . .C14 Staff writer highway commercial. visor nominated by Council- Editorial. A9 Council’s votes also scheduled a appointed to committee woman Cindi Guy; Entertainment . A4 Crystal River officials began second round of public hearings After each of its five members I Paula Wheeler, a former city Lottery Numbers . .B3 paving the way for a new car deal- for May 10. nominated their respective choice charter review member and city Lottery Payouts . .B3 ership to break ground in the city. After it secures permits to build from a pool of seven applicants, councilwoman of eight years nom- Obituaries . A6 In a pair of separate public its car dealership with a one-story council voted 5-0 to appoint five inated by Councilman Ken Brown; TV Listings. .C6 hearings from its meeting Mon- building on a repaved lot sur- city citizens to the city’s charter I Todd Workman, the owner of day, April 26, City Council mem- rounded by vegetative buffers, review committee. Suncoast Plumbing nominated by bers voted 5-0 to rezone the Nature Coast Property Acquisi- Those committee members are: Mayor Joe Meek; and, 2.6-acre property of the former tion LLC, expects to clear its par- I Hugh Tolle, a real estate bro- I John Morrison, a former city Liquid Lagoon Liquor Bar at 2035 cel of the dilapidated building ker and former city planning com- manager and member of the city’s SE U.S. 19, redesignating the within a couple of months. mission member nominated by See COUNCIL/Page A2 A2 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2021 LOCAL CITRUS COUNTY (FL) CHRONICLE building and its surrounding traveling east of Southwest Kings U.S. Coast Guard will be able to grounds, except for trash remov- Bay Drive’s Humpback Bridge. run continuous and regular pa- MONEY COUNCIL als and replacements of the build- Rosetti said allowing alcohol trols within the Crystal River and Continued from Page A1 Continued from Page A1 ing’s roof and air-conditioning there will lead to avoidable is- King’s Bay. systems. sues, like louder noise within the Sheriff ’s office marine depu- Plan Act, goes to states, planning and zoning commission Frink said the YMCA would residential canals and more peo- ties and the Coast Guard are also counties and cities to nominated by Councilman Rob- also manage the ple trespassing onto Three Sis- gearing up to host boating opera- cover increased costs, re- ert Holmes. scheduling of ters Springs refuge. tions during the summer and plenish lost money and Starting May 12, these charter programs at the “If you talk with people who other times of high vessel traffic mitigate economic harm review committee members will park, accommo- live along the main canal … on local waters, Novy said. from the COVID-19 pan- meet weekly to draft a report rec- dating both they’d be against it,” she said Novy also said the sheriff ’s of- demic and set a path back ommending how council should youth and adult about the city doing away with its fice transferred him over to su- to economic recovery.