Curfews Coming To Glades County

Glades Commissioners Approve Curfew

MOORE HAVEN, FL. -- After months of study and meetings, the Glades county commission voted to move forward with an ordinance for a night curfews for minors. A second hearing must be held for final approval.

Employee Service Awards were given out by Chairman Butch Jones to the following employees for their long term service to the county:

Elthea Stafford, Zoning Dept. 34 years, Chuck Lawhon, Road Dept. 34 years, Cassie Cohens, Road Dept. 20 years, Eddie "Gene" Perkins, Road Dept. 20 years, and David Longwell, Courthouse Maintenance 20 years.

Buckhead Ridge Action

The Board adopted Resolutions requesting South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to clean and open Pearce Canal  and the interior rim canal from the Buckhead Ridge Lock Structure S127 to Lake Okeechobee, and continue to maintain them for safe navigability. 

The resolutions were prepared by Maureen Bradley, John O�Neil and Floyd Driggers of Buckhead Ridge.  Mrs. Bradley and Mr. Driggers appeared providing  ownership, assessment and other information they had obtained from Florida Dept of Environmental Protection, SFWMD, and US Army Corps of Engineers.

Approximately 30 residents of Buckhead Ridge attended in support of the Resolutions, including Ralph Drury who also addressed the Board.  The Board directed County Attorney Pringle to review documentation and prepare cover letters for the Chairman to send with the Resolutions when they are transmitted to SFWMD.

Landfill Approvals Sought

The Board, after discussion and review, approved a proposed contract with Glades Landfill LLC, who is seeking approval from Glades County Planning Commission�s Board of Adjustments to modify its current Special Exception (SE) for a Construction and Demolition Debris (c&dd) disposal facility on SR78 3 miles north of US 27 to allow vertical expansion from current 65 feet to 150 feet. 

If the Board of Adjustments grants the SE amendment, Glades County will receive host fees in an up-front lump sum of $1.5million when permits are issued, plus fifty cents per ton for the first 9,600,000 tons ($4.8million) and one dollar per ton for the balance between 65 feet and 150 feet, estimated to be $8 million, plus $60,000 per year to fund employment of a spotter to monitor inflowing waste stream which by this agreement will not contain yard waste. Landscape and vegetative buffering will also be in place along SR 78. 

It is estimated the facility will be filled within 15 years, after which Glades Landfill LLC will construct a scenic overlook with public access, a pavilion and other passive recreational uses. Conditioned with the contract was a separate agreement which modified the existing interim hauling agreement Glades County has with Waste Management to extend beyond the current expiration date of April 2011, at which time the hauling rate for transferring Glades County solid waste from the landfill in Ortona will continue twenty more years with a beginning rate of $40 per ton, up from the existing haul rate of $27.82 per ton. 

Current tipping fees at the landfill are $43 for household waste which means Glades County now collects $43 per ton for incoming waste and pays $27.82 per ton for having it transferred out.

Moving Forward On County Roads

The Board accepted bid from Better Roads to pave approximately one mile on the north end of Fernwood in Muse for $148,173 to be funded from one cent sales tax revenue; work  should be performed immediately following the completion of widening/resurfacing CR 720 in Muse in late spring 2008.  Striping will be provided separately, at which time the roads in Buckhead Ridge will also be striped. 

Avant Brown also reported that he will again attempt to solicit proposals to repair the Harney Pond observation bridge/platform. 

He stated mowing would commence next week in Port LaBelle, and that reports of grass over 31 inches high were because the prior contractor had not performed final mowing. (The County had accepted the mowing responsibility October 9, 2007.)

Mr. Brown commented on the Indian Prairie Campground project noting that the de-mucking project had left the area in worse shape than it was when the County entered into the agreement to manage the campground.  He said now the area is leveled with shell material and no campsites.

He said the mulching company on south 27 had inquired about possibly purchasing the stockpile of muck placed at the Road Dept during the lake de-mucking project last spring.

In Other Commission Matters

Commissioner Donna Storter Long noted that the Community Traffic Safety Team CTS had met at Moore Haven High School concerning the issue of students crossing US 27 at Joey�s Pizza instead of the designated crosswalk at the signal light.  CTST approved School Sup't Wayne Aldrich�s recommendation to approach the City of Moore Haven to adopt an ordinance with penalties for enforcement to prohibit use of that crossing during morning and afternoon hours when students are approaching or leaving the school.

Commissioner Storter Long suggested that if the Board is going to review impact fees in July, perhaps the study should begin now.  The Chairman directed Mr. Taylor to contact Dr. Nicholas who prepared the last study to schedule a review study in the spring of 2008.