Two Counties Tackle Area Problems In Joint Public Meeting
MOORE HAVEN, FL. -- Glades County Manager Taylor reminded the Glades Board of County Commissioners of the joint meeting with Hendry County Commission scheduled for Tuesday April 15 at 6 PM at the Glades County School Board office.
Taylor provided the Board with a list of tentative agenda items for discussion stating he needed any other suggestions before April 10 when he, Commissioner Jones and Commissoner Hilton meet with Hendry County staff to prepare for the meeting.
Hendry County's items included:
1) Last Chance Mine
2) Port LaBelle Utilities
3) West Hendry Plan w/Bridge
4) Port LaBelle Oxbow (Golf Course)
5) Evaluation and Appraisal Report.
The items Taylor lists for Glades County include:
A) Port LaBelle Franchise Agreement Payments and Franchise Renewal Consideration
B) Evaluation and Appraisal Report
C) Community Development Events: River Forest, Palmdale, Muse, Moore Haven
D) Impact Fee Review
E) Budget Impacts: Now and Later
F) CR 720 Bridge-June 1, 2008 100 days
CR 720-wide-resurface to Charlotte County line
G) Mutual Aid under Budget Cuts (Indian Hills Volunteer Fire Dept. now is closed)
H) Brighton Indian Reservation –What? When?
Showing posts sorted by date for query last chance mine. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query last chance mine. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Glades Commissioners Tuesday Meeting
$10,000 Given To Form Multi-County Coalition
MOORE HAVEN, FL. -- Glades County Commissioners are seeking and have come up with a possible solution to getting Federal aid dollars for transportation including MPOs (Metropolitan Planning Organization), TPOs (Transportation Planning Organization) and RTPOs (Rural Transportation Planning Organization) that normally have requirements of a 50,000 urbanized population that can not be met by Glades County.
A presentation before FHREDI August 20 drew the interest of rural heartland counties which may be willing to join Glades in forming a multi-county planning organization. The Board moved to contribute $10,000 to a trust fund to begin the process of organizing a TPO to include Highlands, Okeechobee, Hardee, Hendry, and part of DeSoto with a total population area of 245,162 including 11 cities with total urbanized 54,986 population.
Commissioner Donna Storter Long commented that this organization can assure our rural counties a "seat at the table" in negotiating for Federal transportation dollars where presently the county has no voice.
Last Chance Rock Mine Gets Chance For Roadway Agreement
After lengthy discussion the Board approved a contract with Last Chance Pit LLC for use of ingress and egress from a Charlotte County mine on Glades County roads including conditions of: initial non-refundable $32,000 payment to Glades County; 35 cents for each cubic yard of material generated by Last Chance's operation, paid monthly in arrears (with proportionate increases if/when Last Chance's selling price increases from $4 per cu yd.)
Additional conditions include: every trip ticket for each truck will be construed to have 18 cu yd per load; 50 ft of asphalt pavement and 250 ft of coarse gravel road surface at the connection of CR720 and the operations property; hours of operation limited between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM Monday through Friday; haul routes for truck traffic generated by Last Chance restricted to CR 720 west of Kirby Thompson Road and Kirby Thompson Road south, except for local deliveries to Glades County addresses; Last Chance to pay costs of preparing and negotiating the agreement (including county attorney fees) .
Dean Daniels, co-owner of the company, projected the operation to remove material from 150 acres a depth of 32 feet will take 8-10 years. (150 acres 32 feet deep is the equivalent of 7,744,000 cubic yard not including fluff factor. At 35 cents per c.f., that would equate $2,710,400 to Glades County, according to one commissioner's calculations.)
Discussion covered price per cubic yard to provide revenue to offset any road or bridge maintenance or repair costs attributable to the mining truck traffic, with concern for traffic control of trucks utilizing CR 720 eastward. Glades County has previously adopted ordinances restricting weight limits on Sealey Road, CR 74, Timber Bridge on River Road.
As recently as August 14, 2001 the commissioners adopted an ordinance restricting truck traffic on a portion of CR 720 which prohibits any dump truck, tandem trailer dump truck, semi tractor, and semi tractor and semi trailer combination, loaded or unloaded from operating/driving upon CR 720 (Loblolly Bay) between Summerall Road and Silver Lake Road.
Although this ordinance has not been revoked or amended and is still enforceable including truck traffic from this mine over that portion of CR720. Exemptions to this truck ordinance include school buses, garbage trucks, emergency vehicles, and county owned vehicles or those authorized trucks engaged in highway maintenance, and wreckers towing motor vehicles. Agriculturally related truck traffic is not exempt.
Penalties can be applied but Glades County Sheriff's Office allegedly does not have the trained manpower or scales for weight determinations to monitor such traffic for enforcement.
Public Hearing On Zoning Issues
At the public hearing section of Tuesdays Commission meeting the following items were on the agenda:
Case Number RZ07-07 – Estates at Port LaBelle. Approved rezoning changing 5.23 acres from Commercial to Residential and 7.24 acres from Agriculture to Residential.
Pre-Plat of The Estates at Port LaBelle. Approved. Parcels are part of 252 acres; subdivision proposed to site 91 single family homes near Aspen Blvd in Port LaBelle
Moorings at Buckhead. Granted pre-plat approval for 20 Townhouse structures on 19.8 acres on Linda Drive in Buckhead Ridge noting density and utility service factors wills require formation of a Condominium.
Indian Cove Estates. Granted pre-plat approval for 34 single-family home lots on 17.32 acres on Linda Drive in Buckhead Ridge. Concern was noted that this subdivision and the Moorings Townhouse property (item 5 above) are adjacent and wastewater/sewer treatment provision for such densities should be carefully considered.
Case Number RZ07-04 and COMP07-02SS Application withdrawn and Case Number RZ07-16 Tabled until November 26, 2007
MOORE HAVEN, FL. -- Glades County Commissioners are seeking and have come up with a possible solution to getting Federal aid dollars for transportation including MPOs (Metropolitan Planning Organization), TPOs (Transportation Planning Organization) and RTPOs (Rural Transportation Planning Organization) that normally have requirements of a 50,000 urbanized population that can not be met by Glades County.
A presentation before FHREDI August 20 drew the interest of rural heartland counties which may be willing to join Glades in forming a multi-county planning organization. The Board moved to contribute $10,000 to a trust fund to begin the process of organizing a TPO to include Highlands, Okeechobee, Hardee, Hendry, and part of DeSoto with a total population area of 245,162 including 11 cities with total urbanized 54,986 population.
Commissioner Donna Storter Long commented that this organization can assure our rural counties a "seat at the table" in negotiating for Federal transportation dollars where presently the county has no voice.
Last Chance Rock Mine Gets Chance For Roadway Agreement
After lengthy discussion the Board approved a contract with Last Chance Pit LLC for use of ingress and egress from a Charlotte County mine on Glades County roads including conditions of: initial non-refundable $32,000 payment to Glades County; 35 cents for each cubic yard of material generated by Last Chance's operation, paid monthly in arrears (with proportionate increases if/when Last Chance's selling price increases from $4 per cu yd.)
Additional conditions include: every trip ticket for each truck will be construed to have 18 cu yd per load; 50 ft of asphalt pavement and 250 ft of coarse gravel road surface at the connection of CR720 and the operations property; hours of operation limited between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM Monday through Friday; haul routes for truck traffic generated by Last Chance restricted to CR 720 west of Kirby Thompson Road and Kirby Thompson Road south, except for local deliveries to Glades County addresses; Last Chance to pay costs of preparing and negotiating the agreement (including county attorney fees) .
Dean Daniels, co-owner of the company, projected the operation to remove material from 150 acres a depth of 32 feet will take 8-10 years. (150 acres 32 feet deep is the equivalent of 7,744,000 cubic yard not including fluff factor. At 35 cents per c.f., that would equate $2,710,400 to Glades County, according to one commissioner's calculations.)
Discussion covered price per cubic yard to provide revenue to offset any road or bridge maintenance or repair costs attributable to the mining truck traffic, with concern for traffic control of trucks utilizing CR 720 eastward. Glades County has previously adopted ordinances restricting weight limits on Sealey Road, CR 74, Timber Bridge on River Road.
As recently as August 14, 2001 the commissioners adopted an ordinance restricting truck traffic on a portion of CR 720 which prohibits any dump truck, tandem trailer dump truck, semi tractor, and semi tractor and semi trailer combination, loaded or unloaded from operating/driving upon CR 720 (Loblolly Bay) between Summerall Road and Silver Lake Road.
Although this ordinance has not been revoked or amended and is still enforceable including truck traffic from this mine over that portion of CR720. Exemptions to this truck ordinance include school buses, garbage trucks, emergency vehicles, and county owned vehicles or those authorized trucks engaged in highway maintenance, and wreckers towing motor vehicles. Agriculturally related truck traffic is not exempt.
Penalties can be applied but Glades County Sheriff's Office allegedly does not have the trained manpower or scales for weight determinations to monitor such traffic for enforcement.
Public Hearing On Zoning Issues
At the public hearing section of Tuesdays Commission meeting the following items were on the agenda:
Case Number RZ07-07 – Estates at Port LaBelle. Approved rezoning changing 5.23 acres from Commercial to Residential and 7.24 acres from Agriculture to Residential.
Pre-Plat of The Estates at Port LaBelle. Approved. Parcels are part of 252 acres; subdivision proposed to site 91 single family homes near Aspen Blvd in Port LaBelle
Moorings at Buckhead. Granted pre-plat approval for 20 Townhouse structures on 19.8 acres on Linda Drive in Buckhead Ridge noting density and utility service factors wills require formation of a Condominium.
Indian Cove Estates. Granted pre-plat approval for 34 single-family home lots on 17.32 acres on Linda Drive in Buckhead Ridge. Concern was noted that this subdivision and the Moorings Townhouse property (item 5 above) are adjacent and wastewater/sewer treatment provision for such densities should be carefully considered.
Case Number RZ07-04 and COMP07-02SS Application withdrawn and Case Number RZ07-16 Tabled until November 26, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Glades County 11 P.M Juvenile Curfew Coming?
Teens To Be Home By 11
MOORE HAVEN, FL. -- This week, Glades County Sheriff Stuart Whiddon gained the County Board of Commissioners' consensus to proceed with an ordinance to impose a county-wide 11 p.m. curfew on juveniles.
County Manager Wendell Taylor was directed to work with County Attorney on preparation of an ordinance. Taylor reminded the board this new ordinance would have to be approved and adopted by the City of Moore Haven to be in effect. Commissioner Russell Echols objected to the 11 p.m. time. Lakeport resident James Brendel commended Sheriff Whiddon on his effort in "protecting the youth."
Muse Community Objects To Proposed Truck Route
In other items on the meeting agenda, Muse Community Association President Joseph Richter presented the Chairman with the original documentation of the State Division of Forestry "Fire Wise Community" designation for the community of Muse.
Richter also informed the commissioners he had recently traveled the 4.1 miles of Kirby Thompson Road in Glades County and counted 28 potholes, 25 side breaks and 23 cracks. Last Chance Pit, Inc. has asked the county to use the road for dump truck travel to a Charlotte county mine. Richter said that adding 100 trucks a day traveling this road, would be extremely detrimental. He stated the Muse Community Association�s unanimous position was in opposition to the Last Chance mining proposal to get permission from Glades county for road use, unless it was beneficial to Glades County and to Muse.
Last Chance Pit is a newly organized company by two Hendry county residents. The two men have a history of starting companies and going out of business 13 months later. See Last Chance Pit story.
MOORE HAVEN, FL. -- This week, Glades County Sheriff Stuart Whiddon gained the County Board of Commissioners' consensus to proceed with an ordinance to impose a county-wide 11 p.m. curfew on juveniles.
County Manager Wendell Taylor was directed to work with County Attorney on preparation of an ordinance. Taylor reminded the board this new ordinance would have to be approved and adopted by the City of Moore Haven to be in effect. Commissioner Russell Echols objected to the 11 p.m. time. Lakeport resident James Brendel commended Sheriff Whiddon on his effort in "protecting the youth."
Muse Community Objects To Proposed Truck Route
In other items on the meeting agenda, Muse Community Association President Joseph Richter presented the Chairman with the original documentation of the State Division of Forestry "Fire Wise Community" designation for the community of Muse.
Richter also informed the commissioners he had recently traveled the 4.1 miles of Kirby Thompson Road in Glades County and counted 28 potholes, 25 side breaks and 23 cracks. Last Chance Pit, Inc. has asked the county to use the road for dump truck travel to a Charlotte county mine. Richter said that adding 100 trucks a day traveling this road, would be extremely detrimental. He stated the Muse Community Association�s unanimous position was in opposition to the Last Chance mining proposal to get permission from Glades county for road use, unless it was beneficial to Glades County and to Muse.
Last Chance Pit is a newly organized company by two Hendry county residents. The two men have a history of starting companies and going out of business 13 months later. See Last Chance Pit story.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Glades To Encourage Trucks On Kirby Thompson Road?
Controversy Over Truck Route Through Hendry and Glades County
MOORE HAVEN, FL. -- The Glade County Commissioners discussed a proposal to allow a Hendry County company use of Glades roads to access a Charlotte county rock mine site.
The Board reviewed and discussed the 12-page draft proposal prepared by County Attorney Pringle for "Last Chance Mine" to provide a Roadway Service Life Reduction Fee to Glades County for the use of Kirby Thompson Road and CR720 west of Kirby Thompson Road in Glades County as a haul route from their mining site on the Charlotte-Glades County line as required by Charlotte County for issuance of the mining permit. (The mining site is wholly contained in Charlotte Co.)
The "Last Chance Mine" owners were profiled in a February 27th Sunday Morning News story. The company is apparently a very newly formed company and one of the owners, Dean Daniels, has been the owner/operator of several failed real estate and mine related businesses operating out of Hendry county this year.
Objections By Hendry County Officials - May Be Last Chance For Company?
Glades Commissioner Donna Storter Long stated she had correspondence from Hendry County Planning and Engineering Departments who had met with Charlotte County officials, and they object to the use of Kirby Thompson Road extending into Hendry County and that Highway 78 in Hendry County and Lee County is restricted to no through truck traffic; thus if Glades County approves use of its portion of Kirby Thompson Road, the trucks would be subject to penalty for continuing on Kirby Thompson onto SR78 in Hendry County and would likely detour and use Glades County roads for egress.
County Attorney Pringle stated that truck traffic already used those Hendry County roadways hauling from the farms in the Muse area.
Last Chance Pit LLC owners Dean Daniels and Kelvin Townsend stated they could not control the routes used by truckers hauling from their pit but were willing to pay for damages to specified roads that was attributable to their use. Dean Daniels later in the meeting stated that they anticipated about 100 trucks per day and most of the material would be hauled to their own developments, making some wonder why he made the earlier statement that he could not control the truck routes.
When the issue was originally presented before the Glades BoCC February 26, 2007, Last Chance offered a damage bond of $121,895 and annual fee of $47,200. The issue was tabled pending testing and assessment of the roads in questions, which was subsequently performed by Aim Engineering to establish a profile of the current condition of the road and bridge on the proposed route.
Commissioner Long stated that there is a weight restriction on Bee Branch Bridge which was due for replacement next year and she expressed concern that truckers will then take an easterly route through Muse on CR720, Firetower Road, Pollywog Crossover and Whidden Road (and Fernwood through Crescent Acres) to gain access to either SR 29 or SR 74. The proposed agreement limited Last Chance�s liability to only Kirby Thompson and the west end of CR 720 as approved routes.
Commissioner Beck commented that as Muse continues development, a market for fill would exist but this proposal prohibited trucks from going into Muse. Attorney Pringle stated he could provide language that allowed local deliveries.
Citing the conditions of the haul route over Bronson Road to Rigdill�s pit, Commissioner Echols stated the mine owners could control the truckers by refusing to allow them to haul from their pit and if the penalties were high enough, they would be motivated to force the truckers to comply.
Commissioner Long stated that the mine operation may not have a contract with the haulers and would be selling fill and sand to customers who may provide their own haulers thus the mine could not control the trucker�s choice of routes. She asked about the possibility of the mine creating its own roadway within Charlotte County to access SR 74 to the north. Chairman Jones commented that would be preferable or perhaps another solution would be to assess tonnage or load rates to pay for road repairs since the proposal requires daily load reports.
Commissioner Long reminded the Board that Charlotte County, and not Glades County, would benefit from the ad valorem and property tax assessments on the mine and the county would be enduring the damages and abuse or use of our roads and even with the agreement, would bear the uncertainty of actual future costs and inconvenience.
The Board gave no consensus to the proposed agreement, and no quantities were suggested for the annual minimum payments, road damage bond amount or penalties for failure to control truckers� use of roadways. County Manager Taylor suggested that the bond amount be set high enough to protect the county so that it would encourage compliance.
County Attorney Pringle stated he had told company owner Daniels he hoped to complete the agreement by the end of August.
More About the "Last Chance Mine" Owner
MOORE HAVEN, FL. -- The Glade County Commissioners discussed a proposal to allow a Hendry County company use of Glades roads to access a Charlotte county rock mine site.
The Board reviewed and discussed the 12-page draft proposal prepared by County Attorney Pringle for "Last Chance Mine" to provide a Roadway Service Life Reduction Fee to Glades County for the use of Kirby Thompson Road and CR720 west of Kirby Thompson Road in Glades County as a haul route from their mining site on the Charlotte-Glades County line as required by Charlotte County for issuance of the mining permit. (The mining site is wholly contained in Charlotte Co.)
The "Last Chance Mine" owners were profiled in a February 27th Sunday Morning News story. The company is apparently a very newly formed company and one of the owners, Dean Daniels, has been the owner/operator of several failed real estate and mine related businesses operating out of Hendry county this year.
Objections By Hendry County Officials - May Be Last Chance For Company?
Glades Commissioner Donna Storter Long stated she had correspondence from Hendry County Planning and Engineering Departments who had met with Charlotte County officials, and they object to the use of Kirby Thompson Road extending into Hendry County and that Highway 78 in Hendry County and Lee County is restricted to no through truck traffic; thus if Glades County approves use of its portion of Kirby Thompson Road, the trucks would be subject to penalty for continuing on Kirby Thompson onto SR78 in Hendry County and would likely detour and use Glades County roads for egress.
County Attorney Pringle stated that truck traffic already used those Hendry County roadways hauling from the farms in the Muse area.
Last Chance Pit LLC owners Dean Daniels and Kelvin Townsend stated they could not control the routes used by truckers hauling from their pit but were willing to pay for damages to specified roads that was attributable to their use. Dean Daniels later in the meeting stated that they anticipated about 100 trucks per day and most of the material would be hauled to their own developments, making some wonder why he made the earlier statement that he could not control the truck routes.
When the issue was originally presented before the Glades BoCC February 26, 2007, Last Chance offered a damage bond of $121,895 and annual fee of $47,200. The issue was tabled pending testing and assessment of the roads in questions, which was subsequently performed by Aim Engineering to establish a profile of the current condition of the road and bridge on the proposed route.
Commissioner Long stated that there is a weight restriction on Bee Branch Bridge which was due for replacement next year and she expressed concern that truckers will then take an easterly route through Muse on CR720, Firetower Road, Pollywog Crossover and Whidden Road (and Fernwood through Crescent Acres) to gain access to either SR 29 or SR 74. The proposed agreement limited Last Chance�s liability to only Kirby Thompson and the west end of CR 720 as approved routes.
Commissioner Beck commented that as Muse continues development, a market for fill would exist but this proposal prohibited trucks from going into Muse. Attorney Pringle stated he could provide language that allowed local deliveries.
Citing the conditions of the haul route over Bronson Road to Rigdill�s pit, Commissioner Echols stated the mine owners could control the truckers by refusing to allow them to haul from their pit and if the penalties were high enough, they would be motivated to force the truckers to comply.
Commissioner Long stated that the mine operation may not have a contract with the haulers and would be selling fill and sand to customers who may provide their own haulers thus the mine could not control the trucker�s choice of routes. She asked about the possibility of the mine creating its own roadway within Charlotte County to access SR 74 to the north. Chairman Jones commented that would be preferable or perhaps another solution would be to assess tonnage or load rates to pay for road repairs since the proposal requires daily load reports.
Commissioner Long reminded the Board that Charlotte County, and not Glades County, would benefit from the ad valorem and property tax assessments on the mine and the county would be enduring the damages and abuse or use of our roads and even with the agreement, would bear the uncertainty of actual future costs and inconvenience.
The Board gave no consensus to the proposed agreement, and no quantities were suggested for the annual minimum payments, road damage bond amount or penalties for failure to control truckers� use of roadways. County Manager Taylor suggested that the bond amount be set high enough to protect the county so that it would encourage compliance.
County Attorney Pringle stated he had told company owner Daniels he hoped to complete the agreement by the end of August.
More About the "Last Chance Mine" Owner
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Mining Trucks May Affect Kirby-Thompson Road
MOORE HAVEN, FL. -- Glade county and perhaps Hendry county residents living in the area of Kirby-Thompson Road may be affected by a proposed mining operation application.
Last Chance Mine LLC has a sand mining operation application pending in Charlotte County that the Charlotte officials have required for them to obtain an agreement with Glades County concerning their only ingress/egress, which is via Glades County CR 720 and Kirby Thompson Road. The road will be the truck hauling route from the mine site for approximately nine years.
Mystery Company?
Last Chance Mine LLC, the name appearing in the Glades County Commissioners meeting agenda package, is not registered with the Secretary of State office as a legitimately registered company, according to the Florida Division of Corporations website.
The company has offered Glades county a damage bond of $121,895 and a $47,200 annual fee for roadway service life reduction to ensure Glades County receives compensation for any road damage or reduction of life to the roads. The mining operation claims an expected 25,000 truck loads per year.
What's The Company History?
A search of similar names with the Division of Corporations did come up with "Last Chance Pit, LLC" a newly formed company just two months ago by Port LaBelle home builder Dean "Deano" T. Daniels and partner Kelvin Townsend, showing mailing addresses for both in a new Port LaBelle house built by Daniels.
Daniels and Townsend were both officers of an apparently failed "Central Mining Aggregates LLC" that went out of business last summer after only 13 months in business. Daniels also owned Venture Home Builders, Inc. that coincidentally went out of business in January 2005 after 13 months in business. Another coincidence: Daniels owned "Deano's Home Builders, Inc." that went out of business in 2001...after 13 months.
Kelvin A. Townsend had an apparently failed business in LaBelle called Tropical Tiki Huts, Inc., as found on the Division of Corporation's site which shows Kelvin Townsend now owns J & K Quality Construction, Inc. in LaBelle.
More Review Needed Say Consultants
Aim Engineering, a consultant to Glades county, recommended that before a final decision is made on the company's request, the current conditions of the road be documented by core borings every half mile, and that FDOT should be requested to study the load rating of the Jacks Branch Bridge, as a recent inspection indicates the bridge is in a state of decline. The Commission has decided to review the project after the company procured the core boring testing. The matter has been tentatively set for reconsideration on the March 13 agenda of the Glades Commission.
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