In a 2005 newspaper article about the Eagle Nest Property:
1} “Gregg Sutton, an assistant county engineer and the project manager for the Hernando Beach channel dredge, said Manuel was one of three landowners to volunteer their property for placing spoil. But he and County Engineer Charles Mixson said the county’s permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection will require that the spoil not be placed in wetlands.”
AND
2} “Mixson said the costs of mitigation, buying and setting aside other coastal wetlands, for example, or planting sea grasses, would make it unfeasible for individual landowners to fill wetlands.”……………………… ………… St. Pete Times October 10, 2005
YET, what Hernando County did for four years and at a cost of $ 2 million dollars was exactly what the property owner demanded (see below); what Hernando county knew would be incredibly costly and the FL DEP would not support.
DEMAND:
“Bottom line is access is needed from the proposed subdivision to the water and the impacts to on-site wetlands must be permanent wetland impacts.” see demand e-mail
Also note: Jeopardizing the Dredge and “To satisfy the Manuels”
If you tried to tell this story to someone outside of this county they would NEVER believe it. I believe the response would be that it would have to be fiction because in the year 2010 this type of corruption should not exist. What a shame all of our hard earned money continuing to go down the never ending black hole!
Mixson & Sutton did just what they knew would would be “unfeasible for individual landowners” with our TAX MONEY! They must have had quite the laugh at the residents of hernando county the day they gave those quotes. HaHa people are so stupid they don’t even know that we are using their money to do what we know is giant waste. What scumbags.
So let me get this straight, we have the spoil site owner negotiating directly with the dredge consultant regarding what he needs for his proposed development?
Who let this guy talk with the consultant? Who was paying the bill? I thought we were trying to complete a dredge, not satisfy a developer!
I would love to hear the consultants version of how the Eagle Nest property was picked. It was known to flood and be surrounded by fragile wetlands and homes.
Has this blog contacted a state investigator or attorney?
You should!
What about the B of County Comm. Do you think in all of those years that nothing was happening with the dredge that they would have picked up the phone and called the DEP. Spend 5 minutes and find the truth! They didn’t call because they knew the truth and kept it from us! They are as guilty as sin.
You need to post ALL the demands! Readers should see what a dishonest beggar looks like. There are letters and more e-mails giving us years of time wasted. The public needs the truth – it is their money.