We are a group of concerned Hernando County Citizens who began our investigation into this project in April 2007. All that we had in the beginning was nagging feeling that we were being lied to by our own County Government. We set out to find if our feelings were correct. Very sadly they were and to an extent that none of us could have imagined and for reasons that were clearly not in the best interest of Our Citizens. So what do we do. Well we decided to put some of what we found, out for public view. It is after all what each of us has paid for. Now you can see it for yourself – what our county officials and staff never thought that you would see. Remember that there are many projects going on throughout the county – are they all being run like this one. What should we do about it?
“Why is it so important to the county to risk the whole project for the residents when there is an acceptable site available and pre approved by FDEP and “all” residents of Hernando Beach?”
Why doesn’t the county pay off the $10.00 lease, move to the approved site and get it over with? If our county and state representatives are really working for us, this project would have been approved by February 2007 as they had posted in the newspaper. Whoever has their hand in the 9 million dollar cookie jar is really costing the Hernando County taxpayers money. We all have to pay for them operating as “Snakes in the grass”.
There is a lot of focus on a $10.00 lease. Stop stealing from the taxpayers.
You know it is really pathetic the way the government (all levels) seems to think their citizens are a bunch of morons.
It takes a few good, determined people to dig deeper than the one sided fluff printed in local media to find out what is really going on.
In this intsance it is the County ( Sutton) is working really hard for the benefit of the land owners of the proposed dredge site. (Manuel family) instead of what is best way to spend taxpayer money. Do I smell kick back?
It is obvious the manuel property will benefit from expanding their already “for sale” property. I am really disgusted to think the county engineer has the audacity to put in writing he has dragged his feet in this permit/project so he can help make the rich people richer.
There is irresponsiblity, lack of accountablity and complancancy within this county govt. and it needs to stop now. I know several hard working, honest, ethical and financially responsible people who need a good paying job! These corrupt leaders need to get a wake up call!
As a taxpayer and hard working citizen of Hernando County, I am absolutely appalled at the behavior of county government on this dredge project. This has been going on now more than two years! The obvious reason for the delay. Trying to appease a private developer so he can make millions. At worst, this is shameful and corrupt. At best, it’s unethical. The simple fundemental truth is that the Hernando Beach dredge project would already have been bidded out, paid for, and finished by now if the County has chosen the correct spoil site. The County evaluated six or seven sites to place the dredged spoils in 2005. Had they selected almost any other site, the project would have been finished by now. In fact, if they had dropped the Manuel site in December like they had agreed to, the project would be bidded out by now. Regardlless of what County staff has said, there have always been plenty of suitable disposal options for the spoil that would not involve filling in wetlands, 5000 dump truck trips in a residential neighborhood, or potentially flooding out homes adjacent to the Eagles Nest site. And sites that are even more economical then the one they selected.
In the next few weeks, the County may be patting themselves on the back for pressuring the DEP into issuing a permit for the Manuel site. But there is little doubt that this will be another boast of the dredge project nearing completion that won’t be true. The DEP already warned Hernando County back in December 2007 that 25 citizens have written to DEP to object to the issuance of this permit which will lead to further lengthy delay of the project. I’m sure the County will then blame it on a few disgruntled people that are holding up the dredge – but the real truth, and it is convincingly clear from these emails, is that County government has bent over backwards for a private developer that has wasted taxpayers dollars and time. And we still have a channel that is too shallow and narrow. The question we as citizens should demand to be answered is when can we get a county government that is honest and competent, that works for all of its citizens, not just a previledged few.
As a tax payer for multiple properties in Hernando County, I am disgusted by the lack of any rational methodology undertaken by the county in these multimillion dollar expenditures of MY tax money. It appears that the county starts with the conclusion (help their friend??) and works backwards to attempt to create a rationale for their actions. This behavior not only costs the taxpayers millions more than it should, but it also delays the benefits of the dredge to the people who really need it. Many thanks to the group of people who have spent countless hours to spotlight this situation.
So, as it turns out pertaining to the Dredge, time was not an issue (or we would have gone with Petit), Money was not an issue (Petit again) and if am I reading this correctly, over 5000 truckloads of fill being trucked out of a residential neighborhood??
I may be wrong but according to a friend I have at FDEP, After an NOI is issued, it only takes ONE objector to bog the permit down another 90 to 120 days!!!
It’s a pity that our county employees can be so manipulated by the “well connected” that they loose sight of what is in the best interest of the community they work for. It’s time to clean house. Thank goodness citizens are finally fighting back for what is right. The “good old boy” system of favors for profit has to end.
I had heard that a local resident came up with a plan for the channel spoils that would cost about half of the current project and take half the time. The plan was not even considered once submitted to Henando County Engineering.
If this is true, why was a time and cost cutting idea shelved?.
Kill the whole project!
In fact, stop all Hernando County Capital Projects spending immediately and have an outside auditor come in and review all the project’s scope of services, change orders, pay requests, payments, and the process these large costly projects go thru at good ol boy Hernando County.
In the last article Mr. Manuel comes off as Mr. Green Jeans, the only reason the wetlands are not being filled is because they could not get the FDEP to approve it. If I recall planning and zoning said NO to filling portions of this property prior to the DEAL with the County. Our county has spent well over $100,000.00 in change orders to continue to try and fill the wetlands, what a waste of money. How about the environmental screw up that his own company surveyed what they called a ditch (it is a canal that runs along side of Eagles Nest), that has Manatee’s, fish, brown pelicans and woodstorks that call this their home. In the report there is no mention of sea grass and they were going to fill this canal to mitigate for filling wetlands. Well golly gee there was lots of sea grass in this little old canal. Thank god FDEP knows how to do their job or we would have lost this canal to the project also. So o.k. we will give them the benefit of the doubt they didn’t see the sea grass. This my friends is why you should hire outside companies for these type of projects. Why is Mr. Manuels own company doing the studies and survey’s etc. for the project that he will benefit from. How can he stay impartial????
Now that the spoil site is reduced in size, they say they’ll take the excess fill to the Petit site for additioal drying. Then to get rid of it, they’ll have to load it up on a truck again! Plus, the County now says it’ll take 12-18 months? How much more is that gonna cost? Extra time, extra loading, extra,extra, extra! Good thing it’s not my money! Oh, wait! Some of it is!