Len Sossamon introduced the appropriation Requests for 2018-19 State Legislature at the regular Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting on October 24th.
State Representative Blaise Ingoglia asked the board to add two projects to the existing requests, due to his ability to secure funding for renovations to two existing firehouses. The money cannot be used to buy new apparatus or equipment, and cannot be used to build new stations.
Officials of Hernando County Fire Rescue (HCFR) chose Stations 2 and 6 to each receive $1.5 million in funds to make the following improvements:
Station 2: Was built in the late eighties, intended to house two firefighters and equipment. Now, there are 5-6 firefighters housed daily with more equipment and apparati congruent with today’s technology. Station 2 is currently 1499 square feet, and the plan is to build that up to 2500 square feet of living space and could require building a two-story addition.
Station 6: The Hernando Beach fire department was built 37 years ago. Plans for renovation include gutting the entire building, adding a kitchen and bedrooms. In addition, the living space will need to be elevated because its location is in a flood zone.
Each fire station renovation would require that the county to come up with 20% or $300,000.
Gordon Onderdonk presented the plan to construct a roadway from Kettering Rd to Cyril Dr, bypassing the currently flooded area, which has historically been problematic for flooding. For more than a month following hurricane Irma, emergency access was required, and the county was able to obtain an easement from a private owners to gain access by building a temporary road. Hernando County’s contribution of $700,000 will add to the state’s $1,300,000.
Bruce Cavall, a Ridge Manor resident since 1972 provided an interesting first-hand history to the commissioners. Mr. Cavall reports, “In 1934 and in 1960, the water came out of the Green Swamp unimpeded, and we had record levels. In 1962, they built the road from Tarrytown to Lakeland (Hwy. 471) and there’s [sic] three bridges on that road. In 1979, Talisman (an area of Ridge Manor) went underwater. We had Southwest Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the powers to be, come and investigate Hernando County for the flooding problem, and they all stayed at the old Holiday Inn that was on Highway 50 and 75. I used to frequent the hotel and talk to the investigators, and said, ‘You’re studying Hernando County, but what are you doing to correct the problem?’” Cavall said he was given the answer, “We’re coming back in the eighties, to continue the data from Hernando County to the Green Swamp.” Mr. Cavall recalled, “That was supposed to be called the ‘1984 Study’.”
Cavall said he filed a complaint 3-4 years ago about the flood maps in the county and demanded to see the 1984 study. He was informed that they couldn’t find the study and Cavall let it go.
Cavall postulates, “If you narrow the gap (under each of the three bridges) from say, 250 feet to maybe 100, the flooding would not exist, because it would be narrowed down, and the flooding wouldn’t come out of the Green Swamp like it just did.”
Cavall believes $40,000 to $50,000 could fix the flooding problem by filling in under the bridges, and using the Green Swamp as a holding basin. He said, “And you folks would not have to put the big bucks into Cyril Drive.”
Another resident, Rick Fraker added,”When 471 was built, it was not intended to be a dyke, but they realized … with those three bridges, all of the sudden, they had potential for a dyke, that could manage the water of the Withlacoochee, both keeping it at a constant level, if they were to put the appropriate hardware into place, so that it would become a game fishery again, as well as maintaining the floodwaters, and allowing the Green Swamp again … to be a reservoir. With proper management, the Withlacoochee would be at a constant level throughout the entire year.”
Mr. Fraker surmised Mr. Cavell’s request, “With your emphasis and direction, that the Withlacoochee waters be managed more correctly by the restrictions at those three bridges. And we’ll never have flooding again…”
When Commissioner Dukes asked about the 1984 Study, both Cavall and Fraker responded that there was none. Cavall said, “It was a bureaucratic move, it never took place. They were supposed to come back and do it, but they spent the money in another area. If someone wants to go out there and study the three bridges, it’s a simple fix.”
The bridges in question are not in Hernando County, however, Hernando, Citrus and Sumter Counties are, by the accounts of Cavall and Fraker, affected by the bridges in their current configurations.
Fraker said to the board, “Under your direction, SFWMD would take a better interest in possibly looking at this … possibly footing the bill.”
Commissioner Dukes instructed Cavall and Fraker to leave contact information, saying, “I will be very interested in looking into this.”
Improvements to Calienta Street in Hernando Beach were also on the agenda but not discussed. The county will contribute $140,000 for road widening and stormwater improvements, providing pollution abatement for waters draining into the Gulf, neighborhood flood relief, and enhanced traffic safety. A series of community meetings will be held throughout the planning process to gain input from the citizens in Hernando Beach.
The $260,000 requested will pay for design, permitting, and production of construction plans for the proposed roadway and stormwater improvements. This includes complete preliminary planning, civil engineering site design, all necessary Survey work, all necessary geotechnical work, and all required environmental and archeological studies.
Commissioner Steve Champion made the motion to approve the appropriation requests, which was seconded by Commissioner Nick Nicholson. Approval was unanimous.