Rezoning issue causes awkward moment

A meeting finds contention over who takes credit — or blame — for the moratorium.

By JOE WILHELM Jr.
Clay County Line
Communication is an area that Clay County commissioners and the  school district are working on as they continue to plan for the county’s future.
A communications breakdown, however, led to an awkward moment Tuesday night.
An item on the agenda for the Planning Commission was the rezoning moratorium approved by the County Commission at its Jan. 23 meeting. A representative from the school district stepped to the podium to clear up any confusion about who called for the moratorium.
“I was told pretty much when the door opened to make this comment, that this initiative with the moratorium was not initiated by the Clay County School Board,” said Shawanda Watson, coordinator of Planning and Intergovernmental Relations, facility planning and construction for the school district.
“It was initiated by county commissioners here and the school district has always just had the intent that they were supporting that initiative because it would give us a little breathing room, but they wanted that clarified that it was not initiated by the School Board.”
The statement confused some of the commissioners.
“Why did the commissioners bring it up if the School Board didn’t need it?” asked Marsha Dumler, a planning commissioner.
The statement was rescinded the following day by School Superintendent David Owens.
“It was a strictly mutual thing as we talked about growth and how we could deal with it,” Owens said. “It was a mutual thing for both boards to help us catch our breath. Whoever made that statement at the meeting was misinformed.”
County Commission Chairman Harold Rutledge echoed the sentiment.
“It’s the right thing to do,” Rutledge said. “We both committed to it [the moratorium] and we both think it is the right thing to do for the county.”
The moratorium will put a freeze on any rezoning requests that would increase density until May 1, 2008, or until concurrency requirements are met. Concurrency requires that counties have infrastructure, schools, roads and police for example, available to meet its development needs. The moratorium is aimed at halting any new major subdivisions or housing developments until concurrency is achieved.
Another move being discussed by the School Board to improve communications between it and the county government is seeking a seat on the planning commission, an issue raised Tuesday night.
“I am opposed to a representative of the School Board being a voting member on this council,” commission member Ralph Puckhaber said.
“They don’t ask us to comment on School Board business. I don’t see why we need to have them comment on county development.
“They have been doing a great job of commenting on zoning applications recently, and think that’s a better way for them to contribute to the planning process.”
Commission member Belinda Johnson was also wary of adding a School Board representative.
“I’ve looked through the minutes of our meetings for the last 10 years, and in those minutes there is always a ‘no comment’ from the School Board,” Johnson said. “I’ve been on this board for the last 13 years, and we’ve never had comments from the School Board.
“Now they want to step up and put a stop to growth? That’s where I’m coming from, we plan for growth, not how to stop growth.”
The commission agreed to send a letter to the county commissioners saying they would not like to see a representative from the School Board serve on the commission.
County Commissioner Doug Conkey sat in the back row of the meeting hall and was able to hear the reasoning behind the commission’s suggestion of denying the new voting member.
“It was interesting to hear their side of the argument last night,” Conkey said. “I want to hear all the different perspectives on this subject, get all the views and facts so I can make the most informed decision on the subject — a fair decision.”
The issue of adding members to the planning commission wasn’t on the county commissioners’ agenda for their Tuesday meeting by midweek.

joe.wilhelm@jacksonville.com, (904) 278-9487, ext. 6372