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Yankeetown Councilman Resigns – Adam McNiece has resigned his position on

Consider the Giraffe

the Yankeetown Council as of last week. In a one sentence letter he stated “Due to oppor-

tunities outside of Levy county I must resign my volunteer councilman position effective

Since a giraffe has one of the highest blood pressures in the

immediately”. He was the Liaison for the town’s Fire Department which included emer-

animal kingdom (needed to pump blood way up to its brain), why

gency procedures such as hurricane preparedness and response. He was also in charge of

doesn’t the blood pool down in his skinny legs? The reason is that the

roads. Mr. McNiece has been on the Council since February and was a valuable member

giraffe has been designed with tight-ﬁtting skin. When a giraffe walks,

as he brought a business point of view to the board. He owns McNiece and Sons Construc-

the muscle movement within that tight skin helps pump blood up and

tion in East Lyme Connecticut, which works in home building, additions, rooﬁng and other

out of the legs. You could say a giraffe is wearing support hose, the

home related activities. Mr. McNiece is also in the process of building a new home in Yan-

kind that you wear in the hospital to prevent blood from pooling in

keetown. He is wished the best of luck in his future endeavors and thanked profusely for his

Giraffes also walk differently from most animals. Most ani-

Promoting From Within – Yankeetown Maintenance employee Chris Howard has

mals walk by putting the left front foot forward at the same time as the

been promoted to the Water Department as Maintenance Operator. He will be replacing

right back foot, sort of diagonal. Giraffes walk by putting the left back

Paul Shearer who resigned the position recently. Chris holds a Class D Water License which

foot forward along with left front foot. The giraffe is long-legged and

is now a requirement to work on the distribution system. He will support the water plant

short-bodied; if they walked like most animals, they would be hitting

operator Lonnie Parnell who is currently contracted to operate the plant which requires a C

their legs against each other and stumbling. God, in His wisdom, pro-

class water license. Chris was the Maintenance Manager for the town which has the respon-

grammed the giraffe to walk the way it does from the beginning.

sibility for all the maintenance outside of the water plant. The town is currently advertising

Also notice the giraffe’s long tail. Why doesn’t such a long

to ﬁll the position vacated by Mr. Howard. See the posting of the requirements for the posi-

tail get caught on brushes and tree branches when running? The solu-

tion: a special muscle allows the giraffe to curl its tail tightly over its

New Hours for Yankeetown Town Hall - Ending a bit of a scrimmage over the hours

back when running. Like many other animals, the giraffe is a smorgas-

that the hall is open to the public, with one council member suggesting that it go to a vote on

bord of features – each one speciﬁcally designed for its beneﬁt. Does

a referendum, the council compromised with staff by opening a bit earlier and closing a bit

evolution explain any of this? Not really. No step-at-a-time process

earlier than had been previously suggested. The new hours open to the public are 8:00 am

explains the change from horse-like creature to the giraffe. God is simply the Master

to noon and then again open in the afternoon from 1:00 to 2:00 pm. Staff wishes to remind

everyone that they are still at the hall from 7:00am until 3:30 pm and do answer the phone.

Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? God

Budget Workshops – The next budget workshop is the 19th. The general budget is

understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. - Job 28:20,23

essentially done but the council is still wrangling over employee issues such as health insur-

Based on, Inspired Evidence a book by Bruce Malone, 2011

ance and pay raises.

Presented by Bob Allen-Paid Advertisement Contact Bob at SFTT321@gmail.com

Thanks – Thanks so much to the Crawley Family who have offered to adopt two

trees to be planted near their home on Riverside drive. If you would like to adopt a tree

Diamond Investments, Inc.

which means that you agree to water the baby tree until it gets established, contact town hall.

Good Night and Good Luck

Darryl A. Diamond

Inglis Mayor's Report

Licensed Real Estate Broker

We are getting close to budget rate is the maximum ERU rate the Commis-

Real Estate Investment Consultant

time. Now is a good time to get involved as sion can consider without sending additional

Darryl & Vicki Diamond

we discuss priorities and plans for our future notice to all Inglis Property owners.

While we talked about the ERU

On July 24, 2013, the Commis- during the July 24, 2013 special meeting, we

sion approved the “rollback millage rate” of didn’t take action on it at the time. On July

www.diamondhomesandland.com

$5.031 per $1,000 in property value for the 30th, the Town Attorney told me he’d made

2013-2014 budgets. The “rollback rate” is a mistake - he should have called for a vote

the same amount of property tax revenue as

has where it’s water system is concerned -

the initial rate set for planning purposes - it on the ERU on July 24th - and recommend-

last year. Here’s the kicker: it raises that

you are relying upon the Town for water and



is the millage rate required to raise the same ed calling a special meeting to get the ERU

amount if property values have gone up -

we have to make sure the system works and

amount of property tax revenue as was bud- adopted in time to include it

 in the County’s

and it raises that amount if property values

will continue to work in the future. I want

geted for 2012-2013.

Notice (because we wouldn’t make it

have gone down. Its only purpose is to get

the rate structure reviewed so we can keep

On August 1, the if we waited until August). Given his recom-

2013,  Commis-

to a target number, last year’s estimated rev-

and maintain the system while charging fair

sion approved an “Equivalent Residential mendation, I called the meeting for August

enues. It’s up to the Commission to decide

rates to its customers. It is a complicated



Unit” (ERU) rate (which is the number of 1st. We sent notice out to the Commission-

whether that’s what’s best for the Town and

issue, which is why we need a Water Board,



units per property) of $82.80 for its 2013- ers almost immediately and it was posted

to set priorities and make choices about how

which will, over time, develop the expertise

2014 the the MessageBoard outside and inside of

 Fire Assessment. Like  rollback on   

we need to meet the challenges facing us.

rate, the initial ERU is adopted for planning Town Hall.

In July, the Commission took the

A town the size of Inglis will not

Everyone understands past Com-

ﬁrst step toward appointing a Water Board

survive if we waste time on “settling scores”

The rollback millage rate and missions relied on the County for the major-

to review the Town’s water utility and ordi-

after elections. There is simply too much to

ERU were adopted in July so we could in- ity of the ﬁre department’s budget, that the

nance. I’m hopeful we will have the Board

do and not enough of us to do it - we won’t

clude them in the TRIM Notice, which the County’s contributions are likely to decrease

up and running soon so we can address the

move forward if the goal of each new Com-

County will send all property owners in a in the future and that past budgets didn’t set

needs of the water system and the rate struc-

mission is to undo whatever the last Com-

few weeks. The rollback rate is the maxi- aside money to replace equipment and vehi-

ture. As many of you will remember, the

mission did. While I don’t expect everyone

mum millage rate the Commission can con- cles which eventually wear out, break down

water system charging property owners for

to agree with me on every issue, I hope we

sider without sending additional notice that or become obsolete.

service when they had none was an issue in

can disagree without being disagreeable.

it’s considering a higher millage rate to all

Earlier I told you the “rollback

the last campaign. While I don’t think that’s

Mayor Glenda Kirkland

Inglis property owners; likewise, the ERU rate” is the millage rate, which will raise

right, I recognize the responsibility the Town

 



 

     

   

Call 352-634-0129

Email: plantationlisa@yahoo.com

 

See all the Citrus County listings on our Website:

 

www.plantationrealtylistings.com



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

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   