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Hernando commission not ready to return state funds for education, tourism center

 
Published Jan. 28, 2015

BROOKSVILLE — Letting $3 million slip through their fingers turned out to be more difficult than Hernando County commissioners might have thought.

Earlier this month, after a 10-month ordeal trying to find a suitable location for the Nature Coast Education and Tourism Center, and running into public opposition at every turn, the commission voted unanimously to tell the state to keep the money it had allocated for the project.

That decision also meant that the county was no longer on the hook for coming up with $3 million in matching dollars.

But just as Tuesday's commission meeting was getting started, Commissioner Jim Adkins, who just two weeks ago said the county couldn't afford the project, asked his fellow commissioners to reconsider. Adkins said he wanted more time to be able to talk to state Sen. Wilton Simpson to find out if there was some way to still use the money.

Over the course of the search for a site for the center, county staffers had asked a number of questions about what the money could be used for, including the possibility of giving it to Weeki Wachee Springs State Park or spending part of on an environmental education center on the west side of the county and the other portion on a tourism and business center on the east side. State officials, however, had been firm that the funds were for one site, a county-run education and tourism center.

Commissioner Wayne Dukes said he would agree to wait before telling the state to keep the money as long as people were given an opportunity to have input through community meetings.

"I really don't want to go through the fiasco the way we did last time,'' Dukes said. "I was embarrassed about the way it was handled before.''

County attorney Garth Coller warned commissioners that, since the idea to reconsider hadn't been placed on the agenda, they couldn't reverse their vote immediately.

Commission Chairman Nick Nicholson suggested that the issue be placed on the agenda for the first commission meeting in February, and that the county could move forward after that to hire someone to create a plan and then conduct public meetings.

Commissioner Jeff Holcomb said he wasn't sure what the board was trying to do. He said that he had spoken with Simpson and state Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, and since there was no clear plan on the horizon and the money was to be committed by a deadline, he believes the lawmakers intended for the money "to come off the books.''

It isn't as simple as just keeping the state allocation, said Commissioner Diane Rowden. To get the money, the county must come up with its $3 million match, she said.

Adkins said he was hoping that requirement would be dropped.

With that in mind, Rowden said she would support what the others were discussing.

Since the county had not yet sent its letter telling the state to keep its money, the board's consensus on Tuesday simply means no action will take place until commissioners talk about the issue again next month.

Contact Barbara Behrendt at bbehrendt@tampabay.com or (352) 848-1434.