Christian Peterson
reporter@riverbendnews.org
On Tuesday, Sept. 19, the Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners met for its regularly scheduled meeting. After general information, the board adopted a new resolution revising the language of the 2023-26 SHIP Local Housing Assistance Plan to increase the disaster repair assistance award from $10,000 to $25,000. It was explained how after Idalia, it became clear that $10,000 wasn't enough to cover the costs and, as an emergency measure, they would be increasing it.
There was then an update on the debris pickup around the county, with the commission hearing that roughly 10 percent of the debris had been picked up. The sheriff's office then requested an extra $250,000 for their budget to pay employees for all the overtime they worked during and in the aftermath of Idalia. This was quickly approved.
The board then heard a presentation from the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). They were there to honor Travis Land, Franklin White and Greg Scott for their help during the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. Each were given a certificate and a challenge coin in their honor. However, SAR clarified that they were grateful to everyone who helped in any capacity.
The board then elected to waive permit fees on houses damaged by Hurricane Idalia and permit fees on houses that were a total loss as a result of the hurricane. Then, they approved the purchase of five laser speeding devices for the Florida Highway Patrol, along with the final plat for the Woods subdivision.
The meeting then came to an end. The next Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners meeting will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 5:30 p.m. in the Judicial Annex, located 218 Parshley St. SW, in Live Oak.