Christian Peterson
On Tuesday, July 21, the Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners met for its regularly scheduled meeting.
The meeting began with the board approving the minutes from the Tuesday, July 7, regular meeting and the Wednesday, July 8, group insurance tabulation meeting. Both sets of minutes were approved unanimously.
Before the floor opened to public comment, Commissioner Travis Land addressed rumors regarding property in Luraville being leased by Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative. He told the public that land was not being used for a data center, despite rumors circulating in the community. He explained the 26-acre property would become a lay-down yard for materials such as poles, wires and transformers to be used during emergencies. Another portion of the property would be used for a small solar field, and a cold storage unit would house thumb drives and other backup equipment. He also clarified that the project complied with the county's land development regulations and reiterated that the property would not be used for a data center.
The board then called for public comment. Bo Hancock, speaking on behalf of the American Patriots, discussed data centers and suggested holding a workshop to update the county's land development regulations relating to them.
Addison Snyder, also addressed the board regarding data centers.
Harry "Kin" Weaver spoke about a recent cattle show held at the Coliseum and its positive impact on the local economy. The board also discussed the continued economic benefits cattle shows bring to the area.
The meeting then turned to the consent agenda. One item was pulled for discussion, while the remaining 10 items were approved unanimously.
The item pulled for discussion was the award and authorization for Chairman Franklin White to execute an agreement with the Public Resources Advisory Group (PRAG) for planning, analysis and financing of the Catalyst Water Treatment Plant project.
County Attorney Adam Morrison explained a bond would be needed so the county would not have to pledge ad valorem taxes or other revenue sources. He said PRAG would serve as the county's public advocate and work with investors or banks to secure the best financing possible. Morrison also explained the project did not require a bid because the nature and cost of up to $25,000 of work.
Hancock once again addressed the board, asking whether the North Florida Water Utilities Board would take over the bond debt if the county's water utilities were transferred. Morrison responded that some details were still being finalized but said the understanding was the utilities board would assume the debt. He also suggested that if any assets were turned over to the utilities board, it would be contingent upon taking over debts associated with assets. The board then approved the item unanimously.
Next, the board set the dates, times and locations for its tentative and final budget hearings. Clerk Barry Baker suggested that the board set Thursday, Sept. 3, as the tentative hearing and Monday, Sept. 21, as the final hearing date. He recommended both be held in the Judicial Annex and both start at 5:05 p.m. The board agreed and set both dates unanimously.
Commissioners then set the proposed millage rate for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Baker reminded the board that last year's millage rate was 8.8 mills and that the roll back rate was 8.359 mills. He also noted that once the proposed millage rate is set, it may be lowered but cannot be increased without notifying taxpayers by mail. After brief discussion, the board decided to set the proposed rate at 8.8 mills.
The board then moved to commissioner items. Chairman White invited Shannon Roberts, Executive Director of the North Florida Water Utility Authority, to speak about a recent budget workshop. Roberts said the authority anticipated increased expenses but planned to request the same amount of funding from Suwannee and Columbia Counties with a modest rate increase.
Wayne Hannaka addressed the board to note the amount of funding Suwannee County has provided to the authority. He said the county has contributed $520,648 this year and approximately $1.3 million to date. White stated those figures were accurate; however, he stated the county would have spent at least that much operating the utility system itself and added that the authority was operating the utilities more efficiently.
The board then turned to general business. The first item was to award the demolition/replacement of two homes for the community development block grant to the lowest qualified respondent. David Fox from Fred Fox Enterprises stood up to speak on both projects.
The first property, located on 145th Road in Live Oak, received three bids. The lowest bid, $171,250 from Jeff White Construction, was approved.
The second property, located on 179th Drive, also received three bids. Jeff White Construction again submitted the lowest bid, this time at $192,250. The board once again approved the recommendation unanimously.
Following brief updates from County Administrator Jason Furry and the commissioners, the meeting was adjourned. The next Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners meeting will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 5:30 p.m. It will be held in the Judicial Annex, located at 218 Parshley St. S.W., in Live Oak.
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