Rulings delivered on code violations
Comply or pay daily fines

Levy County Special Magistrate Norm D. Fugate prepares just before ruling on a half-dozen code enforcement violations brought before him on Wednesday morning (June 18).

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By Jeff M. Hardison © June 18, 2025 at 9 p.m.
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     LEVY COUNTY – There was some vulgar language.
     One respondent or defendant even mentioned something about shooting someone as some sort of an option. One woman complained that she did not know how to find certain public records.
     The quarterly Levy County Code Enforcement hearing before Special Magistrate Norm D. Fugate on Wednesday morning (June 18), despite some of its coarseness, resulted in movement toward compliance with local laws related to zoning and building.
     Seven defendants were listed when the agenda was made. One, though, saw her hearing was canceled as she has worked with Levy County Code Enforcement Department Manager and Code Enforcement Officer Dave Banton.

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In this video, Levy County Special Magistrate Norm D. Fugate opens the hearing of code enforcement cases. He explains how each case will be heard individually. The code enforcement officer responsible for the case will present facts and evidence. The respondent or defendant will offer statements. Then the magistrate will deliver a ruling or rulings. Click on the PHOTO to see the video.
Video By Jeff M. Hardison © June 18, 2025 - All Rights Reserved


Levy County Code Enforcement Officer Bradley Frazier gives testimony on June 18. Behind him are Code Enforcement Manager Dave Banton and Administrative Assistant Penny Hilligoss

Carl Lee Coley
     Carl Lee Coley was alleged to have violated Levy County Code Section 50-718 regarding temporary uses.
     In this instance, Levy County Code Enforcement Officer Bradley Frazier said Coley of 21560 S.E. 70th St. in Morriston had used a recreational vehicle for living, sleeping or housekeeping.
     This is prohibited in all zoning districts except as follows:
     ● One recreational vehicle (that is operable and has a current tag/registration in the name of the owner or occupant of the dwelling) is allowed to accommodate friends or relatives of the owner or occupant of the dwelling for up to one week (seven consecutive calendar days) in each month, but may not be operated as a business; and
     ● The property owner may reside in a recreational vehicle on-site during the time a building permit is active for construction, renovation or set-up of a dwelling on the property.
     Frazier provided facts and evidence, including recent photos to support his allegation that Coley had violated the code by allowing Coley’s son to live in the camper, which was registered in his son’s name.


Carl Lee Coley gives statements during the hearing.

     The violation was supposed to be corrected by Feb. 15, Frazier said. The respondent was non-compliant, Frazier said. The man would not allow Frazier to see that no one was living in it. Coley became upset and demanded Frazier leave the property, the code enforcement officer said.
     Frazier did not have contact with Coley until June 9 since he had been told to leave the property in February, Frazier said. Frazier did see Coley’s son in May enter the camper, he added.
     Coley said he removed the camper on Saturday (June 14). Coley said a family member had an operation and used the trailer, but that is all done now.
     Frazier concurred that the travel trailer is removed now. The reason for the appearance before the special magistrate was to document the previous violation of the code.
     Fugate made a finding that Coley committed the alleged violation. Since the violation has been cured by compliance with the law, Fugate did not impose a fine or give any other order.
     However, if the Levy County Code Enforcement Department again finds the travel trailer appearing in violation of the code, then Fugate said, he will reopen the case.
     Coley said he understands. Coley muttered a comment as he walked away from the lectern about shooting someone if they went on his property.


Levy County Code Enforcement Manager Dave Banton gives testimony on June 18.

Michael J. Faroni, Stacy L. Faroni and Maria Arenas
     Michael J. Faroni appeared in response to Code Enforcement Manager Banton alleging that Faroni, and other property owners for the land in question, had two unauthorized RVs on the property, and that he a concrete foundation had been constructed before obtaining a building permit, in violation of county code.
     Faroni lives in Palm Bay. The RVs and cement foundation, and a metal frame of a building, are in the Winding River Preserve Subdivision of Levy County.
     There is no house on the property – just RVs.
     The date of the violation was July 5, 2024, Banton noted.
     Faroni was violating the County Code 50-718 in regard to having two RVs on an empty lot, and a singular RV was not being used after a building permit was obtained and construction was underway, Banton explained. Also, by pouring a concrete foundation with plumbing installed without a building permit, Faroni was violating Appendix B of Section 1 – Development Department, which in part shows “A separate building permit is required for each building, structure, or improvement of existing buildings, even when located on the same lot, track, or parcel.”
     The 75.6-acre parcel, Banton said, is zoned Rural Residential-Forestry. Faroni wanted to build a “barndominium,” which is a type of residential building that combines the features of a barn with those of a condominium. 
     Banton said Faroni needed to have an architect “sign off” on the concrete pad, because the plumbing was never inspected before the concrete pad was poured. The property owners would need a building permit to convert the metal building into a “barndominium,” Banton said.
     This property is in a flood zone, Banton said. So, agricultural exemptions are not applicable as a result.



Michael J. Faroni complains about allegedly being told that he did not need a building permit, and that he had no idea about not being allowed to have two RVs to live in on his 76 acres property.

     Faroni was notified in April to cease and desist construction, and he was told the two RVs would have to be removed until he obtained a building permit, Banton said.
     Banton gave the man until May 30 to pull a building permit, which would allow one RV during active construction. Faroni missed that deadline.
     There is no temporary use that allows more than one RV on vacant land; and no RVs are allowed on empty lots in Levy County, where there is not a house or mobile home – for temporary use. Even then, there is the limit of seven consecutive days in one month.
     Parking an RV on an empty lot is not permitted in Levy County.
     Eight panels of privacy fencing were erected, Banton said, to shield the RVs from view.
     Faroni said a woman named “Wendy” in the Building Department told him that he did not need a permit to build a “barndominium” metal building.
     Faroni said the woman at the building department said he did not need a building permit because it was for an agricultural purpose. Fugate asked for the last name of the woman or if Faroni had anything in writing to support that statement. The defendant did not have anything in writing.
     After Faroni said “bullshit” and “we are working our asses off” Special Magistrate Fugate said he is not going to allow cursing. Faroni said the government cannot stop him from using those words because of his First Amendment rights.
     Faroni yelled that he is stuck because he has dogs. So, there is nowhere to move the RVs, he said. 
     After Faroni continued his tirade, which included details about how his wife goes to a hospital in Tampa regularly due to his mother-in-law’s severe illness, and that he spent $10,000 to raise some of the property high enough to build in a flood zone, and that perhaps he should hire an attorney, Fugate said perhaps he should hire an attorney.
     Fugate had Faroni confirm that photos taken the day before the hearing show two RVs and a metal building exist on the property now.
     Fugate said the two RVs being lived in are a violation of the code. Faroni has 10 days to remove the RVs or face a $50 daily fine. The man complained. 
     Fugate also ruled that construction of a building that requires a permit exists. He gave Faroni 10 days to provide the Levy County Code Enforcement Department something in writing from the Levy County Building Department that shows Faroni is exempt from having to obtain a building permit for the “barndominium.”
     If Faroni fails to meet the 10-day deadline for proof of exemption, then Fugate will find there is a violation of that code.
     After that 10-day deadline, the issue can be cured by the property owner coming into compliance by obtaining a building permit – or by removing what has been built, the concrete foundation and metal building.
     If there is no permit or the building and foundation remain after another 30 days beyond the 10 days, then there is a $100 daily fine applied for each day of failure to comply with the code, Fugate ruled.
Randall Jacobs and Merline Jacobs
     Code Enforcement Officer Frazier said there are three separate code violations for property owners Randall Jacobs and Merline Jacobs in the Levy County portion of the Rainbow Lakes Estates Subdivision. 
     First is an RV being lived in without an exemption. Second is unserviceable vehicles on the property and the third is a building permit required for each structure on the property.
     There was no person present to argue on behalf of the Jacobs.
     Fugate heard testimony and saw evidence to support the code violation allegations.
     Fugate ruled that since Frazier hand-delivered a notice of the hearing, then the notice of hearing was properly served. He found there was a violation of having an RV on the property. Now that the RV is removed, no fine or order to cure the code violation was issued for the prior violation.
     In regard to the unserviceable vehicle, if the issue is not cured in 30 days, then a fine of $50 daily will be imposed. For structures built without a permit, Fugate is allowing 30 days to cure the problem and then there is a $100 daily fine to be levied.
Robert Lansdon and Clarence Lansdon
     In this case, there is an RV on property now that is not allowed. Robert Lansdon’s son is “squatting” he said. The father can’t get his son to leave the property.
     Meanwhile, neighbors listen to a noisy generator running 24-hours-a-day. There is also an accumulation of junk on the property.
     Fugate ruled that the RV must be removed from the property within 30 days or a $50-a-day fine will be imposed. The junk must be removed in 30 days, too, or a $50 daily fine will be imposed. Fugate said that if the Levy County Sheriff’s Office gives Robert Lansdon a written statement that the LCSO cannot remove the man’s son from the property via the issuance of a trespass order, or through other application of criminal law, then Fugate will take that into consideration.
     Fugate told the Levy County Code Enforcement Office that it should research methods to cause Lansdon’s son to be held accountable for violating county codes as well.


Shane Douglas Carnes says he does not have a driver’s license and that most of the vehicles on his property run. He heard, though, that there is more to being a serviceable vehicle than just being able to start and stop.

Shane Douglas Carnes
     Shane Douglas Carnes’ first service notice of code violation happened while he was in the Levy County Jail. Carnes responded to alleged violations of having unserviceable vehicles, two RVs and junk.
     Fugate said Carnes has 30 days to remove both RVS or pay $50 per day. He has 30 days to remove the junk or pay $50 per day. He has 30 days to remove the unserviceable vehicles, or to make them meet the mandatory minimum definition of “serviceable,” or pay $50 per vehicle.


Samuel Allen Fant again tries to make his case for allowing a manure composting facility on property he owns.

Samuel Allen Fant
     Samuel Allen Fant is charged with violating the county code regarding a prohibition of a manure composting facility. This case has gone on for years now.


Levy County Code Enforcement Manager Dave Banton gives Special Magistrate Norm D. Fugate pictures to prove facts related to the case regarding a manure composting facility.

     The attorney asked for memorandums of law from both Levy County and from Fant’s attorney. Both have submitted memoranda so far, although Fant added at least one page to the collection during the meeting on June 18.
     Fugate asked Fant to say what Fant considers “a reasonable amount of time” to cure the code violation. Fant gave no amount of time. Essentially, this case was just heard for an update. There was no ruling by Fugate on June 18.
     Rose Fant said she has lived next door to the area in question for 34 years. She also told Fugate that she believed Samuel Fant was not entirely truthful when he spoke about some action he had alleged that he was taking to cure the code violation.

David Biddle becomes
Gilchrist County School Board member
By Jeff M. Hardison © June 13, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.
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     TALLAHASSEE – Today (Friday, June 13), Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of David Biddle to the School Board of Gilchrist County, according to information provided by the Governor’s Press Office.     Biddle will be the School Board member from District 1. He is joining Chairperson Deen Lancaster, District 5; Vice Chair Susan Owens, District 2; Roy Smith, District 3; and Tammy Moore, District 4.
     Biddle is taking the District 1 seat formerly held by Christie McElroy, who became the Gilchrist County assistant superintendent of schools, second in command administratively to Gilchrist County Superintendent of Schools Gina Geiger. The assistant superintendent of schools is not an elected position, although the superintendent of schools is an elected position.
     Biddle is a certified operator and license holder who is with McCall Service. The company notes “Call McCall ... We Do It All.” This is a pest control service that deals with termites, bed bugs, mosquitoes, other insects and wildlife pests on residential, commercial and government properties.
      As a member of the McCall Services team, Biddle oversees quality and compliance. 

David Biddle
Photo Provided By David Biddle When Requested By HardisonInk.com

     The new Gilchrist County School Board member also serves as the chairman of the Gilchrist County Republican Party. 
     Active in his community, Biddle was previously appointed to the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council.
     He has been a resident of Gilchrist County for 20 years and previously served as a member of the Gilchrist County Economic Development Committee.
     Biddle told HardisonInk.com that he is excited about the opportunity to serve the students, faculty, administrators and all of the employees of the Gilchrist County School Board.
     He said he is honored by this appointment to office and looks forward to serving as a good steward for all of the taxpayers of Gilchrist County, and he intends to do his best in his new role in public service.
 

WPD officer resigns
after DUI arrest in Ocala
By Jeff M. Hardison © June 11, 2025 at 2:15 p.m.
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     OCALA -- Alexandra “Alex” Grace Livengood, 33, of Williston, was arrested by a law enforcement officer with the Ocala Police Department (OPD) on the night of Tuesday, June 3, for driving while under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or other drugs and there was property damage or injury to a person as a result, according to records and the law under which she was arrested.
     At the time of her arrest, Livengood was a law enforcement officer with the Williston Police Department who was off duty, according to records.
     Williston Mayor Charles Goodman on Wednesday morning (June 11) said he had conferred with WPD Chief Mike Rolls soon after this incident, and they agreed that even though a presumption of innocence goes with every person arrested, Livengood should be suspended until the conclusion of this issue with the law.
     The officer chose to resign, Mayor Goodman said.
     Livengood had been employed with the WPD since 2022, according to records. She is said to have other law enforcement experience before joining the WPD.
     Records in the Eighth Judicial Circuit show that former WPD Officer Livengood was the arresting officer in more than 100 traffic infraction cases in Levy County over the past three years.
     A number of those cases, where she is the arresting officer in regard to alleged traffic infractions, remain open, according to records. Those traffic infractions are mostly for the offense of unlawful speed in a municipality, according to records.
     She is also the arresting officer listed in other more serious cases, according to records. One of those is a March 10, 2025, case where Jeremy Dante Donald was charged with resisting a law enforcement officer by using a vehicle to flee; resisting arrest without violence; knowingly operating a motor vehicle with a suspended, cancelled or revoked driver’s license; and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
     Donald is scheduled for a case management hearing on July 16 at 9 a.m. before the honorable Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Judge William E. Davis, according to records. Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Assistant State Attorney Daniel R. Owen is serving as prosecutor and Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Assistant Public Defender Shelby Lee Benny is serving as the defense attorney, working on behalf of Donald.
     As for former WPD Officer Livengood’s DUI arrest on June 3, she was operating a 2016 Ford pickup truck, according to the arrest report by an OPD officer.
     On June 3 at approximately 6:36 p.m. (1836 hours), a member of the OPD went to the 100 Proof Saloon bar at 1735 N. Pine Ave. in Ocala in reference to a crash that was under investigation then and there, according to records. That crash happened in the parking lot of the bar, according to records.
     A bar employee had suffered minor injuries to her left side and knee, allegedly as a result of Livengood’s truck striking her, according to records.
     Standard roadside tests to determine if a person is too intoxicated to operate a motor vehicle were administered to Livengood, who is suspected of operating the pickup truck that allegedly hit the female victim, according to records, Livengood showed signs that she was too impaired by alcohol or other drugs to safely drive, according to records.
     Livengood was arrested and her truck was towed by C&M Towing, according to records. At the jail, Livengood refused to provide a breath sample to show the blood-alcohol content level, according to records.
     In Florida, refusing a breathalyzer test results in an automatic one-year suspension of the person’s driver's license.
     This DUI case against Livengood is in the Fifth Judicial Circuit, which includes Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. Ocala is in Marion County.
     The cases still pending where Livengood was the law enforcement officer involved are in the Eighth Judicial Circuit, which includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties. Williston is in Levy County.
 

Input sought for mental health
and substance misuse treatment services
By Jeff M. Hardison © June 10, 2025 at 9:30 p.m.
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     GAINESVILLE -- WellFlorida Council, on behalf of LSF Health Systems, is conducting a regional needs assessment across 23 counties in Northeast and Central Florida.
     The goal of the survey is to identify strengths and gaps in mental health and substance misuse treatment services.
     Organizers are gathering feedback from community members, partners and service providers through three short surveys. Each survey takes only a few minutes to complete but will provide critical insights that will be considered in the final assessment.
     Confidentiality is assured: LSF Health Systems will not have access to individual responses or know who has participated.
     The audiences for these surveys are in the following 23 counties: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, 
Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Saint Johns, Sumter, Suwannee, Union and Volusia.
     People from those 23 counties are asked to look at the four different areas and if they see they fit in any of them, to click on the link to the survey and then take the survey. Answers to these surveys will help those communities.

     1.) Florida residents 18 years of age and older who have experienced mental health (depression, anxiety, trauma, etc.) or substance misuse problems (alcohol, illegal drugs, inappropriate use of prescription medication, etc.) in the past 12-months.
SURVEY LINK: https://bit.ly/43st5eB

     2.) Florida residents 18 years of age and older who are primary caregivers of a child or adult with a mental health or substance misuse problem.
SURVEY LINK: https://bit.ly/43st5eB

     3.) Individuals who work in social services, law enforcement, criminal justice, education, healthcare, family welfare, or community-based organization, in the State of Florida.
SURVEY LINK: https://bit.ly/3HmSwWn

     4.) Care and treatment providers for mental health and/or substance misuse, who are licensed in the State of Florida.
SURVEY LINK: https://bit.ly/4e9ph5L

Dixie County accepts
$1.25 million loan from state government

Seen in this posed photo of a $1.25 million check presentation for a 'Local Government Emergency Bridge Loan' are (from left) Dixie County Manager John Jenkins; Project Manager Brylee Tew; County Commissioner Daniel Wood III; Cross City Mayor  J. Ryan Fulford  (also City Councilmen, Seat 3); FloridaCommerce Deputy Secretary of Economic Development (and Chief Manufacturing Officer) Jason Mahon; FloridaCommerce Director, Office of Rural Initiatives Chris O'Kelly; Dixie County Commission Vice Chairman Mark Hatch; Dixie County Commission Chairman Jody Stephenson; North Florida Economic Development Partnership Director of Rural Economic Development Services Diane Scholz; Dixie County Attorney Chana M. Watson; a man who is unidentified due to audience members wanting to take pictures and a journalist being instructed by the commission chairman to move out of their way; County Commissioner Jamie Storey and Assistant County Manager Roy Bass.

Story, Photos and Video By Jeff M. Hardison © June 5, 2025 at 3 p.m.
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     CROSS CITY – The Dixie County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday morning accepted a $1.25 million emergency bridge loan from FloridaCommerce as part of the five-member elected commission that conducts regular meetings twice a month in the Dixie County Courthouse.
     The loan is not to build an emergency bridge to Shired Island Park, as some may presume.
     Instead, this interest free loan from the state, through FloridaCommerce, which was once known as the Florida Department of Commerce and has had other names for the functions now morphed under one big umbrella, results from a need to recover from hurricane damage.
     The State of Florida's Local Government Emergency Revolving Bridge Loan program provides interest-free loans to counties and municipalities impacted by federally declared disasters. This funding helps local governments “bridge the gap” between a disaster and when the local governments receive federal reimbursements or the local government’s revenues have recovered. 


In this video, FloridaCommerce Deputy Secretary of Economic Development Jason Mahon speaks before presenting a $1.25 million check to Dixie County, where it was put into the custody of Dixie County Clerk and Comptroller Barbie Higginbotham. Among the people whom Mahon mentioned in his speech were Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly, Dixie County Commissioner Mark Hatch, Dixie County Grant Coordinator Martha McCaskill and North Florida Economic Development Partnership Director of Rural Economic Development Services Diane Scholz. This presentation of the $1.25 million no interest loan check is the start of what will be a 10-year period of repayment. Click on PHOTO to see and hear video.
Video By Jeff M. Hardison All Rights Reserved

     Counties and municipalities must be located within an area designated in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster declaration to qualify. Dixie County meets that criteria.
     Repayment terms can be extended, with a recent change by the Florida Legislature allowing for 10-year repayment periods. 
     Loan funds can be used for costs like staff salaries, payroll and other expenses associated with maintaining or expanding governmental operations due to the disaster. 
     As an example, after Hurricane Helene, FloridaCommerce announced $60 million in funding available through the program for local governments in specific counties.
     The County Commission meeting room was so full of people that morning there was not a seat available. Of the three counties in the Tri-County Area of Levy County, Gilchrist County and Dixie County, Dixie County has by far the least amount of space available for people to watch the meeting.
     There have been times when this County Commission used an abandoned school cafeteria in Old Town, but that has not happened recently.

Bronson wants more
county subsidy for fire department

Bronson Vice Mayor Virginia Phillips, speaking on behalf of the Bronson Town Council on Tuesday (June 3) told the Levy County Board of County Commissioners the town needs $48,000 just to help it have enough money to pay firefighters through Sept. 30. 

Story and Photos By Jeff M. Hardison © June 4, 2025 at 8 p.m.
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     BRONSON – Bronson Vice Mayor Virginia Phillips, speaking on behalf of the Bronson Town Council and the residents and visitors of Bronson, on Tuesday (June 3) told the Levy County Board of County Commissioners that the town needs more money for its fire department.
     Bronson Vice Mayor Phillips said the town needs another $48,000 for its fire department in the current fiscal year – which ends Sept. 30. If the county allocated those funds, it would have to come from the reserve funds in the budget since it is not currently allocated.
     Phillips was speaking to the County Commission under the agenda item labeled “Recognize Elected Officials.”
     Levy County Commission Chair Desiree Mills has revised the agenda for the twice-monthly regular meetings of the County Commission and that item is above “Public Comments.”
     Phillips opened her speech by thanking all of the first responders who go when called. She also thanked the County Commission for painting the lines on Main Street (also known as Martin Luther King Jr. Street).
     The Bronson Fire Rescue Department, once known as Bronson Volunteer Fire Department, is now made up of a combination of paid firefighters and paid volunteer firefighters.
     The department has responded to 6oo calls for service so far this year, Phillips said. She said the department needs to pay more firefighters to be on duty.
     “We just had an incident,” Phillips said, “on the twenty-second of May, that us not having staffing and us not being able to afford staffing, resulted in us being about 40 minutes to getting to a call.”
     She said this call for help was in the unincorporated part of Levy County rather than in the Town of Bronson; however, she felt this still presented a problem.
     Since Bronson lacks adequate staff members now, Phillips said this is a safety problem. 
     Phillips said she believes that Bronson should receive more county revenue than Chiefland or Williston based on the location of Bronson – “The Heart of Levy County.”
     Bronson is centrally located, Phillips said, therefore the town should receive equal funding or more funding from the county coffers than those allocated to the City of Williston or the City of Chiefland.
     Phillips said someone had to come from Trenton to serve as a staff member on the Bronson Fire Rescue Department for that 40-minute response, to deliver a tanker truck from Bronson Fire Rescue. The town needs to be able to pay more full-time firefighters, the vice mayor said, and the town is looking to the county for that funding.
     Chair Mills said the County Commission considers safety to be of utmost importance. 
     She said the county commissioners have budgeted more funds for Chiefland and Williston because they receive more calls. 
     Mills said the commissioners will confer with County Manager Mary-Ellen Harper as they consider the town’s request for at least $48,000 now as well as more money in the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
     If the county gives Bronson more money for the fire department in this fiscal year, it must come from the Reserves (Contingency) part of the budget.
Other Action

Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum is seen in the audience on June 3, although he did not need to speak to the commissioners at the meeting.

     In other action at the meeting, the commissioners: 
     ● Unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the Citrus Levy Marion Regional Workforce Development Board Inc., doing business as CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion and the Levy County Board of County Commissioners, to establish strong partnerships and operational collaboration that will maximize our resources to prevent duplication of effort, training and educational services and ensure the effective and efficient delivery of workforce services to the businesses in Citrus, Levy and Marion counties. This equals up to a $30,000 benefit to the county from CareerSource CLM to add to the salary of the next economic development director for Levy County.
     ● Unanimously approved a few requests from Levy County Sheriff’s 9-1-1 Coordinator Arica Lesher, including one for the state-funded agreement for 911 Rural Grant Program 25-04-27 with the Florida Department of Management Services; and two resolutions amending the final budget for fiscal year 2024-25 in the amount of $27,656 due to receipt of additional revenue from an e911 rural grant for 911 system maintenance.
     ● Unanimously approved a one-year extension to the agreement for auditing services between Levy County and James Moore.
     ● Unanimously approved appropriating from the Reserves (Contingency) part of the budget for the Tire/Mechanics truck in the amount of $171,124. This is to replace a 30-year-old vehicle.
     ● Unanimously approved the purchase of a John Deere Tractor and four attachments in the amount of $43,257.49 off of a government contract with Florida Ag & Lawn Equipment. All of this equipment will be delivered to Ag-Pro of Chiefland, located at 6690 N.W. 135th Lane, just north of Chiefland on U.S. Highway 19. This is for the Levy County Parks and Recreation Department.
     Publisher's Note: A request for public records has been made. There is a request of the different amounts allocated by the County Commission to the various fire departments, or to the five separate County Commission districts for the current fiscal year.

Gilchrist County adds sharper teeth
to county's noise ordinance
Fines and jail are penalties
By Jeff M. Hardison © June 4, 2025 at 6:30 a.m.
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     TRENTON – The Gilchrist County Board of County Commissioners on Monday (June 2) spoke about fines and jail time for code enforcement violators who violate the county’s noise ordinance.
     Then, they added sharper teeth to the ordinance by amending it. This ordinance is enforced by the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office.
     People who feel a need to be noisy to the point of disturbing the peace of their neighbors from 10 p.m. to 6 p.m., may have to pay some money or spend some time in jail, according to discussion and subsequent action at that Gilchrist County Commission meeting.
     After lengthy discussion, after the five members of the County Commission had spoken with Gilchrist County Administrator Bobby Crosby and Gilchrist County Attorney David Miller “Duke” Lang Jr. about this matter at the meeting. County Commission Chairman Tommy Langford said he understands some people needing to be warned. However, none of the five commissioners felt members of the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office should have to go four times to a loud party.
     Discussion included one visit. Have the deputy go a bit away from the area and if the noise resumed, then it was time to return with the citation being issued or an arrest being made.
     The first offense is a $300 fine. The second offense is $400. The third offense is a $500 fine via citation, -- as well as all applicable court costs.
     Since this offense is a second degree misdemeanor, the officer has an option to arrest the suspect and take them to jail, where they will be booked, fingerprinted, photographed and have first appearance before a judge who will set bail.
     Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Sgt. Tracy Sanders went to the lectern to speak about the matter.
     “The first time we go, we can write a ticket,” Sgt. Sanders said. “Based on that, we don’t have to give a warning. I can go straight to the ticket book.”
     The sergeant said he can’t speak for what the other six deputies on the shift might do. He would give a warning and tell the people to turn down the music and reduce the noise level.
     Chairman Langford said if the suspected offender speaks rudely to the deputy, then Langford thinks that person should get no warning.
     Sgt. Sanders said he does not base his decisions of enforcement on that. He bases his actions on what the law shows. Sanders said law enforcement officers often hear verbal responses that can be considered ill-mannered by most people. That comes with the job, he said.
     The sergeant said he never lets behavior dictate the level he is going to enforce a law.
     The GCSO team member did not say it, but there would be some behavior meriting a certain response, such as if the person resists arrest without violence or with resists violence, and then that charge would be added to the crime or set of crimes the suspect would then have to answer to as a defendant in court.
     Sanders said 95 percent of the people will turn down the noise when they are visited by the GCSO. Some will say they refuse and they plan to party as loudly as they want.
     After a thorough discussion about amending the noise ordinance in this regard, Gilchrist County Commission Vice Chairman Bill Martin moved to amend the ordinance to say the first offense is $300; the second offense is $400; the third offense is $500. Court costs will be included in this penalty.
     Martin’s motion also showed that after a warning, the law enforcement officer has the authority to exercise his or her discretion to either issue a citation or to arrest the person or persons responsible for not obeying the warning to reduce the noise.
     Gilchrist County Commissioner Kenrick Thomas seconded the motion, to which all five members – Chairman Langford, Vice Chairman Martin, Commissioner Thomas and commissioners Darrell Smith and Sharon Langford voted to approve.

183r^d Performance

183rd This is Central Florida Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees (from left) Melissa Lewis, Jessie Robinson, President Alan Mikell and Vice President Bo Markham as they sing the HardisonInk.com jingle on May 3 at the 2025 Annual CFEC Members Meeting held in the City of Fanning Springs in the Suwannee River Fair Pavilion. Jeff M. Hardison asks people to sing the jingle, and some of them agree to sing it. (Thanks people!) CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO SEE AND HEAR THE VIDEO ON YouTube.com. The very first person to sing the jingle was in Chiefland in March of 2013. HardisonInk.com started as a daily news website on Feb. 1, 2011.
Photo and Video by Jeff M. Hardison © May 12, 2025 at 9 p.m.
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