Well the advisory panel to evaluate a proposal to sell Cone Ranch (brought forth by County Commission Chairman Ken ‘Half Truth’ Hagan) is getting nowhere fast on just what should be done to protect the already preserved and publicly owned land.
This was the first panel meeting I have attended in person (they have had five) but I have been following them for you on the video on demand that the county provides. Most meetings have been filled with presentations from county staff, other agencies and even the big time Republican donors…er…… I mean the brokers behind this deal leaving the panelists almost no time to discuss the actual task at hand and last Friday was no different. They once again reviewed mitigation banks, conservation easements and county staff plastered up more red tape regarding the bonds from the water utility and the water rights held by Tampa Bay Water (TBW).
Photo credit: *hoodrat* Flickr.com
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2009.
