On Monday night in Lake Butler new commissioners Lacey Cannon and Channing Dobbs began their new terms, and current chair Karen Cossey was re-elected to lead the board. Newcomer Channing Dobbs was elected vice-chair.
Of interest is that Alachua County Commissioner Ken Cornell was present and welcomed the new commissioners. He repeated Alachua County’s previous offer to share the services of Alachua County as a resource to Union County. He said they have a full environmental department with staff, and five attorneys, and are happy to help in any way. He suggested a meeting of both boards in the near future at either venue.
Commissioner Tallman, stating that the Union board would be foolish not to take up the offer, made a motion to accept. The motion passed unanimously.
Your historian was the lone speaker against the mine. He introduced himself and OSFR to the new commissioners, leaving business cards to them, and the letter from Randall Denker to Corcoran regarding the Bert Harris Act (see our earlier post “Fracking and the Bert Harris Act.“) to the board. Thanks to Ken Cornell, this letter is now distributed to the Alachua County BOCC and staff attorneys.
Two important points in this letter stated by Ms. Randall is that clean air and water are constitutional rights in Florida, and mining is not a constitutional right. Secondly, the Bert Harris Act is essentially an intimidating tool and, in most cases, has no legal teeth.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-
Thanks also to Commissioner Cornell for representing Alachua County, and for his leadership on this issue.
Thanks jim
Thank you jim
Thankyou Jim for representing again. You are amazing. Good news on the two counties joining forces. Wish we could see more of that in upper level governments.
So glad to hear Alachua County is supporting Union County in their fight against the mining. As an Alachua County resident it worries me to be not only down river from the proposed mining site but also sharing an aquifer.