In The News
County looks to MSBUs for paving
Highlands New-Sun - 12/4/19
SEBRING — Residents wanting to have county road crews maintain or pave their roads will have to come up with the money, up front.
Not only did county commissioners agree on that point at Tuesday morning’s workshop on the county’s Road Improvement Program, they also said they would like to see municipal service benefit units (MSBU) established to raise those funds, either from entire subdivisions or neighborhoods within those subdivisions.
Road & Bridge Director Kyle Green and Budget Analyst II Sarah Albritton presented the issue to the Board of County Commission during the workshop. A vote on policy changes won’t take place until Jan. 21, 2020, after County Administrator Randy Vosburg and County Attorney Joy Carmichael help Green and Albritton formulate changes.
Green said Highlands County maintains 1,000 miles of “Category 1” paved road and 200 miles of “Category 3” unpaved road, all built to county standards for width, road base and drainage. On unpaved roads, the county adds road material and grades it down, as needed.
All other types of roads are not maintained by the county, and often aren’t built to the minimum standards for witch, road base or drainage.
Green said Highlands County, as well as other counties, requires residents to pay to bring a road up to the development standards before the county takes it over for maintenance, both for safety and liability reasons.
Category 2 roads are paved private roads not maintained by the county. Category 4 roads are unpaved rights of way, currently in use but not county-maintained.
Category 5 roads, Green said, are platted rights of way that do not have a road installed. He estimates 3,500 miles of those in the county.
Commissioners have no plans to do anything for Category 5 roads. For Category 4 roads, they may look at options on whether or not the county would automatically accept them for maintenance if residents bring those roads up to county code.
Those living on Category 3 county-maintained unpaved roads — approximately 3,000 dwellings — may have to raise all the money to have their roads paved, commissioners said, as opposed to the 50% split the county has done in the past.
Those funds could come from an MSBU, set up as a geographic area affected by road improvements and for a specific time, usually the time needed to raise the funds, according to Carmichael.
Commissioner Jim Brooks said this would help in Avon Park Lakes or Avon Park Estates, where some roads remain unpaved and unmaintained in the midst of paved, maintained roads.
Green said he’s found historic records of meeting minutes where the county accepted maintenance of all the roads in an area except one or two, for varying reasons, most of which involved non-compliance with road building code of the time.
Commissioners also discussed how to define boundaries of taxing districts.
“As bad as we didn’t want that to happen,” Green said, “we may have to do it on a case-by-case basis.”
Ideally, any homes that benefit from improving a certain road would pay, but commissioners had no consensus.
“We need to allow ourselves some flexibility,” Commission Vice Chair Don Elwell said. “[Highlands County] is too varied. There is no broad brush that will fit this county and be fair to everybody.”
“If they are not deriving benefit [from a road], I don’t see how we can assess them,” Commissioner Greg Harris said.
“In the end, it’s a tax,” said Commission Chair Ron Handley.
Tuck argued for a countywide assessment, comparing it to the fire assessment.
“Everybody has a road in front of their house,” Tuck said. “Not everybody has their house burn down.”
Elwell, however, said a countywide assessment would not go well, since some residents’ roads don’t need improvements.
Elwell also said the county needs to repave 50 miles each year of its 1,000 miles of paved road, and hasn’t been able to keep up.
Green agreed that county fuel taxes don’t generate enough money to pave roads, and lamented not seeing that advocacy for road funding during this year’s budget process.
“It hits the pocketbooks of our taxpayers one way or another,” Elwell said. “The folks paying for this: Their pocketbooks aren’t getting any bigger.”
ELWELL WINS STATEWIDE RECOGNITION
Highlands News-Sun 9/26/19
SEBRING – Highlands County Commissioner Don Elwell received a very special award at last week’s Florida Public Transportation Association annual conference. Elwell was recognized as the ‘Local Elected Official Of The Year’ for 2019 during the conference’s closing banquet at the Omni Resort in Championsgate.
“I was completely stunned. Honored and humbled to be sure, but stunned”, admitted Elwell. “There were two other finalists that were very worthy indeed.”
As Elwell walked up to the stage, the presenter read off a list of his accomplishments, focusing on Commissioner Elwell’s devotion to his community, commitment to his constituents and his “incredible, tireless performance in helping the people of Highlands County before, during and after Hurricane Irma”.
“Hurricane Irma was a very difficult time for thousands of our citizens, and I was honored to be given the chance to fill in the gaps and assist those that needed help”, Elwell stated. “I was fortunate enough to be elected to represent and help the citizens of Highlands County, and I take that responsibility very seriously”.
Don Elwell was elected as County Commissioner in November of 2010 and has filed to run for Highlands County Clerk of Courts in 2020.
Elwell formally resigns Board, next year
Highlands New-Sun - 9/15/19
SEBRING — Don Elwell made good on his promise to resign his post as County Commissioner District 1 to bid for Highlands County Clerk of Courts.
“I did indeed file the paperwork today to fully commit myself to the campaign for Highlands County Clerk of Courts & Comptroller,” Elwell posted on social media last Sunday. “If not successful, I expect ALL (sic) of my Facebook friends to come visit me at my new job as a pizza cook,” quipped Elwell in a social media post.
He regularly works as director of Marketing and Public Relations at Alan Jay Automotive Group, a job that only occasionally conflicted with his duties as commissioner, when he would need to abstain on votes for county payments made to that vendor.
However, Elwell also said at his last town hall meeting on July 9 that if he were to get elected as Clerk, the full-time position and duties would require him to also resign his commercial industry job, which currently pays more than county clerk.
In his resignation letter, addressed to Highlands County Supervisor of Elections Penny Ogg, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Bureau of Election Records Chief Kristi Willis, Elwell he timed his resignation to coincide with the date his successor would be sworn into office.
“I fully understand that this notice of resignation is hereby irrevocable,” Elwell wrote. “Thank you very much for your assistance — I pledge to continue to work diligently to properly serve and represent the citizens of Highlands County until my successor takes office.”
In his online post, Elwell said, “It might be the word ‘irrevocable’... just sounds very final/sobering.”
However, he said he remained 100% committed to his Highlands County residents in the meantime.
On a Sept. 8 post, after the Highlands News-Sun published a story on the current candidates vying for his seat, Elwell reaffirmed that he would file a resignation letter, but also confirmed he intended to stay until the next candidate takes office.
“So, you’re stuck with me as commissioner for another 14 months-ish. Lots of projects and goals yet to complete/accomplish,” Elwell wrote. “However, for me, the really scary part is that I’m ‘All-In’ (sic) with this election: On 11/17/20, I will no longer be a HC Commissioner (sic),” he continued. “I’ll either be the Highlands County Clerk of Courts or private citizen .. likely with lower blood pressure.”
Bengtson, Thayer files for District 2
Highlands New-Sun - 9/8/19
SEBRING — Don Elwell has not yet resigned his county commission seat to run for Highlands County Clerk of the Court.
When he does — and he is required to submit that resignation letter by next June — two candidates have already filed to run for that spot: Mary Bengtson and Joedene Elizabeth Thayer, Highlands County’s planning supervisor.
Both are registered as Republicans, according to Highlands County Supervisor of Elections Penny Ogg.
Thayer, speaking during a work break, said she’s thought about running for a couple of years, but Elwell’s recent announcement that he’d run for clerk pushed up her timeline.
“He surprised me,” Thayer said. Coming from a planning perspective, Thayer said she sees that Highlands County needs to grow economically, and needs housing.
She also sees how the county could improve on protecting historical and environmental resources.
“We do a good job. (But) we could do a lot better,” Thayer said.
Recreational resources are available and accessible, she said, but not always known.
One example, she said, is Arbuckle Creek, which few people use for kayaking, canoeing or other forms of passive recreation.
As for her own resume, Thayer considers herself “well-rounded,” with a good understanding of Highlands County after working in local government for 12 years.
She spent 20 years before that as a master sergeant, now retired, in the U.S. Army. She was deployed to Korea, Germany and all over the United States. Although she was briefly in Alaska while en route to Korea, the full-time deployment in the U.S. that was farthest from Florida, she said, was Oklahoma.
If elected, Thayer would have to resign her position with the county.
Bengtson expressed happiness with Elwell's work on the Board.
"I have a lot of respect for him and the way he approaches public service," Bengtson said. "He has been very accessible and available to the public, always willing to go above and beyond to address concerns and get answers for people."
Bengtson has seen some past commissioners and some currently on the board as dismissive of the public, which she believes has caused a lot of apathy.
"I have been among the number of people that stopped going to the county commission meetings because it became a waste of time," Bengtson said.
However, she found Elwell to be "a breath of fresh air," and felt concern he would soon vacate his seat. She hopes to represent the county with as much enthusiasm and interest in public input as he's had, she said.
"Ultimately, my hope is that we elect more commissioners that have the same mindset, and Highlands County will finally have a majority of commissioners that are considerate of public input and responsive to the needs of the community," Bengtson said.
She is listed as office manager at Fully Vaped and corporate manager at Glass Bottle Outlet.
Currently, Bengtson and Thayer are candidates for the 2022 general election.
Until Elwell submits a letter of resignation from the board, Ogg said he’s still county commissioner for District 2 with a term that doesn’t end until 2022.
“You can’t run for two offices that run concurrently,” Ogg said.
However, Elwell will have to submit that letter to run for Clerk of Courts, Ogg said. Once he does, Bengtson’s and Thayer’s candidacies will move to the 2020 ballot, Ogg said.
Recycling tops legislative concerns
Highlands New-Sun - 8/21/19
SEBRING — Highlands County’s legislators will come to visit the county on Oct. 3, and commissioners have a list of concerns ready for them already.
Top of the list is recycling, and the mandate from the state is that counties over 100,000 people need to have 75% participation in materials reduction, reuse and recycling by 2020.
“My request would be for the [Florida] Legislature to look at this request and see those goals are not attainable,” said County Engineer Clinton Howerton Jr., whose department oversees solid waste collection, landfill operations and recycling.
On Aug. 12, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) sent a letter to counties with more than 100,000 people. Highlands, with 102,441 qualifies, barely.
It reminded counties that the Legislature set goals, starting in 2008, to recycle 75% of municipal solid waste by next year, especially for 100,000-person counties.
As of last year, Highlands County was supposed to be at 70%, the letter said, but it’s at 37%.
Pinellas and Alachua counties are each recycling at 70%. Lee and Charlotte counties are at 77%.
Howerton said they have taken in construction and demolition debris, burning it to create energy — which counts toward reuse — and using the ash in concrete.
Highlands County could do that, he said: 30% of all recycling is construction and demolition debris, but he doesn’t endorse mandatory household recycling.
The county would also have to mandate cities to take part, but none of the incorporated areas have it because it costs too much to implement or contract.
“I hate for any government to tell people what they have to do,” Howerton said. “It’s unrealistic unless we put in a lot of things [to process material].”
Even then, he said Highlands doesn’t generate enough material to make it efficient.
Commissioner Don Elwell said only four out of 36 high-population counties are compliant, and two of those won’t be next year.
Michelle Gresham, Avon Park Lakes resident, said she wanted to see the big Dumpsters come back for recycling, and asked if glass could go into asphalt.
Howerton said the county crushes glass for landfill cover, but can’t use it in asphalt because it degrades the quality of the pavement and shortens its life.
Most of those Dumpster loads ended up being one-half garbage, he said. Spoiled loads had to go directly into the landfill.
With residential recycling, the county collects five times as much, Howerton said, but any time residents mix in garbage, those loads must go into the landfill.
“The general public actually believes we get money [from recycling],” Gresham said. “We don’t get a dime.”
Howerton said the county does get paid for the material, but it’s a fraction of the cost of collecting and processing it. All it does, Elwell said, is help offset the contract cost so residents don’t pay more.
Other legislative concerns are:
• Upgrading and maintaining east and west transportation corridors.
• Lightening or helping pay for compliance with FDEP car wash drainage and groundwater requirements.
• Indexing local gasoline taxes, the same as the Legislature did for state gas taxes, so the counties can get a percentage of sales and ensure tax revenue continues to have buying power against monetary inflation.
• Increasing assessments on mobile phone accounts to help pay for consolidated 911 dispatch, which the county currently subsidizes.
When the Florida Association of Counties comes out with a list of priorities sometime in the next month, commissioners have asked County Administrator Randy Vosburg to bring them that list, so they can add those items to their requests.
Highlands County’s legislative delegation will consist of Rep. Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park, and Sen. Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula.
Elwell said Albritton recommended local officials not use the term “unfunded mandates” since legislators bristle at the term.
“Ask him what we should call it,” Commissioner Greg Harris said.
Elwell bids for Clerk of Courts
Highlands New-Sun - 7/11/19
SEBRING — County Commissioner Don Elwell said he had four choices of public office in front
of him.
He could run for Florida House District 55 in 2020, soon to be vacated by Rep. Cary Pigman,
R-Avon Park; he could run for Highlands County Clerk of Courts in 2020, soon to be vacated
by Bob Germaine; he could run for re-election to Board of County Commission District 1 in
2022, when his term ends; or he could just retire in 2022 after 12 years on the board.
He chose Clerk of Courts and made the announcement at Tuesday’s town hall meeting in Avon
Park.
“I think that I can help the most people, and the most people that I care about, by staying in
Highlands County,” Elwell said.
Elwell said he’d spent the last three months or so “soul-searching” and struggling to figure out
the best direction for himself, his family, the county and residents.
Elwell will seek the office along with fellow Republican candidates who have already filed:
Deputy Clerk Gerome Kaszubowski and Road and Bridge Department Director Kyle Green.
Both were present at the town hall meeting.
Elwell was first elected to office in 2010, and was last re-elected in 2018, without opposition.
He was born and raised in the northern suburbs of Chicago, but has lived in Florida more than half of his life, graduating with honors from Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor’s in accounting.
He has had a 30-year career as management of hospitality and retail, before getting an opportunity to return to Florida and move to Highlands County in 2002. Now, he serves as director of Marketing and Communications for the Alan Jay Automotive Network.
For 15 years, Elwell has served on more than 20 different boards and committees while volunteering for dozens more events and organizations each year.
Elwell and his wife, Sheri, live in Spring Lake, have seven children and 10 grandchildren.
He is certified as a county commissioner and advanced county commissioner by the Florida Association of Counties (FAC).
During this fiscal year, he has served as county budget liaison for the Board of County Commission and on the following committees and boards: CareerSource Heartland Investment Board, Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Children’s Services Council, Lake Istokpoga
Management Committee, Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board, Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee, Small County Coalition Representative, and Heartland Regional Transportation Planning Organization.
He also serves regionally as chair of the Heartland CrimeStoppers board, as treasurer of The Salvation Army of Highlands County and as a voting member of the FAC Florida County Foundation Board, United Way of Central Florida, Suntrust “Sebring Strong” Survivors Fund Board and South Florida State College Foundation Board.