County Considers Cutting Farm Services Agency; Farmers May Be The Biggest Losers
June 12, 2009
Four county employees in a North Escambia farm services office are in danger of losing their jobs, and that means that millions in federal funds may no longer be poured into a $32 million a year industry.
Farmers and landowners across North Escambia are upset that the county employees in the Natural Resources Conservation Division (NRCS) of Escambia County Neighborhoods and Community Services Bureau may be cut to save the county $254,000 a year. And District 5 Commissioner Kevin White is fighting mad.
“You just don’t quite understand what the farming community does,” White told three of his fellow commissioners at a Thursday morning budget workshop. White acknowledged that District 1 Commissioner Wilson Robertson did understand the importance of farming in the county since he had previously served as the commissioner from District 5 — the only district in the county with a significant farming activity.
The NRCS office (formerly the Soil and Water Division), in a nutshell, administers federal funds that are headed to farmers, ranchers and landowners participating in a variety of federal programs. The four employees in the office, according to Division Manager Eddie Cooper, are all needed to ensure the programs are properly administered and the funds are distributed.
In the past 10 years,the NRCS has administered $27,092,681 in U.S. Department of Agriculture dollars made available to Escambia County and agriculture producers.
If the commission cuts the four county positions in the office, one federal employee will remain. “But it would be about impossible for one employee to do what we do collectively,” said Jeff Hester, one of the four county employees in the office.
He said the programs all have deadlines that must be met with paperwork and site visits, work that currently consumes the time of every employee in the office.
“It takes more than just one person,” Hester said. “It would sacrifice some of the programs.”
“In the end, it would cost the farmers a lot of money,” Cooper said. “They need the money and the programs to survive.”
At Thursday’s commission meeting, Commissioner Grover Robinson, who remarked that he had been on the Escambia County Farm Tour, said he would support finding a way to keep one employee, but not four. “$250,000 is going to be tough for us to find that number,” he said.
Commissioner Gene Valentino said each commissioner had issues that were important to them, but “the economic impact (of NRCS) is county-wide”.
“This is an economic development tool, if you want to look at what they do for the north end and the farming community,” White said.
White attempted several times during Thursday’s budget meeting to find the $254,000 needed to keep the office staff, including cutting funds from code enforcement. But commissioners were unable to locate the funding in their current budget.
“There is a possibility that some things could change,” Commissioner Marie Young said. “If they do, I would go along with putting those three people back where they were.”
The commission will continue to look for ways to fund the $254,000 before the budget is finalized.
A USDA survey released in February shows that during the five year period 2002-2007, the number of farms in Escambia County increased from 674 to 725. Acreage increased during the same period from 64,581 to 81,977, with most of those acres in North Escambia.
The market value of farm production in Escambia County has doubled in five years, from $15.68 million to $31.95 million, according to the USDA. There are 277 people in Escambia County that consider farming to be their primary occupation.
Pictured above: Wheat being harvest in North Escambia near Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Commission Cuts Millions From Budget; Looks At Taxes
June 12, 2009
Cut, cut, cut — that was the message at a Thursday morning budget meeting of the Escambia County Commission. From commissioner benefits, to the sheriff, to ambulances to parks, nothing was spared as the budget ax fell. And on the tax front, commissioners are looking at increasing the fire services fee $5 per year, implementing a 3-cent gas tax, and rolling back some property taxes.
Escambia County Commissioners have cut about $100 million from the bottom line since 2007, and Thursday they cut their own benefits.
In 2007, when the county’s economy was still inflated post Ivan, Dennis and Katrina, the budget was at about $450 million. The current budget being considered by commissioners is at about $350 million, $17.1 million less than expected.
Amy Lovoy, Management and Budget Services Bureau chief, said the $17.1 million reduction included $6.5 million in reduced revenue due to declining property values in the county.
About 75 positions will be cut to save about $3.2 million in salaries and benefits. The remaining employees will see their benefits reduced, saving $350,000 per year. Many county programs and services will be cut for $1.5 million, including the reduction in the number of available ambulances. Payments will be delayed on county bond debt until 2013, saving $5 million for now.
Escambia Sheriff David Morgan cut $4 million from his budget, with a representative telling commissioners Thursday that there will be no reduction in services. In fact, he said there will be more deputies on the streets.
The supervisor of elections and the tax collector shaved another $1 million off their budgets.
Another $2 million will be saved by reducing computer purchases, putting and end to vehicle and equipment purchases, looking to reduce fuel costs and more.
Commissioners agreed to cut their travel allowances Thursday, eliminating $200 each per month — $12,000 per year — in travel pay. They also slashed their out-of-town travel budget for the entire commission from $23,000 a year to $11,500.
Commissioner Wilson Robertson said he would support the commission cutting their own salaries by two-thirds, but commission salaries are set by the Florida Legislature. The Escambia Commission presented a resolution to the Legislature last year asking that salaries be cut, but the Legislature would not take the action.
After a public hearing on June 18, the commission will look at a 3-cent gas tax increase for mass transit, and they will consider rolling back property taxes by an amount equal to that gas tax.
The commission will also consider another $5 added to the current $75 fire services fee paid by county residents.
Woman So Drunk She Does Not Know Her Name Kills Bicyclist
June 12, 2009
A Pensacola woman who was so drunk that she did not know her own name is accused of DUI manslaughter for killing a bicyclist on Nine Mile Road. She left the scene, and nearly hit a deputy’s cruiser when she returned about an hour later.
Christina Rae Rivkin, 32, is charged with DUI manslaughter, DUI with property damage, DUI and leaving the scene of a crash involving a death in connection with the death of Michael Adam Steele, 25, of Pensacola.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Rivkin was traveling westbound on Nine Mile Road when she crossed the white line near Brewster Street and struck Steele as he was riding his bicycle about 11:15 Wednesday night. Troopers say Steele and his bicycle were dragged under Rivkin’s GMC Yukon for about a quarter of a mile. Rivkin then fled the scene.
A passerby called 911 after discovering the body in the roadway. About an hour later, Rivkin returned to the scene, where she “skidded to an abrupt stop nearly striking the patrol car of Deputy Mark Smith,” the FHP report says. She “appeared extremely intoxicated. She smelled strongly of alcoholic beverage and her speech was slurred. She could not walk without assistance. (She) could not remember her name or say where she was,” the report continues.
Rivkin, according to the FHP, refused to perform a breath test, and a blood sample was taken to determine her blood alcohol level. Those test results are not yet available.
“He jumped out in front of me. What was I suppose to do?” Rivkin told a trooper at the scene.
The FHP says that the front of Rivkin’s vehicle had damage consistent with hitting the bicyclist, and “there appeared to be blood on the front of her vehicle.”
Rivkin is the estranged wife of Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Rivkin, according to an FHP report. For that reason, the sheriff’s department would not release her booking photo due to a law that protects the spouse of a law enforcement officer.
Rivkin had at least two prior DUI arrests and five other moving violations, according to the FHP.
Steele was riding his bicycle to work as part of the stock crew at the Nine Mile Road Winn Dixie when the accident occurred, according to family members. Steele and his wife, Brittney, 20, only owned one car, and family members said he wanted his wife to have the car for her morning commute. He rode the bicycle so that she did not have to drive him to work so that she would be well rested for her job.
Century Connection: Gulf Breeze Mayor Lane Gilchrist Dies
June 12, 2009
Lane Gilchrist, long time mayor of Gulf Breeze, has passed away.
Gilchrist passed away during surgery, according to a report by Rick Outzen, publisher of ricksblog.biz and the Pensacola Independent News. Gilchrist was first elected to the Gulf Breeze City Council 27 years ago.
“He was passionate about his small town. He threw out the first pitch at baseball games, rode bikes to school with elementary school students on Bike Safety Day and was present at nearly every community event”, Outzen wrote this morning on his blog. “Lane will be missed. He leaves wife Suzie and two sons, M. Lane, Jr. and Michael.”
Gulf Breeze and the Town of Century have been partners in the Capital Trust Agency since 1999, issuing over $1.5 billion in bonds for, among other things, a public housing projects, a Seminole Indian resort and a health care facility in Kansas. In return for providing the second signature on the bonds, the Town of Century has received payments totaling over a half million dollars.
Driver Charged After Hitting Gas Line In Molino Wreck
June 12, 2009
There were no injuries in Molino accident this afternoon that caused a gas leak that left the driver facing a careless driving charge.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Jason Grace, 29, of Pensacola, came off the end of Nancy Lane, crossed Highway 95A and struck a mailbox and natural gas line about 2:45 p.m. Thursday. His car came to rest on top of the ruptured gas line. The resulting gas leak was quickly contained by personnel from Okaloosa Gas. There was no fire from the collision.
Grace was not injured in the accident. He was charged with careless driving, according to the FHP.
The Molino and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the accident, along with Escambia County EMS and the FHP.
Highway 95A was closed until the gas leak could be contained. Residents in the area were notified to stay indoors and “shelter in place” during the incident.
Pictured above: Gas company employees work to repair a broken line caused by an accident Thursday afternoon in Molino. Pictured above: The single vehicle involved in the wreck. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
See You There: Blueberry Jamboree Is Tomorrow
June 12, 2009
The Barrineau Park Community Center & Historical Society will be the place to be on Saturday. The first-ever Blueberry Jamboree will kick off at 8:00am with a 5K Race for the Blueberries and will end that evening with some toe-tapping bluegrass music by local musicians. If you are in search of a fun-filled Saturday , then you’re looking for the Blueberry Jamboree.
The festival will feature family entertainment, music, great food, a wandering blueberry in costume, a Blueberry Spitting Contest, a Blueberry Bake-Off, cake and plant walks, cloggers, smiles and laughter in a family friendly environment.
The Jamboree will also feature local arts and crafts vendors and plenty of food. And of course, lots of blueberries…from fresh blueberries, to blueberry baked goods to a limited edition blueberry cookbook.
The Blueberry Jamboree will take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Barrineau Park Community Center.
NorthEscambia.com will have complete coverage with a huge photo gallery Sunday morning.
Possible Nuclear Plant? Gulf Power Continues To Buy North Escambia Property
June 11, 2009
Gulf Power Company continues to purchase land in North Escambia for a possible power generation site — maybe even a nuclear plant.
The electric utility has spent over $2.1 million to date to purchase about 550 acres in the Cox and Roach Road areas and another 55 acres nearby along the Escambia River.
In March, NorthEscambia.com was the first to report that Gulf Power was purchasing land in the area, beginning with about 100 acres for $400,000 in the 200 block of Roach Road. Since then, Gulf Power has purchased lots as small as 1.89 acres on Cox Road for $145,000 to a 308 acre parcel for $1 million on Holland Road.
“We are looking for property to purchase in that area for a generating facility,” Gulf Power Company Manager of Public Affairs Sandy Sims told NorthEsambia.com in March. “What kind of generating facility it will be has not been determined at this point.”
When asked about the rumors that the plant could be a nuclear power plant, Sims replied, “We can’t rule anything out at this point. We are looking at a diverse portfolio of options for the future.”
Sims said the plant could be nuclear, natural gas powered or even an advanced technology like wind or solar. “We really can’t rule out any possibility right now.”
Whatever the type of power generation facility, the earliest it would likely produce its first kilowatt of electricity would be the year 2020, and perhaps as late as 2025.
The property purchased on Roach Road and the offers to purchase other land in the area does not necessarily mean that anything will ever be constructed on the land by Gulf Power, Sims said. The new facility that might be located near McDavid would presumably at least partially replace the coal powered Gulf Power Crist Plant in Pensacola, she said.
Gulf Power purchases in the area, according to records on file with Escambia County’s property appraiser and tax collector, include (numbers below correspond to the map above, click map to enlarge):
- 308 acres off Holland Road (where Cox Road formerly ran) from the Estes Estate, $1,000,000
- 55 acres in two parcels near Courtney Road, including access to the Escambia River, from Campbell Partners, $202,380
- 1.89 acres at 1570 Cox Road from Jonathan and Aimee Cabral, $145,000
- 62 acres near the north end of Cox Road, between Cox and Camp roads, from Alex Davis of Pensacola, $248,000
- 33 acres just south of 1570 Cox Road from Jean McCurdy Roose of Arizona, $117,250
- 20 acres west of Roose parcel with just a small access to Cox Road, from Wesley and Victoria Henderson of Cantonment, $90,000
- 100 acres in two parcels in the 200 block of Roach Road, $400,000
Area residents tell NorthEscambia.com that a Gulf Power representative has gone door to door along Cox, Holland and Roach roads telling residents that Gulf Power wants to purchase their property for a possible nuclear power plant. Many types of power plants would need access to water, perhaps adding some significance to the purchase of the property with river access off Courntey Road.
Sims would not confirm how many acres the utility was looking to purchase, but she did confirm that the company’s land acquisition department did make contact with a resident we spoke with near the intersection of Cox Road and Bratt Road — over 3 miles from the river purchase.
Pictured top: Gulf Power land purchases in NorthEscambia.com Pictured below: The first land purchased by Gulf Power on Roach Road. NorthEscambia.com graphic and file photo, click to enlarge.
Jay Man Appears In Court On Murder Charge
June 11, 2009
Scott Joseph Thompson appeared in Escambia County Circuit Court Wednesday, charged with the March murder of a Cantonment woman, Cheryl Cain.
Thompson, 29, made his initial court appearance via a video feed from the Escambia County Jail. Judge Thomas Johnson ordered Thompson held without bond and scheduled his next court appearance for July 1.
Thompson was already in the Escambia County Jail on 2007 narcotics charges when he was arrested for the murder of Cain, a former rodeo queen. He was charged with improperly exhibiting a firearm, petty theft, narcotics possession and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription on May 31, 2007. He was back in jail on the charges following a probation violation, according to court records, waiting for a bed to become available in a drug treatment facility.
Cain’s body was found in a dumpster behind a Highway 29 gas station in Pensacola on March 25.
DNA evidence from the dumpster and in Cain’s car were used to charge Thompson with murder, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department. Thompson’s DNA was reportedly found in Cain’s vehicle, which was located after the murder at a Pensacola motel.
Cain’s wallet was found under Thompson’s bed in Jay, authorities said. Thompson was the roommate of Cain’s ex-boyfriend, according to authorities.
Pictured above: Scott Joseph Thompson (standing) appears in court Wednesday morning via a video feed from the Escambia County Jail.
Captured Art: Purchase Art From Behind Bars
June 11, 2009
The Escambia County Jail is selling inmate art at the first annual Blueberry Festival this Saturday in Molino.
All drawings and paintings for sale are original pieces of art created by inmates in the Captured Art program at the Escambia County Jail. Drawings and paintings will be available for reasonable prices and all proceeds will go to sustaining the Captured Art program.
The Captured Art Program features two volunteer art instructors who oversee the 10 male participants in the program. Since implementation in 2007, the Captured Art Program has gained popularity among the inmates and there is currently a waiting list for the program.
The Escambia County Blueberry Jamboree will be held Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Barrineau Park Community Center at 6055 Barrineau Park School Road in Molino.
For more information concerning the Captured Art Program, contact Sharon Gossett at 436-9823.
Pictured above and below: Some of the Captured Art program paintings that will be available Saturday at the Blueberry Jamboree in Molino. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com click to enlarge.
State Rep: Entire State Needs Broadband Internet
June 11, 2009
The entire state of Florida needs broadband Internet service now, according to one state representative.
Rep. Dave Murzin told the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club recently that Florida needs broadband Internet service everywhere for economic and educational growth.
Murzin co-sponsored a bill in the last session of the Florida Legislature that called broadband Internet service to be “critical to the economic development of the state and is beneficial for libraries, schools, colleges, and universities, health care providers and community organizations”.
Murzin’s plan would allow the state’s Department of Management Services to map the current broadband Internet services in the state, including those offered over cellular networks. Once that map was completed, the state would begin working with providers such as Verizon or AT&T to construct towers to fill-in the gaps in current cellular Internet offerings.
“We could take education out of the box. We could do classes anywhere, anytime, including in rooms like this one,” Murzin said of a small meeting room at the Walnut Hill Community Center. “We could teach Mandarin Chinese, for instance, with a teacher from China right here in this room.”
A statewide wireless broadband service could also be used by the state’s schools to replace textbooks. Murzin said textbooks cost an average of $600 per student. For $250 or less, he said the state could purchase every child a “mini” notebook computer. School lessons would always be up to date, and the need to print new textbooks would be eliminated.
Under Murzin’s plan, consumers would have a choice of more than one broadband provider, and every effort would be made to make the service as affordable as possible. Funding would come from federal dollars available for broadband mapping and deployment.
“It would also be invaluable for economic development,” he said.
Murzin’s bill was amended onto another telecom bill and will be presented to Gov. Charlie Crist for his signature soon.