SEy COUNTY JUIAL
 S- HE COUNTY PAPER ESTI 1 92


VOL. 83, NO. 31


THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8,20071 SECTION: 20 PAGES


50 cents per copy


Debate heats up over


manager's contract


 Wanna see the rest
 of the picture?
 page 11







OBITUARIES
I
 Paul Eugene Amica
 Melba Alene Pedrick Bernard
 Joseph Richard Costa
 Junette Joseph Guillaume
 William Charles Harris
 Reba Anita Howard
 Richard Long
 Randle Ray Lord
 Marlene Ruth Magie
 Fred Arthur Merritt
 J.T. Mingo
 Bettie Epperson Mizelle
 Dorothy Smith Money
 Lucile L. Osteen
 Edward Ray Peters
 Charles A. Platt
 Carrie Lee Snelling
 Ashley Wallace
 Betty Elaine Wallace
 C. L. Wilkerson


HOME OF...

I


Jeff Tindale
of Chiefland


CONTENTS...

1


Around Levy 2-3, 5, 12, 14 20
Community Calendar 2
Opinion 4
Obituaries 6
Sports 7-10
Classified 15
Legals 16-18
Marketplace 19


BY CASSIE JOURNIGAN
Staff Writer
A top local official does not
live in the city he manages,
prompting some local
officials to call for a breach
of contract. Williston City
Manager James Coleman,
employed by the city since
June 1, 2004, lives in Lady
Lake.
 Council member Debra
Jones called for a special
meeting to discuss Coleman's
contract. That meeting was
held Jan. 30.
 Council member Cal Byrd
opened the discussion.
"My main concern with the
contract is that it is never-
ending." He added that he
thought it should be written
for a stated amount of time,
allowing for modifications as
needed.
 Council president James
Cason read from the contract
provision that mandated
agreement before modifying
it. "The parties by mutual
written agreement may
amend any provision of this
agreement..." Cason said. "A
never-ending contract it is...
it cannot be changed except
by mutual written agreement
between the employee and
employer."
 Jones said the contract as
writtenwas"unreasonableand
afforded no accountability."
Council member Jerry
Robinson addressed Jones
directly: "You said you had
reservations even though you
seconded it. Now why was it
approved?"
 "The contract we have
before us was not what we
agreed on," Jones countered.
She said council met "week
after week, month after
month," and added that the
current contract did not
reflect discussions from those
meetings.
Council members discussed
the contract in meetings
during the summer of
2005 before unanimously
approving it Aug. 16, 2005.


 Jones said her vote of
approval was based on the
manager's intent to move
to the city before the end of
2005. "Even though he made
the comment that it was his
intent to move here...here it
is two years later and it hasn't
happened."
Byrd stated his belief that
a breach of contract would
be declared should council
decide to change anything
without the city manager's
consent.
 Council member Steve
Holcomb disagreed. "I think
this contract has already been
breached. The wording in
Section 15 has been changed."
The section relates to moving
and relocation expenses and
reads, "Employee wishes to
establish residence within the
corporate boundaries of the
City of Williston on or about
December 1, 2005."
Coleman stated, "I have an
agreement with council and
I intend to honor it." He had
previously told council that he
did intend to move; however,
the real estate market had
not been favorable so he was
unable to sell his present
home.
Council voted to amend the
contract by a vote of 3 2.
Robinson and Cason voted
no.
The contract modifications
discussed and voted on
include:
 SMoving and relocation
 expenses. Jones said
 that Coleman could
 have established a
 local residence. To her
 suggestion of renting
 an apartment or even
 camping out, some
 residents in the audience
 said, "That's ridiculous."
 Holcomb disagreed. "I
 worked in Columbia,
 South Carolina for eight
 years and maintained
 two houses. I didn't
 like it, but I did it."
 Jones proposed a "date
 certain" be assigned.


 Photo by Rhonda Griffiths
VOLUNTEERS TAKE advantage of sunny skies to repair the Whitehurst Chapel of
Williston First United Methodist Church. The volunteers are members of a group
called NOMADS-on a Mission Active in Divine Service. They travel the country
from one building mission to another. After completing the Williston chapel, they will
take their services to two other local churches.


Byrd proposed the moving
requirement be written for
a period of six months.
"If a move is not made,
the contract would be
declared null and void."
 Another call from the
audience was made. "All
key personnel should live
in the Williston city limits.
I don't see how this can
be a valid contract at all."
Jones made a motion to
give Coleman a three-month
period to move to the city,
and to declare the contract
null and void if he has not
made the move within six
months. Her motion passed,
with Robinson and Cason
voting no.
 Termination. Contract
as written requires a
supermajority of at least
four council members
voting for termination.
Jones' motion to change the
supermajority to a simple
majority was approved 3
- 2, with Robinson and
Cason voting no.


* Section 18. Council again
 voted 3 2 to eliminate
 the clause in its entirety.
 Robinson and Cason voted
 no.
 Council also discussed the
possibility of a lawsuit. "If the
proposals presented are not
agreed to by the City Manager,
what is council going to do?"
Robinson asked. He said he did
not believe the city's insurance
would cover a lawsuit based on
breach of contract.
 City attorney Norm Fugate
said the insurance is designed
to cover, "torte-type lawsuits-
liability and damages." He
added, "Declaration of a breach
would itself be a breach."
After a motion was made to
adjourn, one member of the
audience addressed council. "I
would like to know if there is
a problem with Mr. Coleman's
performance. There's an agenda
here or something political."
Cason told him, "The biggest
complaint is that he doesn't live
in Williston and that he doesn't
work enough."


Byrd said he originally
opposed hiring Coleman,
but has since supported
him. "My main concern is
with having someone who
will work with the city." He
said he did not believe the
issue was political at all.
When an onlooker wanted
to know who wrote the
contract, Fugate said, "It
came off my computer."
Another onlooker asked
why a city administrator
should be required to live in
the city. Jones and Holcomb
both stated, "He's the only
one with a contract."
Mayor Gerald Hethcoat
said, "All of us expected
and wanted him to be here.
That did not happen." He
added that the move was
brought up again during
Coleman's performance
evaluations, with no
change occurring. He told
the audience the subject
has "gone on and on until it
got to this point."


Yankeetown development debate goes on at county commission


BY CASSIE JOURNIGAN
STAFF WRITER

The Board of County
Commissioners heard both
sides of the oftentimes
acrimonious debate between
developers and Yankeetown
residents Tuesday. Several
Yankeetown town council
members showed up,
including Mayor Dawn
Clary, Larry Feldhusen and
Edward Candella.
Pete Spittler and Jim
Sherwood, both from Izaak
Walton Investors, presented
their plans for a proposed
mixed-use resort-residential
development on the banks
of the Withlacoochee River.
Spittler said the development
would benefit the area's
ecology, economy and
culture. Ecological benefits
would come through adding
a modern sewage plant,
providing storm water
management, and aiding
the river's flushing ability.


He said tax revenues, added
jobs and new business would
boost the economy.
Patricia Candella challenged
the developer's proposal that
new jobs would be a benefit
to the community. "Why
are jobs even needed?" she
asked, adding that most
residents were retired and not
interested in working.
Spittler said, "The community
is not an entity unto itself. It
needs a means of generating
money." He also said the
aging infrastructure would
eventually need to be
replaced.
Resident Carl Mazzuca
agreed with Spittler. "I don't
care what the leaders think...
Yankeetown is in a state of
deterioration."
Yankeetown Mayor Dawn
Clary trumped the discussion:
"Our comprehensive plan
is to reduce density for a
number of reasons. His plan
has been reviewed by our
zoning officers and has been


denied."
Other actions taken by county
commissioners included:
* Unanimously passed two
 special event requests.
 The first is for a sporting
 clay shooting event at
 Rhino Outdoors Feb. 16
 18. The second is a dog
 show sponsored by Gold
 Coast Terrier Network
 Feb. 24 and 25 at Black
 Prong.
* Scheduled a public
 hearing Feb. 20 for
 the closure of Cedar
 Street in the Carolyn
 Subdivision.
* Voted to accept a 1984
 truck from Williston
 mayor Gerald Hethcoat.
* Responded to comments
 from resident C.W.
 Gilbert, who asked
 why the county budget
 grew from $17 million
 budget six years ago to
 the current $77 million.
 Commissioner Sammy
 Yearty responded that


 the new figure reflects
 funding obtained from ad
 valorem taxes, road grants,
 and other types of revenue
 coming into the county.
* Unanimously approved
 a request from Bronson
 that the city be allowed
 to purchase diesel fuel
 from the county for fire
 and road service trucks.
 Yearty requested the diesel
 be provided for specified
 services only, saying, "We
 don't want to compete
 with local business."
 The motion was made
 by Commissioner Tony
 Parker and seconded by
 Commissioner Lily Rooks.
* Unanimously approved
 coordinator Dick
 Tummond's request
 to negotiate a contract
 with the firm Jordan and
 Associates for community
 development block grant
 services. Commissioner
 Danny Stevens' motion
 was seconded by Parker.


* Unanimously
 approved Library
 Director Bonnie
 Tollefson's request
 to enter a mini-grant
 agreement with
 Northeast Florida
 Library Information
 Network. Parker
 seconded Rooks'
 motion.
 Did you Know'?
If you are requesting chocolate
for Valentine's Day you may
want to direct your sweetheart
to purchase the dark variety.
That's because dark chocolate
can actually be good for you,
in addition to tasting delicious.
Dark chocolate is high in an-
tioxidants, those substances
that can help fend off diseases.
It may also help to lower blood
pressure. However, milk may
interfere with the proper absorp-
tion of antioxidants, so don't
wash it down with a tall glass
or mix chocolates if you want
the full health benefits. Though
there's no longer a need to feel
guilty when indulging in a piece,
remember moderation is key.


REACH US
i
 Managing Editor

 Phone
 (3521490-4462


 Fax
 (3521490-4490 Chlefland
 (3521 486-5042 Bronson
 Email
 edltor@levnryloumal.com
 Address
 P.O. Box 159 Bronson. Fl 32621-0159
P.O. Box 2990 Chltfland. FL 32644-2990


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