[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6364043,"mediaKeyId","2165402-ddb77c03f04c308d9bc805c880e29f7d","parentId",2165402,"title","Native-plant advocates ask Wakulla County for input on FDOT landscaping, recreation plans and revised landscape ordinance","audioSeconds",348,"startMs",178000,"endMs",526000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165402-ddb77c03f04c308d9bc805c880e29f7d&start=178&end=526","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165402-ddb77c03f04c308d9bc805c880e29f7d/thumbnail_178000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6364043/Wakulla-County/Florida/Native-plant-advocates-ask-Wakulla-County-for-input-on-FDOT-landscaping-recreation-plans-and-revised-landscape-ordinance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6364043-48fafe1b5eae48aa8803fe3fc93d0797/orig.mp4?Expires=1775424905&Signature=CioYCBUcLdHBugxvl65O9EEy2IUz8XeAmPwfO6MSTF3LDLJetfmet6m3WSq0dR~QixN03jut28xsGxmreXt6vbyJJJq70eCWPmFGCpbf9yb5NR9LYDUdxCpQAe4HjMt53Rz2iGgcPDqBro7-3wF7Etg3lALehuwc3uHeA36Wgf37VMWDveaAExdN3vzDgAYU3pDOx5LVu4Dws-UVeYkjriwvBbSn9J9GN~eE1t1lZRNRIILtwSdXkk4FiXeZLnJYfSukpFCXzOZr225-Xzv4NJaL4GdJLzT0ZR0KCvkcgVXnGvH5vOB7h5wi9XfN8VtxTvy~icMdb1Dcv6BsIDLdzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wakulla County","date","2025-01-28T13:40:11Z","article","Leanna Parks, who identified herself as a member of the Sarracenia chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society but said she was not speaking for the chapter, asked county commissioners to include local native-plant expertise in three items on the consent agenda: FDOT grant-funded landscape plantings, design of recreational facilities and revisions to Wakulla County's landscape ordinance.

Parks congratulated the county on receiving FDOT grants and said the grants included native-plant components. She asked that the Sarracenia chapter be given the opportunity to provide input on final plant selection, and suggested using other native oaks better suited to dry sand-hill sites along Coastal Highway 98 rather than Shumard oaks, which she said had failed in her lower-moisture plantings. She recommended evergreen Conradina (false rosemary) for sunny, dry spots.

On recreational facilities (item 8), Parks said a consultant recommended improvements in about 2010 and that she welcomed the project; she asked the county to define \"naturally vegetated\" in the proposal, to set limits on impervious surface so environmentally sensitive land is not over-paved, and to consider restrictions on turfgrass. Parks said naturally vegetated areas should retain native species but also be managed to prevent invasive growth.

Regarding the revised landscape ordinance (item 9), she thanked staff members Summer and Brandon and said the draft was stronger, but criticized the tree-credit provisions. Parks asked that water oaks and laurel oaks be excluded from tree credits (even if excluded from the \"signature trees\" list) and recommended lowering the survey threshold so all signature trees would be inventoried at smaller diameters (for example, at 2'6 inches rather than only 10 inches or larger). She also said the list of shrubs, grasses and groundcover needs review because it includes a high-risk invasive species and other plants she would change.

Parks offered to provide comments to staff and asked the county to solicit local expertise earlier in grant and planting planning.

Ending
Parks concluded by asking to be kept informed and to participate early in plant-selection decisions for FDOT-funded work and county landscape projects.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Wakulla County BOCC Regular Public Meeting 01.21.25","oneSentenceSummary","A member of the Sarracenia chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society urged commissioners to allow local expert input on FDOT-funded landscaping, recommended species changes for dry coastal sites, raised concerns about a recreational-facility plan and urged revisions to the county's draft landscape ordinance and tree-credit rules.","taxTitle","Wakulla County, Florida","taxId",28293,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6364048,"Wakulla County Emergency Management activates EOC, warns residents of icy roads and power-outage risk",429,539000,968000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165402-ddb77c03f04c308d9bc805c880e29f7d&start=539&end=968","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165402-ddb77c03f04c308d9bc805c880e29f7d/thumbnail_539000.jpg","/articles/6364048/Wakulla-County/Florida/Wakulla-County-Emergency-Management-activates-EOC-warns-residents-of-icy-roads-and-power-outage-risk","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6364048-5dabc755f8f89ee0490154fe1f6f4a6e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775424905&Signature=Ai5o7kj5aQb5ifMTl8bEcbynUjVvTikkOfccAZsznObX4L4fNFnsaW6mbC-ezLeL4PLb99RCFCW7o~cCdCMAU4D~ATxwF2m9ZWygRC-usHcI2xeaRQM9hYNIwhaUgdqZQv~JaRxJbz06eGrkRwcIqdQxSIF98iP2GZWazvmKFGSeaV40w6twTBXVvHTv9jj5lrrl-835LMGQutWl2eYg5TPSEbEqiyUNaLBjh66yL~~25nZYhsIze~fBBU14GNwFFCCoWJWFpVoSk-gAowS9YGhwtwm2IsER0FfXBlf~r6WPaVpg4Bh85akse1pBBkaD3~ASeKCVYZW1b6DP9Czh6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jennifer Nagy, Wakulla County Emergency Management, told the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners that the county had activated its Emergency Operations Center and was preparing for a winter weather event that could bring rain, ice and 1 to 2 inches of snow, with higher amounts possible to the west.

Nagy said the county activated the EOC at 8:00 a.m. and has a skeleton crew on site; roadway and bridge treatments were under way, and county crews and contractors are on standby. She warned that as little as a tenth of an inch of frozen rain can cause bridges to ice and can lead to downed limbs and power lines. Officials have contacted Duke Energy and a company referred to in the record as Topland about restoration planning.

\"We are asking the public to stay off the roads tonight and tomorrow,\" Nagy said. \"Once you see accumulation in shady areas and ditches, expect it to take another hour or two before the roads become dangerous; after that, you can start seeing black ice across the roads.\"

Nagy outlined additional preparations the county has taken: DOT applied de-icing agent to state-road bridges in the area; the county placed sand on county bridges; extra sand trucks and crews are on standby; additional dispatchers are scheduled; and public-safety generators have been topped off. Residents were urged to prepare for power outages, to have water, food and extra blankets, to follow generator-safety guidance and to protect exposed pipes.

County offices planned to open at noon the following day \"assuming\" conditions allow it, and the county's sheriff's office similarly adjusted staffing and schedules; local schools were closed. Nagy said the cold period may persist for several nights, and asked residents to check on elderly neighbors and protect pets and plants.

Ending
Officials asked residents to limit nonessential travel, drive slowly if travel is necessary, and be prepared for multi-hour power outages depending on conditions and the number of outages across the county.","Jennifer Nagy of Wakulla County Emergency Management briefed commissioners on expected ice, rain and snow, activation of the Emergency Operations Center and county preparations including bridge sanding, extra dispatchers and a recommendation to stay off roads.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6364053,"Wakulla County commissioners approve zoning change, grant plat-extension authority and advance sign-code hearing; appoint code enforcement members",1218,118000,1336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2165402-ddb77c03f04c308d9bc805c880e29f7d&start=118&end=1336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2165402-ddb77c03f04c308d9bc805c880e29f7d/thumbnail_118000.jpg","/articles/6364053/Wakulla-County/Florida/Wakulla-County-commissioners-approve-zoning-change-grant-plat-extension-authority-and-advance-sign-code-hearing-appoint-code-enforcement-members","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6364053-375484e8008cd57fdc38f2a0d3991148/orig.mp4?Expires=1775424905&Signature=lpXIhzl4FmhldBG6SvfTJQ11XNDgh70RP6iWG7l2tv9vcR24l7WQu61~hq7frbb4npYafsZvYhxKfQkc~CeLjtvN9wgMLG2TpC1nQu2m6HMpMWVcnLVxcIHFoF-C1pgvY6WvugzGuz~R1bulBkphp-8gvaQVZkeuchIAdVf5ebKno4Er80KV~vvZAgoNl0bDEKdMnytVm-Jc-2DFgcCO1paAdPYtr-9y-cyQe4oLPE0TOGhx3m-PfzcoITmETjF8woaFmgn4er4pKbvtVSXKbbjaqqRJlu0kQxd2Ak7d18T4-mIt7NELzAA9cpvUW9jbvpZ-O4SFf~ifg6op1rT8Og__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wakulla County commissioners approved a series of land-use and board-appointment items, including a zoning change for a 5-acre parcel, an administrative plat-extension process and a second public hearing on proposed changes to the county's off-premise sign rules. The board also appointed two regular members and one alternate to the Code Enforcement Board and added a housing-monitoring report to the consent agenda.

The actions together affect development procedure and local sign regulation and fill vacancies on the county's enforcement board. Commissioners voted unanimously on the measures that were put before them.

Votes at a glance
- Consent addition: Staff requested adding “response to the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program fiscal-year monitoring report” to the consent agenda; motion to add passed (vote recorded as \"Passes 5\").
- Code Enforcement Board appointments: Tom Thompson promoted from alternate to regular member; Aaron Rosmar named alternate; Joanne Shirett and Eric Deutsch appointed as regular members. Motion passed (vote recorded as \"Passes 5\").
- Zoning change R2417: The board approved changing the zoning of approximately 5 acres at 345 Ace High Stables Road from RR-1 (rural residential) to AG (agricultural). No ex parte communications were reported; motion passed (vote recorded as \"Passes 5\").
- Preliminary-plat extension ordinance (Chapter 7 amendment): Commissioners approved an ordinance authorizing the Planning and Community Development director to grant a one-time 18-month extension for infrastructure construction on preliminary plats, if the developer shows good cause and the project is under active construction. Staff recommended the change to reduce staff time processing planning commission extensions; motion passed (vote recorded as \"Passes 5\").
- Off-premise sign code amendments (Chapter 5 and section 6-18 g): The board held the second of three public hearings on proposed amendments that would remove prohibitions on off-premise signs and digital-display billboards in specified Crawfordville commercial zoning districts if signs meet a new \"remove and replace\" provision. The provision would allow a sign owner to remove two existing off-premise signs and replace one in the same location, with the stated intent of reducing total billboards while allowing structural and face improvements. Staff recommended forwarding the ordinance to the final public hearing in February 2025; motion passed (vote recorded as \"Passes 5\").

What commissioners said and next steps
Brandon (Planning and Zoning staff) presented the zoning and code amendments and answered procedural questions on the preliminary-plat amendment and the sign-code changes. Staff noted the off-premise sign amendment was the second of three required hearings; the final hearing is scheduled for February 2025. No public testimony opposing the measures was recorded during the items summarized here.

Ending
Each measure passed unanimously as recorded during the meeting. The off-premise sign amendment will return for a final public hearing in February 2025; other actions take effect according to the county's ordinance adoption procedures and appointment protocols.","At a regular meeting, the Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners approved a zoning change, adopted a streamlined process for preliminary-plat extensions, advanced amendments to off-premise sign rules to a final public hearing and appointed members to the Code Enforcement Board.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Native-plant advocates ask Wakulla County for input on FDOT landscaping, recreation plans and revised landscape ordinance

Wakulla County Emergency Management activates EOC, warns residents of icy roads and power-outage risk

Wakulla County commissioners approve zoning change, grant plat-extension authority and advance sign-code hearing; appoint code enforcement members