Residents call for better meeting notices and infrastructure fixes, urge petition to governor on downtown flooding

During public comment on May 20 several residents told the City of Live Oak City Council they have difficulty finding timely meeting notices online and expressed frustration with local road, sewer and drainage maintenance.

Resident Kyle Skeen asked the city to publish meeting dates on the municipal website so residents can easily find the schedule and confirmed meeting status rather than relying on newspapers or scattered postings. He also raised concerns about downtown sewage and water lines, saying parts of the older section "just broke the other night," and questioned why scarce funds would be spent on large projects while basic infrastructure needs remain unaddressed.

Another resident, Ben Smith, asked councilmembers to sign a letter to the governor about recurring downtown flooding and traffic routing on U.S. 98 and State Road 129, which he said were started but never finished. Smith urged council and residents to sign the petition he had available at the meeting and leave it in the blue box for submission to the governor.

Council staff and other meeting participants answered that meeting schedules are posted on the city website and in the city lobby; staff also directed residents where printed schedules are kept. No formal council action or referral was taken during the public-comment period on either the notice request or the petition; staff did not provide a timeline for further infrastructure assessment during the remarks captured in the transcript excerpt.