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Marion County delays Kennerwood Acres community‑development hearing after improper notice; March 17 date set contingent on proof
Summary
A public hearing about creating the Kennerwood Acres Community Development District was not properly advertised. Commissioners set a March 17 date contingent on the applicant providing proof of legal advertisement and payment, and instructed staff to confirm before placing the hearing on the agenda.
The Marion County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 1 declined to proceed with a scheduled public hearing to establish the Kennerwood Acres Community Development District after staff determined the applicant did not properly advertise the hearing.
County staff told the board the applicant failed to meet the publication requirements set by state statute. Commissioners debated how to avoid repeated advertising errors and directed staff to require proof from the newspaper (including payment confirmation) before scheduling the hearing. The board approved a motion to set March 17 as the hearing date, contingent upon receipt of documentation that the notice ran in the designated local newspaper; the motion passed unanimously.
Commissioners discussed alternatives, including whether the county could publish the notice on its website under state rules and whether the county could charge a fee to process the ad, and asked the county administrator to work with the applicant and the newspaper to ensure proper legal notice and allow adequate time for the hearing to be placed on the agenda.
Commissioner concerns focused on fairness to residents who rely on legal notices to learn about proposed developments and on avoiding repeated scheduling errors that delay hearings and create the appearance of poor process. One commissioner said the board would not repeatedly accept incomplete or missing advertisements and wanted applicants to understand the seriousness of the requirement.
The board asked staff to confirm advertisement proof in writing before the hearing is published on a future agenda and to notify the applicant of the required documentation and timeline.
