By WILLIAM SNOWDEN
Editor

Three members of the public were at the Wakulla County Charter Review Commission’s Public Hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 14, to express their support for a proposed amendment to protect native trees in new development.
That amendment is one of five proposals – the others deal with impact fees, panhandling on road rights-of-way, how often the charter should be reviewed, and reducing the density of RV parks.


The Charter Review Committee is set to hold a second public hearing on Tuessday, Nov. 28 at the community at 6 p.m. They will then hold a final meeting on Dec. 5 to review the proposals before submitting their work to the county commission. Whatever proposals are submitted to the county commission will be put on the November 2024 ballot for voters to vote up or down on.
The five amendments and the current language, which is still being tweaked:
A. Shall the Charter of Wakulla County be amended to require the Board of County Commissioners to commission an independent review, by a professional consulting firm skilled in the area of impact fee studies, every 5 years. The purpose of this study is to determine if impact fees are warranted within Wakulla County and where impact fee funds should be allotted if impact fees are initiated through ordinance.
B. Shall the Charter of Wakulla County be amended to require all new development to preserve live oak trees, longleaf pines, hickories, maples, beech, cedars, magnolias, bald cypress, and southern red oak trees, measuring 12 inches in diameter at breast height in size, unless these trees are located within the development footprint and no other reasonable configuration is possible.
C. Shall the Charter of Wakulla County be amended to require the Board of County Commissioners to adopt a public safety ordinance, with approved exemptions and designated penalties for violating such ordinance which specifically addresses interactions between citizens and motorists at medians, public right of ways, crosswalks, sidewalks, arterial roads, and other applicable public space.
D. Shall the Charter of Wakulla County be amended to require the Charter Review Commission to be appointed at a minimum of every six years.
E. Shall the Charter of Wakulla County be amended to require all new proposed RV parks be limited to a maximum density of 5 RV spaces per acre.