- Apr 3, 2013
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Lake County is in a bit of hot water right now. The head of Code Enforcement resigned abruptly after the officer over animal compliance gave the county her resignation and went to the press with her story over a herd of imaciated cows that belonged to a prominent, rancher attorney from Tampa. Seems the county attorney, Sandy Minkoff called the guy and told him to remove the cattle before the officer could get an injunction to remove the cattle, basically get them some care and feed. There are articles all over the Orlando Sentinel under "skinny cows". Problem became compounded when some vet said the cows were sick when they were brought from Texas. Seems to me the county are obligated to quarintine those cattle, not have them moved in the middle of the night to Marion County. Now the director of County Works Jim Stivender, is overseeing Code Enforcement, Animal Compliance and Parole Services the job Greg Welsted resigned from. Not sure what Parole Services is, but seems that would be a busy department for just one director. Lake County's Code Enforcement is a bit of a mess. One of my neighbors was recently given a violation notice and was told that he could not even lay wood on the ground without a permit. I think it is a bit excessive. As far as stating clearly on the Lake County website what their policies are, they are notorious for being vague..most of the time the attitiude is "because I said so". It is somewhat juvenile. Tuesday, Commisioner Caldwell did say the gentleman that stood and argued property rights issues-for a sand pit/burrow operation-in the last Commissioner's Zoning Hearing was going to encourage the man's neighbor to start a chicken farm and have him return with his property rights argument. So, maybe Commissioner Caldwell will make a motion to allow chickens after all!
Gayle Harris
Gayle Harris