Rebuttal of Editorial

This is a rebuttal I submitted to the Hernando Today in response to Robert Nolte's editorial this morning.

Grandstanding, testy, unflappable, divisive, rambling, folly, arbitrarily, torpedo, legal liability and judicial jeopardy are just a few descriptions used by Mr. Robert Nolte, editor of the Hernando Today, when referring to the Hernando County Planning and Zoning Commission's review of the project titled, the Hickory Hill Comprehensive Plan Amendment CPAM 06-2, at their meeting on Monday, May 8th. While it was economically feasible for this editor to embellish his opinion on the volunteer members of the Planning & Zoning Commission to peddle his product, his editorial was not written with sound, honest facts relating to the comprehensive plan amendment process prescribed by Florida Statutes, Chapter 163 and the local Hernando County ordinance and policy. This editor appears to have a real lack of knowledge of responsibility given to the Hernando Planning and Zoning Commission by our County Commission, that is duly expressed by written ordinance and the Florida Statutes. The P & Z Commission acts in an official capacity in re-zoning applications as jurors in the quasi judicial process, as prescribed by the FL Statutes. In addition to these re-zonings procedures, the Planning & Zoning Commission has also been tasked by the County Commission with the review process of land use issues, such as comprehensive plan amendments, and issues relating to land use specified in the zoning ordinance. The review of comprehensive plan amendments, like that of the Hickory Hill Comprehensive Plan Amendment CPAM 06-2 on Monday's agenda, are given in-depth consideration by every member of the P & Z Commission. Hopefully, Mr. Nolte will take the opportunity to educate himself on the current comprehensive plan that was amended, and re-adopted on December 14, 2005 and became effective on February 17, 2006. This current comprehensive plan, adopted by our County Commission and reviewed by the Florida Department of Community Affairs, was a two year process of gathering facts throughout the county. This revision process of the Comprehensive Plan entailed many facets of the community which included a county-wide survey, 5 workshops throughout the county by the Hernando County Planning Department, along with a 7-month Evaluation and Appraisal Review (EAR) process. The 19-member EAR committee was comprised of community members, along with all the members of the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Hernando County Commission reviewed these procedures every step of the way by conducting workshops for public input. It would be suggested that before offering any further subjective opinions on the Planning & Zoning Commission, Mr. Nolte educate himself on the comprehensive plan amendment process prescribed by the Florida Statutes, plus review the newly adopted comprehensive plan, dated February 17, 2006, before assuming that amendments are somehow an entitlement process of any applicant at hand. Hopefully, Mr. Nolte will think before reaching into his bag of tricks for anymore derogatory adjectives to describe any Planning & Zoning Commissioners and do us all a favor by stopping by his local library to peruse the newly adopted comprehensive plan which has been overwhelming supported by the majority of the citizens of Hernando County.

Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to represent my point of view...Anna Liisa