01/05/2011 Letters to the Editor

City Council ‘public meeting’ was a farce
The Dunnellon City Council was obliged to hold a “public meeting” Wednesday, Dec. 28, regarding the purchase of a utility company.
So they let some people into the meeting, and excluded the rest. City Hall just isn’t big enough for everyone. With an air of arrogance the City Council simply ignored the crowd of people outside who came to participate in the “public meeting.”
There was some talk in the background about turning porch speakers on for the folks outside, but it didn’t happen. No talk of providing a venue to accommodate the concerned people was made.
The police moved the folks in the lobby out, closed the doors and took a stand against the folks who came to attend the meeting. The spurious “public meeting” went on inside, and after a little while all of the people on the outside went away. I believe there is a law in Florida against this sort of con, but I’m not a lawyer, so I’d need some help here.
This kind of governmental arrogance can be understood when you consider what the Dunnellon City Council is doing. Purchasing a business from Rainbow Springs Utilities that is a fully operational. Making no fundamental changes for customers and then severely raising the cost to homeowners over a few years with the money going to the sellers and buyers. What a trick! A bit of monkey business that even the Mad Hatter couldn’t have played better.
Rainbow Springs’ residents are mostly older folks, mainly retired people living on pensions, social security or lifetime savings. Of course, these people can’t vote in Dunnellon, so gouging their pocketbooks will have no effect on Dunnellon’s elections.
The Dunnellon city government is as callous as the Queen of Hearts wielding control over underlings and shouting “off with their heads.”
Alice’s topsy-turvy world of “Through the Looking Glass” has a lot in common with Dunnellon’s city government, an iniquitous government that gouges people instead of serving them.
Wednesday’s city council meeting was a bitter lesson in governmental superciliousness. Story books and history both teach us how to deal with the arrogant who rule against the people. Heads should roll after this farce of a public meeting that was closed to the people affected by the business at hand — concerned residents being turned away from the “public meeting” in Dunnellon.
Kenneth Donnelly
Dunnellon
 

Rainbow Springs’ residents should boycott Greenlight
I believe the recent decision to purchase the Rainbow Springs Water Utility is another bad decision by the City Council.
I urge my fellow residents of Rainbow Spings to boycott the upcoming Greenlight Dunnellon Communications cable company. It is clear the city only considers our community a “cash cow” to be milked.
I would not trust the city to not raise rates at will if you sign up for Greenlight. If Greenlight is the major provider in Rainbow Springs, they will control the market.
I have very good cable, internet and phone service now. Why would I subscribe to a city utility that will raise my rates to finance their poor city management programs?
If Rainbow Springs’ residents boycott Greenlight cable, we at least will show our displeasure and our mistrust of the City Council that can raise our rates “because they can.”
Let the city pay the borrowed $13 million without our support of Greenlight. The City Council’s decision to pay top dollar for a utility to make money will come back to haunt them if Greenlight fails.
Boycott Greenlight to show your displeasure. All residents of Dunnellon should consider the track record already of Grenlight — already in debt and in trouble — before they sign up. They do deserve our trust or business.
Steve Swett
Dunnellon
 

Dunnellon taking too much financial risk
The spider has the fly in the web. Rainbow Springs’ water works has been taken over by Dunnellon. The next move will be a reach to incorporate Rainbow Springs into Dunnellon.
Rainbow Springs has been an ideal place in which to live. But, this will drastically change with the overwhelming burden of imposed rate increases and a 25 percent surcharge for use of the water.
If we are incorporated, huge tax increases will follow. Dunnellon is verging on insolvency. Their City Council and an egotistical mayor have ventured into very risky financial territory. They look to Rainbow Springs as their only hope to achieve a reprieve from their poor business decisions.
Rainbow Springs’ residents better wake up before it is too late. The spider awaits its next big meal.
Vivian Dayton
Rainbow Springs
 

City Council might be killing the goose
Dunnellon’s recent announcement regarding the purchase of Rainbow Springs’ Water Utility has generated more e-mail than any event that I can remember. They are all over the village. I will pass along a few more “juicy” varieties.
“Let’s occupy town hall;” “Refuse to support any Dunnellon retail establishment;” “Don’t sign up for the Greenlight Communication program;” “Annex Dunnellon and throw the bums out;” “We can’t vote for the politicians that set our water rates;” “We need to start another Tea Party movement;” and “I can’t believe the arrogance of Dunnellon government to its neighbor.”
Will any of those things happen? Your guess is as good as mine and I don’t know. One thing that I do know is that this matter was handled very poorly.
Bush league would be a compliment.
Most of the residents of Rainbow Springs bend over backward to support Dunnellon retailers. We often pay more just to keep it local.
Dunnellon, your elected officials belong in Washington, D.C. They would fit in very nicely with those that want to borrow and spend our way out of financial problems.
In closing, one of your council members proclaimed this is a win/win for Dunnellon. My dear, it just might be a lose/lose.
Your neighbors may just stop laying eggs in Dunnellon.
Lynn Black
Dunnellon
 

City’s decision to charge extra is wrong
Dear Mr. Mayor and City Council members,
Rainbow Springs Property Owners Association wishes to go on record of their opposition to the acquisition of Rainbow Springs Utility LC.
Our opposition stems from other endeavors that the City Council has entered into, such as Greenlight Communications. The Rainbow Springs Utility LC has brought the community water and sewer services a reasonable rate. It appears that the city cannot be satisfied with the profits at the present rates and must increase them significantly.
A recent survey reported the city of Dunnellon is charging the third highest water and sewer rates in Central Florida. This leads me to question the cities ability to manage and operate a larger water and sewer system efficiently. The acquisition should lead to lower rates, not higher rates for the city’s residents.
A news article in the Ocala Star-Banner Dec. 22 stated the City Manager said the city would profit roughly $250,000 annually from the acquisition. I also wish to go on record that the Rainbow Springs Property Owners Association objects to the 25 percent surcharge allowed in section 180.191 of the Florida state code.
This unfair charge is optional and does not have to be imposed by the City Council. We oppose the 25 percent surcharge that is, in reality, a tax without any representation. We also oppose this additional burden that does not add any services to the community.
Our community is made up of approximately 80-percent plus retirees on a fixed income. Many of these retirees are widows or widowers that have difficulty meeting expenses. It appears that the city of Dunnellon’s Council is taking advantage of an opportunity to make an exorbitant profit while disregarding the welfare of the citizens. This profit is being made from both Rainbow Springs and Dunnellon city residents.
This leads again to the cities ability to manage and not take advantage of the residence. One has to ask the question: Is this profit to offset other managerial mistakes such as Greenlight?
The city’s extra endeavors should be set up on separate accounting system, so that the taxpayers and consumers are able to examine the results and value received. The city’s documents states that they are to run an economical and efficient system for the public good, not to take advantage of customers and make an exorbitant profit of approximately a quarter million dollars.
Very truly yours,
Robert Frankenfield, President
Rainbow Springs Property Owners Association

Residents opposed to utility takeover
The residents of Rainbow Springs object to Dunnellon’s purchase of Rainbow Springs Utilities and its proposed water and sewer rates.
FS 180.191 states in part that a municipality may levy charges that are just and equitable and may add a surcharge of not more than 25 percent to consumers outside its boundaries. We don’t believe your fees, which are the highest in the north central Florida area for the average household and subject to a 7 percent increase per year, are just and equitable. Adding a 25 percent surcharge to this is an insult.
It is not as though you are developing or expanding a city-based water and sewer system to reach out to our community, but rather a functioning system already sits there, which has been paid for by our fees over many years. Why should we pay for your ill-advised $21 million cumulative debt and get nothing more for it?
Other concerns that have been expressed to me include:
— Why are you paying $5.95 million for the system when the 2010 PSC filing indicated a net asset value of $3.5 million? Do you believe your profit margin on us will justify that?
— Why did you plunge into Greenlight Communications when it should have been obvious that you can’t compete with the large, well-established communications companies? There is less and less interest in Greenlight in the Rainbow Springs community as you continue to gouge us with your utility enterprise and your misuse of red-light cameras for revenue purposes.
— Are you aware that the water service lines in Rainbow Springs are in poor shape and subject to numerous breaks? Didn’t your engineering firm tell you that?
— Rainbow Springs residents are concerned with the quality (or lack thereof) of services to be expected of Dunnellon.
— There are many good people doing good things in Dunnellon but there is a general mistrust of Dunnellon’s government. You are earning a reputation as a bad neighbor. Perhaps you don’t care but I believe the citizens and business people of Dunnellon do care.
Burt Eno, Ph.D.
Dunnellon
Editor’s Note: Burt Eno, Ph.D., read this letter on record at the Dec. 28 Dunnellon City Council meeting.
 

Rainbow Springs’ utilities purchase
We attended the hearing Dec. 28 regarding the purchase of Rainbow Springs Utilities by the city of Dunnellon.
This meeting was a farce from beginning to end. There should have been plans made to hold the meeting where everyone attending could have been accommodated.
There should have been plans in effect so that everyone could hear what was being said. We have never seen an authority figure be as rude to people as the mayor was.
Why is the city so unwilling to answer questions?
For example: How much money has been wasted by Greenlight by placing cable in Rainbow Springs?
The city has never said how the residents of Rainbow Springs will benefit from this purchase mainly because we won’t.
The resolutions passed consistently refer to how the city will benefit. “Just because we can” is no answer to why they will be charging Rainbow Springs’ residents the 25 percent surcharge.
Even one county commissioner agrees that this is wrong.
On the basis of our December utility bill, the 25 percent surcharge will raise our bill at least $10.81 not the referenced $6 to $7. That is before the other rate increases.
It is not Rainbow Springs’ water system that is in disrepair but the city’s. It is a well known fact that theirs is, but it not the residents’ of Rainbow Springs responsibility to furnish the monies for them to do so.
What is going to happen to Rainbow Springs’ Utilities if the city goes bankrupt? Will we get our utility system back as it was before this ill advised purchase? The mayor needs to learn that in order to get respect that you first have to give it.
Edward and Joan Duggins
Rainbow Springs
 

Rainbow Springs’ Utility takeover by Dunnellon
It saddens my heart to have to write a letter concerning the proposed actions of the Dunnellon City Council by their voting to purchase the Rainbow Springs water company. As a long time resident of Rainbow Springs, I for one am solidly opposed to this idea for several reasons.
Because of the greedy actions of your city fathers, they have placed their citizenry in financial jeopardy by their attempt to deeply indebt themselves by installing a fiber-optic system for whatever reason.
This is not a function of city government, and if it were economically practical, private businesses would have picked up on it. Now your city fathers are demanding that you place yourselves further in debt by acquiring our water company.
This is simply bad financial advice to become deeper in debt during these trying financial times. We take notice that your finances are shaky now because of the city’s failure to come up with sufficient funds to make the required payments on your debt. This is called defaulting.
Pardon my French, but whoever is giving financial advice to your city fathers should be immediately fired. A continuation of civic debt growth is tantamount to a fiscal doomsday.
It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that the Dunnellon city leaders want to annex the Rainbow Springs sub-division so that they can expand their tax base at our expense, and I am convinced that this is the main reason for this action. By buying our water company, they would have an open door to the annexation process and they readily admit that our water rates will increase substantially when they achieve the buyout.
Our people will gain absolutely nothing by being annexed into Dunnellon except sky-rocketing taxes, increased utility bills, civic regulations, poor water service with no recourse and stop lights with cameras to spy on us and fine us into the poor house with exorbitant charges.
They have apparently thought that our people are going to be the financial saviors of your fine city, but this will place an unwanted and unprecedented financial burden on Rainbow Springs’ residents.
I can offer nothing but praise for our present water and sewer services. The water company has done an excellent job. I am fearful of civic governmental institutions trying to operate a company as efficiently and we can imagine the graft and corruption possible because of this transfer.
If private corporations can do it, let the government stay out of the way.
The fathers apparently have grandiose plans to transform the city of Dunnellon into a metropolis. They seem to feel that huge growth translates into a higher standard of living. Beware, citizens, growth means an increase in living costs, expanded infrastructure, new schools, more stop lights with cameras, perhaps water rationing, and higher and higher taxes.
You go ahead and grow all you want, but please leave us out of your plans and forget about taking away our water. It is up to the Dunnellon citizenry to let them know that you want no more debt financing.
Elvere “Tommy” Thompson
Dunnellon
 

Who did not do their job?
Being totally for the new sewer system, I did not expect the bill to be $3 and some odd change short of $100. Yes, $100 for the first billing when it had been installed at the most two weeks ago.
So like a good wife, I handed hubby the new bill and said find out how this can be so high when it has just been installed; better to send him than go myself as any lame excuse can really set me off.
Prorated was the excuse. What? Bull, prorated back to previous years? How can it be prorated to previous years and most of all why?
Well it seems someone did not do their job, and because of this failure to do their job but still get full pay is not excusable. Prorated back to months and years ago to the highest usage. Even to the most water used in growing a garden — my first and last garden.
Now this has to be a very hard job to do. Are we ready? Just read the meters before the installation and then after and these bills would not be so large.
Such a hard job, so how did this someone fail to do their job causing outrageous billing?
No reading or recording of the installation date was kept. I guess the contractor never kept record of the installations they did just in case someone failed to do their job within the city.
The city needs to address this billing and how someone on city payroll is not being held responsible for their failure. How can the citizens be charged for such a large oversight?
This is short unethical to send over charged billings because of a failure. Times are hard, money is short and one failure is going to cause hardship on our people.
City hall is here to serve us and protect us, but we are being punished for an employee of City Hall that made a large blunder in the performance of their job.
Mary Hacker
Dunnellon
 

Flag flying upside down is disgrace
I am an infreguent visitor to Dunnellon and really have been fortunate to enjoy it in both the summer and the winter months for the past few years.
While visiting this Christmas with family, I was very upset to see an American Flag being flown upside down at a home on Camp Drive. As a 30-year Marine veteran this is a slap in the face for all Americans. Unless that family is in threat of life or limb, the American Flag should never be flown upside down according to the code on flying a United States flag.
I understand that this is not a representation of Dunnellon, but it sure puts a sour taste in my mouth as a veteran and an American.
Maybe the police department or the rescue squad should respond to the distress call and remind them that the hanging of the flag is a dire distress call for help in the case of life and limb.
Art Taylor
St. Helena Island, S.C.

FORS thanks everyone for support
On behalf of the Friends of Rainbow Springs (FORS), Rainbow Springs Volunteers and Park Staff, I would like to express my appreciation to the Dunnellon community for their support of our recently concluded annual “Santa Over the Rainbow” event at Rainbow Springs State Park.
This year, we set new records for attendance — just shy of 5,400 people visited the state park to enjoy the beautiful lights and entertainment and greet Santa and Mrs. Claus. For all who visited the park, told their neighbors about the event, visited our Gift Shop, Concession and Crafty Ladies sales venue, we thank you!
Each year volunteers and staff begin planning for the next year as soon as the event is over. The Light Crew and Decorating Teams are busy at the park starting in November. A number of volunteers appear every night to help make the event a success. After all this work, nothing makes us all happier than to see the crowds appear to enjoy what we have planned.
But this success would not be possible without the many merchants in Dunnellon that display our flyers, the music groups that perform each of the six nights before Christmas, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Citizens Patrol/Dunnellon Branch and the Riverland News and its staff for the wonderful coverage both before and during the event — a special thank you to each and everyone of you.
We look forward to seeing all of you at Rainbow Springs State Park for one of our future events and, of course, for next year’s “Santa Over the Rainbow.”
Linda Brown
President, Friends of Rainbow Springs (FORS)
 

Giving back ‘Secret Santa’ program
All through December including Christmas Eve, Dunnellon Police Department officers and staff were collecting and packaging gifts and food for families in need. This was the second year the Dunnellon Police Department’s “Secret Santa” program successfully assisted with families who were experiencing difficult times.
The Police Department started collecting unwrapped gifts right after Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve and a total of 156 children from all over the Dunnellon area received gifts to open Christmas Day hoping to make their Christmas brighter.
The Dunnellon Police Department would like to thank the following sponsors for their kindness and heartfelt donations during this holiday season. Because of this community’s generosity, these children were able to have a wonderful Christmas.
The sponsors included: Toys for Tots, gifts; Mickey Smith, gifts; Dunnellon Fire Department, gifts; Angelo Nieves, bikes; Bill and Mary Lanni, bikes; Paul and Vicki Dungan, gifts; Pat Buss, gifts; Dr. Oliverio, gifts and food; Debra Parks, gifts; The Belanger Family — Bill, Kelly, Lindsey, Billy, Josh and Searra, gifts; Bill and Peg Belanger from Weymouth, Mass., gifts; Helen and Richard Reynolds, gift cards; The Strauch Family, from Kodiak, Alaska, gifts; Kathy Onkala, scarves, hats and mittens; Jackie Hill Massage Therapist, food; Debbie Rowe and Kathi Garron from Moose Lodge No. 2308; and multiple anonymous donors.
If you would like to assist with this program or receive additional information, contact Darlene Parker at the Dunnellon Police Department at 465-8510 or dparker@dunnellonpd.org.
Chief Joanne Black
Dunnellon Police Department