The following is a recap of Alachua County Commission meeting June 27, 2006:
Ron Carpenter, Esq. (I think a Wal-Mart rep), pointed out that Wal-Mart had offered to extend the administrative hearing filing deadline and meet with Alachua County and other affected parties this coming Friday June 30 in order to try to work out a settlement with Alachua County and other parties. David Schwartz, Esq., Assistant County Attorney, said that the County has until July 5 to meet the filing deadline despite the 14 days stated in SRWMD`s permit approval letter, because FL Admin Code requires they give 21 days. He wants the SRWMD to additionally extend the filing deadline to July 14, but says SRWMD is "reluctant" to do that. Patrice Boise, Esq., attorney for First Street Group, wants the opportunity to meet with Alachua County commissioners and staff before an administrative hearing is filed, and asked that the filing of the challenge be delayed. Cindy Butler pointed out she first contacted Wal-Mart about Mill Creek Sink and Cave about two years ago. This was to address the argument that Wal-Mart might not have known about the cave until recently. Rob Brinkman, Sierra Club, mentioned that Alachua County has some authority over water quality based on a county referendum. I am unfamiliar with this. The County Commission then discussed and approved a motion to file the challenge on June 29 unless the SRWMD extends the challenge deadline. The Commission`s vote was unanimously in favor of the motion. So if Schwartz is correct about the 21 days, the county will automatically file a challenge if the SRWMD does not agree to the deadline extension, and if does SRWMD agree to the extension then the county will still file the challenge if Wal-Mart does not agree to the county`s additional stipulations (as modified in the coming Friday`s meeting). Those of you who are out of town may not know that the county commission and staff have been under a lot of back-room pressure from Wal-Mart, SRWMD, the City of Alachua and others. Allegations were flying along with pigs. Permit proponents claimed that they had been "blind-sided" by county staff and others coming out in sudden opposition to the project, and that the opposition was not correct technically. So it was with great pride that we watched the commission vote unanimously in favor of the motion. Another victory! There will be a meeting this Friday June 30 among Wal-Mart, ACEPD, possibly an Alachua County Commissioner and possibly a SRWMD Board or staff member to work our way through the additional stipulations and hopefully come to a compromise settlement. I have been invited and plan to attend. contributed by: Buford Pruitt | 
